Learning how to cut your boy’s hair can be an excellent way to save money. But gone are the days of bowl cuts and mop tops. Today, boys can choose from a number of cool haircuts and hairstyles, ranging from classic and handsome to modern and trendy.
The good news is boys haircuts don’t have to require a trip barbershop or salon. With the right barber tools, cutting techniques and tips, you can cut your kid’s hair at home. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cut your little boys hair at home in under 15 minutes.
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How To Cut Your Little Boys Hair
Depending on the desired style, texture, and length of your little boy’s hair, you’ll need to employ different cutting methods. While practice makes perfect, don’t stress if you make a mistake because you can always buzz your little boy’s hair with clippers and he’ll just enjoy a very short haircut for a couple weeks.
To cut hair short, most boys haircut styles require hair clippers to fade and blend the sides and back, and scissors to trim the long hair on top. To keep your boys hair long, you’ll need to practice cutting hair in layers with scissors and a comb.
Where you start the cut depends on a few factors, including your experience in cutting hair, the hairstyle your kid wants, and your little boy’s hair type. For instance, moms who are less confident trimming hair may be more comfortable removing length from the top before using the clippers.
Meanwhile, experienced stylists or parents with an eye for symmetry, blending, and layering may start with an undercut or taper fade haircut on the sides.
Cutting
To cut the hair on the sides and back, follow his natural hairline and use scissors to trim the hair around his face and ears. When cutting the hair around the ears, including the sideburns, comb the hair downwards towards the ear and closely follow the natural neckline around the perimeter of the ear.
You’ll want to gently fold the ear once you reach the top of it to cut the hair behind it. Later, you can use a razor or trimmer to clean up around the ears and neck.
When beginning with the top of the head, start by lightly wetting with a spray bottle and combing the hair downwards. To cut the boys hair on top, you’ll always want to hold the hair up between your fingers and trim from the tips.
However, to cut the bangs, comb the hair down and trim an equal length across the forehead.
Using the comb and your fingers, lift the hair upwards and measure the length you wish to remove. Holding it firmly, cut the hair along the line you’ve created with your fingers. It’s important to remember the length you are holding and how much you are trimming off to maintain a consistent cut in the same areas.
When moving onto the next section of hair, be sure to grab a few strands from the previous section. These shorter hairs will act as a guide and ensure the hair is cut evenly.
Once you’ve cut all the hair on top, move to the back of your little boy’s head. Combing the hair downwards, lift and hold the hair at a 45-degree angle. Using scissors, cut the hair along your fingers in a downward direction.
When cutting the hair along your little boy’s neckline, it’s best to use trimmers. If you have not purchased trimmers yet and want to cut with scissors, hold the hair down firmly with a comb and cut straight across.
Before moving on, get eye-level with the neckline and check to see if the haircut slants either left or right. If it does slant, use scissors to straighten out the line. Parents can also use shaving cream and a razor to fix the line for a perfect, close-cut trim.
Boys Layered Haircuts
The purpose of cutting your boys hair in layers is to add volume and texture. Layered haircuts also thin out very thick hair while providing a unique, blended style that maximizes movement and flow. Be mindful of your boy’s hair type before layering. For instance, a heavily layered haircut on little boys with fine or thin hair could expose the scalp and turn into a bad cut.
To cut layers in long boy hair, begin by combing the hair flat and pull it up by the handful. Next, cut small sections into the top sections of hair – there is no need to add layers underneath the hair.
Keep in mind that layers are not necessarily meant to be cut in straight lines, but instead snip sections and cut at various lengths. Thinning shears are a great way to create different lengths and get more texture.
It’s important to first determine the types of layers you plan to add to long or short hair, and to be consistent in your cuts. If you’re looking to create a choppy style, cut the hair in a slanted motion along the comb.
Don’t panic if the hair looks too choppy in the front; you can use scissors to cut small points in the hairline (this technique is known as point-cutting). To blend hair, use a comb and clippers to trim the tips of the hair. Doing so will avoid creating a distinct straight line between the different layers of hair.
Remember, the worst-case scenario is that you take your little boy to the barbershop and get the haircut fixed. Similarly, you can always give your kid a very short haircut with clippers. A buzz cut can be low-maintenance and easy, while a crew cut (which is slightly longer) can be styled into a gentleman’s side part.
Blended Haircuts with Hair Clippers
Clippers are a great way to blend the different lengths of hair between the sides and top. Also known as a taper fade haircut, these types of blended haircuts create contrast between the short sides and longer hair on top.
Even for moms who have never used hair clippers before, buzzing the sides and back all one length can result in a trendy hairstyle for little boys.
Nevertheless, before cutting hair with clippers, it is important to understand how this tool works and what the different haircut numbers or guard sizes mean.
For most clippers, the lower the number, the shorter the haircut. This means if you attach a number one clipper guard, you’ll be left with much shorter hair than if you set it to number three. Here’s a basic guide to haircut numbers to help you choose the right extension or guard for your preferred cut and length.
- #1: one-eighth of an inch
- #2: one-fourth of an inch
- #3: three-eighths of an inch
- #4: one-half of an inch
- #5: five-eighths of an inch
- #6: three-fourths of an inch
- #7: seven-eighths of an inch
- #8: one inch
If you choose to begin the haircut with clippers, be mindful of the spot on the head where you plan to transition the cut to scissors and be consistent with how high up you clip the hair. You’ll want to fade the sides and back evenly all around the head.
To get started, place the clippers at the base of the head, on the neckline. Holding the clippers at a 90-degree angle from the head, move in a straight, upwards motion. Be careful to make smooth, even cuts, and avoid missing sections along the way.
You’ll certainly want to run the clippers over the same area multiple times to ensure you get a perfect cut. This is where having good hair clippers is really worth the investment.
To cut a fade haircut on a little boy, you’ll need to start the tapering process where the hair starts to get longer at the top of the sides. Use a comb and clippers to blend the hair gradually. Position the comb against the head and fade the sides shorter and shorter to avoid an obvious line between short and long hair.
If you’ve purchased a quality trimmer, this is where you’ll taper the neckline into the hair and clean up the areas around the neck and ears. Otherwise, you can try to use clippers with no attachment and remove any pesky stray hairs. Even out the hairline for a fresh, clean-cut look.
Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to a successful boy’s haircut.
What You Need To Cut A Boys Haircut At Home
Here are some of the barber tools you’ll need to cut your little boy’s hair at home. Naturally, you’ll want to invest in good yet affordable products and machines. These are the best clippers, trimmers, scissors, and combs on the market for the money!
Click here to find the best hair products for little boys!