Learning how to do your own haircut at home with a pair of clippers is a great way to save some money, whilst acquiring a new skill you can be proud of. Let’s face it, haircut prices are skyrocketing, so investing a few pounds in a clipper will pay for itself after just a few cuts.
But…aren’t self-haircuts complicated? You’d be surprised! In this article we’ll guide you through home hair cut basics such as:
- Types of hair clippers you can use
- What is your best option for home clippers
- Understanding clipper guides and haircut sizes
- How to maintain clippers so they last a long time
The Two Main Types Of Clippers
There’s loads of clipper models and brands on the market. However, all these different models function boils down to two core types of clippers: adjustable blade clippers and detachable blade clippers.
1) Adjustable Blade Clippers
With adjustable clippers, you have a fixed blade. A side lever helps you “open” it or “close” it, controlling the cutting length. Check the lever of this Wahl Super Taper, for example:
Most adjustable blades switch from 2.4mm (lever down, “open”) to 0.5mm (lever up, “closed”.) This is without a guard, the so called “naked” blade.
You further use clipper guards to control the cut. This allows you to achieve anything from buzzcuts to fades or longer haircuts.
2) Detachable Clippers
Detachable clippers are a bit more complicated. With them, you have to swap the blades to control the blade cut. There’s no side lever here. Instead, there are various blades going from 0.2mm to as far as 13mm.
Detachable models are frequently used by barbers. They’re more heavy-duty, ready for bulk hair cutting and a bit more expensive because you have to buy additional blades separately.
On the contrary, most home users prefer adjustable clippers as the HairClippersClub team says.
What Should You Look For In A Home Clipper
Home hair cutters should be about two things: convenience and accessories.
As you’ll be taking care of yourself only, you don’t need a total workhorse of a model. Rather, you’d want something easy to work with. A few things that make any model a good fit:
- Lightweight body that doesn’t tire your hand too much
- If possible, cordless function so you can cut your hair freely
- A good number of clipper combs for proper length control
- Sharp blades and strong enough motor to go through your hair type
A very important point to remember is that you shouldn’t be too stingy with your budget. You can grab a proper clipper for anywhere from 30 to 60 pounds. Don’t go below that if you want it to last long. A quality model is more than a good investment.
Great Home Clipper Recommendations:
The first one is the Remington HC4250 Quick Cut.
This is the convenience pick – it’s very lightweight, cordless (up to 40 minutes of battery life) and has 9 combs from 1 to 15mm. It’s exceptionally great if you’re looking for shorter hairstyles – buzzcuts or even close-to-bald shaves.
If you want more power and a more professional experience, the Wahl Elite Pro is as close as you can get with your improvised home barber salon. It’s not only about its motor, stronger than usual home models.
You get a very premium treatment here, with barber scissors, a barber’s cape and premium half-steel, half-plastic guards. These, combined with the self-sharpening steel blades will leave you satisfied with clean, sharp haircuts.
Hair Comb Sizes: Easier Than They Seem
A lot of people get confused about the different cutting lengths you can get with a clipper. Most brands like Wahl, Andis or Oster, label them with specific numbers: #1 guard, #2 guard and so on.
Take a look at these two Wahl combs, the #2 and #4 respectively:
Luckily, you also have the length in mm too. This length shows how much hair the guard will leave on your head after you’ve cut with it.
Most clipper sets come with the combs from #1 to #8 included. This means you get guards that measure 3, 6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22 and 25mm, respectively.
The good thing with adjustable clippers is that the same guard will have different lengths depending on whether you “open” or “close” the blade. Thus, you can easily fade your hair at home too!
How To Make Your Clippers Last Longer
Clippers are, after all, machinery. And as with any machinery, you have to take care of them so they do a proper job in the long run.
There’s two more important things you should do regularly when cutting your hair at home.
The first thing is oiling the blades – after each use is a good idea, especially if you have thicker hair. This will keep your blades sharp and smoothen their cutting movements.
Oiling is easy: just put a few drops on the blades after you’ve done with your haircut. Keep the clipper on when doing so. Dab any excessive oil after that so it doesn’t stick to the blades.
The second thing is removing leftover hair after your cut. All kits include a small cleaning brush you can use for this purpose. Just switch off the clipper and gently clean any hair from between the blades and the clipper itself.
Some models like the HC4250 Quick Cut make it easier, as they have rinsable parts. You can just run the blades under water and the hairs will be swept away. Quite the time saver!
If you keep to these maintenance basics, you can bet your clipper will last you for years. Not only will you get a good boost to your savings, but you’ll also become your own barber.
It doesn’t get more manly and awesome than that now, does it?