When cutting men’s hair, break their head up into 7 parts: the top, left side, right side, back, left sideburn area, right sideburn area and the fringe. That way, they can describe to you how much hair they want taken away from each part. Make it a dialogue. As you cut the man’s hair, continue to ask him for feedback. Give him access to a mirror (wall-mounted or hand-held) where he can review the cut, and periodically ask him whether it’s short enough.
More dramatic hairstyles on men tend to work best when a man has a fuller head of hair. More conservative hairstyles tend to make the best use of thinning hair. The man’s current hairstyle isn’t necessarily an indication of the one he’ll ultimately want, as people will come in for a haircut once their hair isn’t laying the way it used to and isn’t sitting right.
Make sure to set up on a floor surface that will be easy to clean afterwards. Tile, wood, linoleum, and concrete are all great choices. Carpet—especially thick carpet—will swallow clipped hair and make cleaning up difficult. Bathrooms, kitchens, and patios are good for hair-cutting. Use a pair of very sharp, high quality shears that are specifically made for cutting hair. Scissors made for cutting paper or fabric will not lead to the results you want to achieve with his hair.
If you can’t take the comb and comb from root to tip without the comb getting caught, that’s usually a good sign the man needs a haircut.
Use a six to keep a little length. Use a three or four for a classic cut. Use a two for a close cut, and a one for a “buzz cut”.
Work your way slowly around the head. Cut carefully around the ears. Leave the top for the scissors.
Cut perpendicular to the hair direction for a clean cut. For example, if his hair points downwards, towards the back of the neck (vertical), cut horizontally across the back of his head. Don’t cut in one big clip with the whole scissor blade. Use the tips or the scissor blades for cutting in short spurts. If you’re nervous, cut just a bit at a time. You can always cut more if you need to.
Don’t stay too close to the hair when trimming bangs. Step back and consider how the bangs look with the overall haircut so you can see the big picture. [9] X Expert Source Yan KandkhorovHair Stylist Expert Interview. 28 January 2020. Be careful with bangs. The “golden rule” is: “Once you cut it, it’s gone. " Always remember that you can cut more off, but you can’t add it back, so you must be sure of where you’re cutting. Make sure that the bangs are damp, but take drying into account. Cutting dry hair causes it to fly everywhere, and can fray the ends in some cases. However, curly hair can shrink up to 4 inches (10. 2 cm) when it dries. Even straight hair can shrink as much as 1 1⁄2 inches (3. 8 cm). If you haven’t cut bangs before, err on the side of caution.
As you use the comb, hold it with the teeth pointing straight up, making sure you aren’t angling it towards or away from you.
If he asks you to trim his beard, you can use the clippers to either shave or clean up the hair below his sideburns. If you are shaving, you can use a razor (for a close shave) or the clippers without any attachment (for a rough shave). If you are cleaning up the beard: ask him how short he’d like it, and choose a clipper attachment accordingly. You can also use scissors to evenly snip away the longest hairs of his beard.
If he isn’t wearing shoes, the hair can go through his socks. If he is wearing shoes, the hair can stick to the soles of the shoes, and could be dragged around the house.
