DIY Hair Cut for Boys with Clippers: No Scissor Method 2024 - Clarks Condensed (2024)

Learn how to get the best baby boy haircuts with clippers and no scissors in this tutorial from a dad who has been cutting his hair and now his kids’ hair for years.

My Dad gave me my first haircut and when I got older I started to cut my own hair.

I’ve only paid for 4-5 haircuts my whole life. I wouldn’t say I give myself amazing haircuts, but I would say it’s a great way to save a lot of money. Plus, I think I have gotten better with practice. By practicing on me for a long time, I am more prepared to cut my toddler boys hair. I now have three boys, so I foresee a lot more kids haircuts in my future! It definitely makes it easier than dragging all the kids to a hair salon, even if they are a kid-specific salon. A Hair stylist is amazing, but these little gents are a lot to wrestle at times.

The best little boys haircuts don’t have to be very complicated. Most boys aren’t entering any beauty contests, and I think most boys don’t care if they have a cool look. That probably changes when they become teenagers! Maybe by then I will be amazing at faux hawk, or they may want to stay with the classic styles.

Mostly, I think boys look better when their hair is off of their ears and neck rather than longer lengths. For our boys, the longer hair tends to have more potential for messy hair.

My tutorial is for simple to cut and easy to maintain haircuts, that are better than a crew cut! If you are looking for trendy haircuts, a great option is to watch YouTube videos or simply go to a hair stylist who is in a kid-specific hair salon.

You will find clear instructions in this post on how to cut little kids’ hair with clippers. Additionally, I have included my video tutorial, if you are a visual learner this will help you get the best results.

I like to start using clippers for haircuts as soon as I can get my little man comfortable with it. That has only meant 1-2 haircuts with scissors for each of my son’s hair (click here for tips on how to cut a baby boy’s hair)

How to Cut Boy Hair for any hair types

Video

Clippers versus Scissors

I prefer to use a clipper set as soon as I can because I think it is much easier to use a clipper set than to use scissors. I feel it is a little bit safer for younger kids that have a tendency to turn and move suddenly, and the best thing is, you won’t have a hard time cutting your own hair which is hard to do yourself with scissors.

Clippers help you to achieve more consistent results. Clipper sets have guards that you attach onto the clipper to help you cut hair at a specific length whether they have shorter hair, medium length hair, or if your kids are currently sporting long hair styles.

My clipper set even has a few specialty guards for around the left ear, right ear, and eyebrows. The highest my set goes is a #8 guard, which cuts hair one inch long. I use this on the top middle of my head. This is the closest set I could find to the one I purchased.

Then I work my way down with a 6, 4, 3, and a 2. You can specifically buy larger numbered guards, but I haven’t tried this out before. You may want to look at larger numbered guards if your child has an Afro hairstyle or natural curl.

Tips for Success

Here are a few things that I think you should remember when preparing to cut a boy’s hair with clippers at home.

First, clippers can be loud and seem scary to young children. Use lots of encouragement, and explain what you are about to do, and to some degree, why you are going to cut your toddler’s hair.

The older boys get used to the clipper and so this shouldn’t be a problem.

Make sure you comb your kids’ hair beforehand to prevent the guards from catching on knots, and pulling at the hair. I have had little kids bail before the end of a haircut, and refuse to let me near their head with anything for weeks. It is better to avoid the upset feelings than to try to recover from them!

One of the best ways to distract and keep kids still is if you have some type of phone or tablet with a favorite show or video, use it to distract the boy during the haircut and get the best haircut possible. This is especially great for toddlers because a toddler haircut can definitely end up as a unique hairstyle if you are trying to cut their hair while they are on the move.

Like a magician, use MISDIRECTION! Haha!

I believe my boys are more willing to get their haircut knowing they can watch something, than if I didn’t let them watch anything.

Another tool to use with a hesitant or scared child is bribery. I’m really only talking about something small, like a cookie, one episode of a favorite show, extra time at the park, or something simple like that. We have tried suckers, but they tend to get a lot of hair on them during the process – gross.

Most cool haircuts with clippers occur in the bathroom. You can easily contain them in one space, have a great outlet to plug in your clippers and counter space to hold your supplies.

If you have a bath mat, just toss it to the side until you’re done. If your outlet is not in a convenient spot, you can use an extension cord. I have cut hair on carpet. Afterward, I simply thoroughly vacuum up the area. As well, I have used a vacuum for cleaning up a bathroom floor after a haircut.

You might also want a small chair, where the child can sit comfortably. You will want to be able to access the back of their head easily, so I suggest using a small stool to sit on.

Plus, it is nice to use a smooth apron of some kind. I simply used a trash bag for my boy’s last haircut, because the apron that came with my kit had developed a few holes.

While cutting your kid’s hair your son is getting too much hair on their face, you can ask them to close their eyes while you blow it off. Just make sure you don’t spit on them, haha!

One good thing about cutting hair at home is that you can just throw them into the bath after the haircut is over. It makes for less hair in the car and easy cleanup of your child.

My Haircutting Method for My Sons’

My haircut method is simple.

I use an 8 all over the head. I do this so if I miss a spot later that I want to cut shorter, at least it is only as long as a #8.

Then, everywhere but the top, middle of the head I use a #6. Then I use a #4 from about the point of the temples down, including the top of the back of the head.

Then, starting a little lower than where I started with the #4, I will use a #3. For the bottom of my hairline, the sideburns, and around the ears I will use a #2 guard.

For the final trim around the ears, the neckline, and the sideburns I will just freehand it with no guard.

I usually take about 20-30 minutes.I try to avoid leaving obvious lines of transition from one length to another. It might be cool to have a high fade, but I want that to look intentional not like dad messed up.

You want everything to blend into each other. You can usually do this by cutting at different angles in a bit of a V-shape.

You want to pull up and out at the end of a cut.

I think it is helpful to take your time, try to clear off most of the cut hair, and move the uncut hair around with your fingers to see if you missed a spot or have different lengths.

It is helpful to remember that long hair can always be cut shorter later, so be a little more careful as you’re cutting the short sections.

Another important thing to remember when cutting kid’s hair is that if you mess up, you can probably simply cut most of the hair around it shorter, too.

Curly hair adaptions

If your kid’s hair is curly, you will want to decide if you want them to have a short haircut but sometimes remember if they have curly hair, short sides can become crazy.

Use a comb to see how they curly hair styles naturally and take a comb and pull out the curl slightly while using your clippers to shorten the curl.

If they have thick hair or wavy hair, make sure and start with a little and add more if you feel like they need it. Many curly hair baby boys have a side part so make sure and work with the natural part of their hair and not fight it.

You can use different clipper settings for extra texture and definitely use gel to help with those beautiful curls.

I would love to hear if you cut your kids’ hair below. If you did some cool hairstyles like spiky hair, long side bangs or shaved lines, show us below.

Save money and give your sons some cute style for any hair types with clippers.