Haircuts 101

Cutting your own hair at home might sound like a frightening proposal at first. But Wahl clippers, trimmers and haircutting kits make it easy to give reliable and stylish cuts at any time. You’ve come to the right place for hairstyles, haircutting how-to videos and expert tips.

How to use a taper lever on a Wahl hair clipper.

Taper Lever

The taper lever allows you to change the closeness of your cut between guide comb lengths.

How to oil your Wahl hair clipper blades.

Oiling the Blades

Oiling the blades reduces friction and keeps the clippers from pulling and snagging.

A man getting haircut with a Wahl clipper.

Clipper-Over-Fingers

For longer hair lengths, you can use your fingers to lift the hair to the desired length away from the head.

A Wahl hair clipper and different guide comb size attachments.

Guide Combs

Guide combs, or guards, attach to the clipper and are designed to cut hair at a certain length. The smaller the number, the shorter the cut. The higher the number, the longer the hair will be after the cut. In other words, the smaller numbers cut more hair away

A man cutting the hair on the back of his head with a Wahl clipper.

Sections of the Head

Each section of the head is treated differently when cutting hair. Here are the 4 to know.

Using a comb as a guide for haircutting.

Clipper-Over-Comb

Run the clipper across the comb to cut the hair to the desired length.

A man giving himself a haircut with a Wahl hair clipper.

Upward Rocking Motion

Using the upward rocking motion is sometimes the best way to blend different lengths of hair in different sections of the head to achieve a finished look.

A man getting his hair cut on the side of his head with a Wahl hair clipper.

Inverted Clipper Technique

For detailing around the ears, sideburns and neckline, try the inverted clipper technique.