How To Taper Fade Your Own Hair Step By Step

Download Article

The fade cut has come back in popularity, simply information technology can be tricky to principal at home. The cutting is washed by gradually changing the amount of pilus you cut as you lot move upward forth your head. Wash your pilus and so apply adjustable electric clippers. Use a brusque length setting to cut the bottom of your hair short. Follow upward by switching to a college length setting and cutting above that. Go along doing this with higher lengths until the fade is complete.

1

Wash and comb your hair. Styling volition be easier when your pilus is full and pliable. Go alee and make clean it with shampoo and conditioner, and so comb your pilus to remove tangles. If your hair dries and you lot find information technology tough to cut, you can dampen it again by spritzing it with a spray canteen.
2

Bring a handheld mirror. Cutting your own pilus is catchy at first, so it'south best to inquire someone to assistance yous. However, if help isn't available, a handheld mirror can work. Hold it as y'all work towards the back of your caput. Information technology'll assist you lot see what you're doing. Afterwards, y'all tin can employ it to inspect the cuts y'all fabricated and find any areas that demand to be corrected.

Advertizing
3
Make sure yous accept different clipper lengths. Adjustable electric clippers are your best tool for achieving a fade. Get ones that come up with several guards considering you'll need to adhere the guards to your clippers when you want to cut pilus at different lengths.^[one]
- These dissimilar lengths are what will help yous accomplish that gradual length transition that the fade is known for.
- Some clippers may as well have a bracket setting. When you lot flip off the setting, the blades cut off about an extra ⅛ an inch (iii.2 mm), making it perfect for achieving lengths between those cutting by guards.
4
Rest the fade with the hair on elevation of your head. The key to a good-looking fade is balance. A fade that starts too high on your head doesn't piece of work well with longer pilus on top. It tin resemble an undercut, or make your face look longer. Earlier you brainstorm, determine how long you'll exit the pilus up top. Don't cut the pilus at the tops of the sides of your head short unless yous are going for a short fade.^[2]
- Trimming the height of your head get-go may help you lot effigy out your balance. Call up, it's amend to cut your hair longer at outset because you tin can always go dorsum and cut it shorter, but you can't make short hair grow back apace.
5
Cut long hair with scissors if necessary. The fade is a short hair style, so if you lot currently have long hair, yous'll want to remove the majority of information technology earlier getting started on your fade. Pull hair back into a low ponytail and secure it with an elastic or clip. Cut the ponytail beneath the elastic or clip. And so hold out sections of hair and cutting them to the desired starting length.
- Base this length on your balance. If you lot've decided to make the top of your hair 2.5 inches (six.4 cm) high, then make sure that you lot don't cut your long hair any shorter than that length.
vi

Trim the pinnacle of your head. Commencement with the hair on the crown (top center) of your head. Hold your rummage flat and sweep it over your head to pick upwardly hair. Employ pair of scissors to cut the hair to the desired length. Continue working until y'all get to rounded portion of your head. Don't cutting the hair beneath information technology.^[iii]

Advertisement

i
Get-go with a low-numbered baby-sit. Electrical clippers come with adjustable guards. The lowest-numbered guard cuts hair shortest. Employ a low guard, such as a #2.^[4]
- The #2 guard volition leave hair 1/4th an inch (vi mm) long.
- Another way to achieve a fade is to commencement with college-numbered guards and create layers from the top down. This may help you lot if you keep cut your pilus too short.
2
Utilize the clippers to cut your hair. Work on the sides and back of your head. Hold the clippers vertically. Press the clippers down and gently sweep them up and off your head in a scooping movement—as if you were scooping ice cream. Move slowly and gently from the bottom of your head to avoid taking off also much pilus.^[5]
- When you are starting out, you may wish to experiment on one side first. Figure out the cutting motion and length you demand to make the hair to correct rough spots.
3
Switch to the next guard. The next highest-numbered guard will get out your hair a little longer. Try moving up a size or 2. Alternatively, keep the same guard and flip on the bracket setting, if your clippers have the option. The brackets add about ⅛ an inch (3 mm) to the length of each guard.^[6]
- A #4, for instance, will leave your hair ½ an inch (12 mm) long.
4

Clip your hair again. Place your clippers right in a higher place your last cutting. Cut your hair the same manner you lot did earlier, using the scooping motion to brand short, precise cuts. Do this all the way around your head and to the other side. You'll come across the kickoff layers of the fade.^[vii]
5

Remove layer lines in your hair. Expect into a mirror and check for lines distinguishing your 2 cuts. To make the fade appear like a smoothen, you have to blend the two cuts wherever you see a line. If your clippers come with a bracket setting, now is a perfect time to employ it. Agree the clippers horizontally, beginning at one end of your head, and gently cut over the line.^[8]
half-dozen

Repeat clipping with higher guards. Switch up another baby-sit size or change the bracket setting. Cut right in a higher place the last cut to form another layer. You may have to switch the guards and subclass setting on your clippers multiple times until you reach the top of your head.^[9]

Ad

one
Cheque your hair in the mirror and make corrections. Hold up a mirror and examine all sides of your head. Look for lines left over from layering. As well, cheque to see if the pilus length on the top of your caput is balanced with the length of the fade. Go dorsum over with the clippers to make adjustments, then end past using trimmers or a razor to reach areas such equally your neckline or near your ears.
- As you are learning, the haircut may not come out very well at kickoff. You lot tin try to right it, or y'all can cutting your pilus brusk and wait for it to grow back and then you tin can try again.
2

Mode your hair. Once y'all believe you are finished clipping, you can mode the hair on the top of your head using gel or some other product. This is of form optional and non needed if you chose a short fade.
3
Renew the haircut every few weeks. Because a fade involves short cuts, hair growth will be noticeable. You'll run across the layers offset to disappear every bit the pilus gets longer and messier. Go back and fade your hair again or accept a barber trim it.^[10]
- A friend can not just tell you when it's time for a haircut, but can tell you where yous need to make corrections later on you cut your hair.
Advertisement

Add together New Question

Question

What's the lowest clipper size you should use for a fade?

Arthur Sebastian is the Owner of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon in San Francisco, California. Arthur has worked as a hair stylist for over xx years and received his Cosmetology License in 1998. He believes that the truthful piece of work of a successful hair stylist comes from passion and a honey for hairdressing.

Professional person Hair Stylist

Skillful Answer

Back up wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

In nearly cases, you're going to use the #0 attachment when you get to the base of your fade. The #0 is basically shaving downwardly to the peel and you would utilise that at the lesser of the fade. Then most the top of your hairline, you might utilize a #ii or #3 so work your style progressively downwardly with smaller clipper attachments.

Enquire a Question

200 characters left

Include your e-mail address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertizing

Video

Always take your time when cutting your hair. A fade depends on layering your hair with gentle cuts.

Advertizement

Things Yous'll Need

Clippers
Guards
Scissors
Mirror
Comb
Trimmer

Virtually This Commodity

Article Summary Ten

To give yourself a fade, offset with a low-numbered guard on your electric clippers, like a #two, and cut a row of hair all the way around your head. Motion slowly from the bottom of your caput, sweeping the clippers upwards every bit if you lot were scooping ice cream. And then, start but in a higher place that cut and go effectually again using a guard that'southward upwardly a size or two, which volition leave the hair a little longer. Proceed cutting with higher-numbered guards until you accomplish the top of your head. Finally, gently cut over the lines betwixt layers with the bracket setting of your clippers to smooth out your fade. For tips from our Cosmetology reviewer on how to trim the top of your hair to residue your fade and flatter your face, keep reading!

Did this summary aid you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 233,781 times.