Recently, haircut service in Singapore has been taken out as an essential service and also the circuit breaker has been extended to another 6 weeks. Hence all of us in Singapore will not be able to receive any proper haircut for the next 40 days! Considering the fact that our hair grows at an average of 0.44mm each day, that would imply that our hair will grow longer by almost 2cm by the time we have tasted freedom.
During this period, there will certainly be people reaching out for their scissors. So do you have the courage to use the scissor to snip your own hair? Or has someone else been courageous enough to allow you to cut their hair? You may not know that “how to cut your own hair” has rapidly become one of fast trending search on Google. However, adequate and professional advice is still difficult to find and trust. Unlike revamping your house during this period, giving yourself a fancy fresh hairdo is certainly not a wise idea to try. The simple reason for this piece of advice is that you have difficulty in seeing your head properly and thus you cannot make the best judgement.
However, if you are really desperate and would want to try to cut your hair to upkeep your appearance, we have the following comprehensive guide on how to give yourself a fade haircut. We all know that fade haircut is one of the most popular men’s haircut but it is tricky to master on your own at home. The main technique of this haircut is performed by slowly and gradually controlling the amount of hair you are cutting as you manoeuvre upwards along your head. In general, you must use a shorter length clipper setting to cut the lower part of the hair short. Thereafter, switch up to a higher length clipper setting and start cutting above that. Perform this step repeatedly with higher lengths till the fading effect is completed.
First of all, you will need the basic tools which are the clippers, scissors, thinning scissors, mirrors and lastly the comb. To begin, it’s a wise move to have a photo of someone who has the fade hairstyle that you desire. Following the picture will assist you to achieve the ideal haircut as you progress. Here are the basic advice for you to follow:
- Begin with the sides of the head, they are the easiest to cut.
- You need to remember what you did on one side and it has to be repeated on the other side of your head.
- The lower portion of your sides has to be cut shorter than the upper parts.
- This is the most critical step which is cutting the back. Use extra mirrors so you can see what you are doing.
- Use your hand for marking out where you want the levels to stop as you cut.
1. First of all, before you begin the haircut, you need to wash and clean your hair with shampoo and conditioner as styling the hair will be much easier when the hair is full and pliable. Then try to comb your hair by parting the two sides and get the majority of the hair to the top of the head. At any instance, if your hair is drying up which will make it harder to cut, you may wet it again by spritzing the dry part with a spray bottle.
2. Next it is very crucial to ensure that you have various clipper lengths. Adjustable clippers are the ideal tool for giving the best fade haircut. Get those clippers that have many different guards as attachment of the guards to your clippers is needed when you want to cut hair at varying lengths. These different lengths enable us to attain the gradual and precise length transition that fade haircut is well-known for.
3. Next, cutting the top of your head at first will assist you to better gauge your balancing the fade with the hair on the top of the head. Hence it is very important to balance for a good-looking fade hairstyle. Thus, it is wiser to trim your hair longer initially as you can still go back and trim it shorter but you cannot enable short hair to grow back rapidly. Before you actually start, it is important to accurately judge how long you will leave the hair up in the top. Unless you are going for short fade hairstyle, do not trim your hair at the tops of the sides of the head short.
4. If necessary, you may have to trim a bit of your long hair with scissors. As fade hairstyle is considered short hairstyle, thus if you have longer hair, you may consider to trim the bulk of your hair prior to commencing on your fade hairstyle. This is done by pulling back your hair into a low ponytail and hold it firmly with an elastic band or clips. Trim the ponytails under the elastic band or clips. Thereafter, hold out sections of hair and trim them to the preferred length.
5. You may also need to trim the hair on top of your head. Begin with the hair on the top centre of the head. Use your comb to sweep it over your top of head to pick up hair and then using the scissors to trim your hair to the preferred length. Keep trimming till the rounded portion of your head is achieved. Do not trim the hair below it.
6. Next, you may begin using the electric clipper with a lower number guard which will trim the hair to the shortest. Consider using a lower guard such as No. 2 which will remain hair of 6mm in length. Another method to achieve a fade haircut is to begin with higher number guard that create layers from the top down. This will help you if you keep cutting your hair too short.
7. When you are using the clippers to trim your own hair, focus on the sides as well as the back of your head. It is the most challenging part of the whole haircut when you are trimming the hair at back of your head. You may also consider seeking help from someone in your house. However if no one is available to assist you, you can use a handheld mirror. Hold the mirror as you are clipping the back of your head and this mirror will help you visualize what you are doing. Thereafter, you can use the mirror to check the haircut you have created and spot any areas that require the fade cut correction. Firmly hold the clipper vertically and press the clippers downward. Then slowly and gradually sweep the clipper upwards and off your head in a scooping movement just like scooping ice-cream. Do it slowly and gently from the bottom of your head to prevent over-cutting the hair. It is wiser to trial on the side of the head at the beginning.
8. Next, you have to change to another guard which is the next highest number guard, leaving your hair slightly longer. Attempt to move up a size of two. Another way is to maintain the same guard and flip on the bracket setting if there is such option in your clipper. The brackets will add around 3mm to the length of every guard. A number 4 for example will leave the hair of 12mm long. You have to trim again with the clipper by placing them right above the last cut. Trim the hair the same method you have done before by practicing the scooping movement to result in short and precise fade haircuts. Perform this throughout your head and to the other side. Thereafter, you will notice the beginning layers of fade hairstyle.
9. This step is crucial to remove the layer lines in your hair. Spend some time to look at the mirror closely to inspect for lines differentiating your two cuts. To enable the fade cut look like a smooth transition, you have to blend the two haircuts once you notice a line. If you clippers have a bracket setting, this is the perfect time to leverage on it. Firmly grab the clippers horizontally, begin at one end of the head and then gently trim over the line.
10. This step involves the repeat clipping using the higher guards. Change to another higher size guard or switch the bracket setting. Trim right above the last cut in order to form another layer. You have to change the guards and bracket setting on the clippers many times till you reach the top of the head.
11. This is the final step and you need to inspect the clipped hair in the mirror and make the necessary corrections. Use a mirror to examine closely all sides and back of your head. Look for any remaining hair lines from layering. Moreover, inspect closely to see if the length of your hair on top of your head is well balanced with the length of the fade. If adjustments is needed, use the clippers to repeat the abovementioned steps. Touch up the haircut by using trimmers or razor to reach parts like neckline or near the ears. If this is your first time cutting your own hair yourself, the haircut likely may not come out very well. You will have to perform the haircut corrections and you may choose to trim if shorter and wait for your hair to grow back so that you can attempt this DIY again.
Once you check thoroughly and trust that you have achieved a stunning fade haircut, you can begin to style the hair on the top of your head with gel or wax. Of course, this is optional and not required if you desire a short fade natural hairstyle. You may need to renew the fade haircut every two to three weeks as a fade haircut involves short cuts and thus hair growth will tend to be easily noticeable. You will see the layers begin to vanish as the hair get longer. Thus you may go back to practice your fade haircut skill again.
HOW TO LONG AND SHORT FADE YOUR HAIR
The long hair fade is probably the easiest fade to do. You will have less cutting and styling to do. Plus, a large part of your hair remains long. To do a long fade you require a lot of patience. You’ve got to work slowly, accurately and know when to lift the clippers up at the ideal moment. This movement will keep your hair blended and prevent visible lines from appearing.
To attain a short fade haircut, you need to keep your hair wet. It is easier to style and set the wet hair than dry. Wetting your hair prevents it from being charged electrically and stop it from flying in all directions. A brush and a comb are required together with some wax to ensure that you will get the look you desire, and your hair cut the way you desire.
To style your long or short fade correctly and look great, make sure you have very good pictures to follow. Because the short fade haircut can be very complicated to do, it is strongly recommended that you get someone to help you to get it done right.
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