A Hairdressers Beginner Guide To Men's Haircutting

Check out this video and men's hair with a cutting guide. To help you as a beginner gain confidence in cutting men's hair from long to short. 

Cutting men's hair in the early stages of your career can be scary business. Especially with it being so short, going from long to short can make it difficult to visualize where to start with cutting men's hair. Matt has some great tips and tricks for this wearable in salon look, so check out the guide. Matt is passionate about education, and he has multiple channels for you to learn from. This video has been taken from Matt Beck's YouTube channel free salon education. Giving you the opportunity to learn and upskill cutting skills completely for free. Check out his Instagram, Tik-Tok and Patreon too to get all the free salon education content you need. 

Use Clippers and a Comb to Cut Men's Hair. 

This is a haircut that has grown out over time. Matt explains that he likes to remove hair length with his men's cuts. This gives you more opportunity to see the head shape, the profile, and any growth patterns better. He uses a number 3 guard, without touching the head, just to remove the initial bulk of hair. This is done around the sides and back mainly, because the men's haircut will have a longer top in this case. 

Then Cut Shorter Around the Back and Sides With Your Clipper 

Cutting different hair types short means you should think how it looks. Dark hair can look denser/thicker when clippered. Light hair can look see-through as well as fine hair, being aware of the hair type will help you adjust the look a little longer or shorter, depending on the desired result. Matt gradually works closer to the head so he can see where his length will be. With a rocking motion, bringing the clipper out away from the head as he works towards the top of the hair.  

Blend the Shorter Part of the Haircut 

So, you're happy with the length of your men's haircut. Finishing the cut around the back and sides requires some blending, because this can elevate the cut from average to sharp. Use clipper over comb to blend away weight lines. Weighty lines happen while creating short men's haircuts so lifting the hair up with a comb and swiping away helps blend the length. Matt decides he wants to take the hair around the ear to a 1.5, then using a number 2 to erase any lines. 

How To Cut Detail in Edges of a Men's Haircut 

So, the basic shape of the back and sides is in. Now it needs some detail around the edges. This can really sharpen up a men's haircut and sometimes it’s the little tips that can make the difference in your work. Visualize your lines and clean them up with a trimmer. In the nape of a men's haircut a tip Matt likes to use is to look at the shorter points and use them as your guide. Don’t trim above the short points because it can make the hair look un-natural. With the areas that grow in an upwards direction, Matt slides his comb over them, and swipes across with a trimmer to blend. 

Cutting The Top Part of a Men's Haircut 

Now it's time to switch out the trimmers for scissors. Comb the hair flat in the pattern it wants to lay naturally. Check where the whirl sits on the head and divide the hair front/back. Matt is going to work on this back section in a pivoted way. So, the sectioning will be taken like the segments of an orange. The middle will be cut as the guide, and this will travel. Pushing it towards the next section and cutting. Then using that cut section to push towards the next section. Repeat this process from the middle back on both sides until you have cut the whole back of the crown. 

Work the Cut Sections in Rows Across the Top of the Men's Cut 

Start in the middle back, look at the round of the head across the top. Pull the hair up, between the fingers and pointcut the length desired. Matt likes to cut this men's look at a length that will style well with product in the hair. Follow the round of the head across on the row. Then when you have cut your 1st row, take the old section to the new row and use the old section as a guide. This is repeated until you reach the very front row. Matt likes to comb this hair back to the previous to retain the length at the front. 

Once the Top is Cut, Personalize the Men's Cut 

This is the part where you really get to use your creative flare. Look at the haircut, is it bulky? Does it need more blending? Maybe some texture? Matt works with all of the above elements in mind, He uses the texturizing scissor to help blend and add texture in the hair. He also slide cuts with his scissor to remove hair and create definition in the length around the face. 

Finish the look with a Styling Product 

Matt finishes this men's style by drying the hair off and working with a spiking product to give a modern texture to the style. Here's the final look. We hope you like it! For more content like this, don't forget to like and subscribe to Matt's YouTube channel. Thanks.