How to Give Yourself a Buzzcut

Co-authored by Arthur Sebastian and Amber Crain

Last Updated: November 9, 2022

The buzzcut is a great hairstyle for any gender. It’s very low maintenance, looks great and is the perfect solution to the sweltering summer heat. It’s also one of the only hairstyles that's easy to do at home without help. This haircut does take a little practice to get just right, but once you get the hang of it, giving yourself a buzz is a snap.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting the Tools

1
Invest in a pair of quality clippers. Buying clippers is a one-time investment and since you’ll be saving tons of money cutting your own hair, it’s worth getting the best pair that you can afford. You can get a decent pair for $30-$50. If cutting your own hair is going to be long term thing, consider getting professional grade clippers (usually $100-$120).
- Look for a sturdy pair with sharp blades that won’t dull quickly.
- The Oyster brand is known for making high quality tools, although they tend to be on the pricy side.
2
Get an assortment of guards and blades. Look for a pair of clippers that comes with a nice variety of guards so that you can change your style whenever you want. Special guards for the ears are also a plus, since that area is one of the trickiest. It's good to have an assortment of durable and sharp blades on hand, as well.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Arthur Sebastian
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 29 April 2019.}

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3
Have 2 accessible mirrors. You’ll need one large mirror (preferably your bathroom mirror) and a handheld mirror – you’ll need to use both of them simultaneously when cutting the back of your hair. Optional tools that you might want to consider having on hand: a comb, scissors, hair thinning scissors and a razor blade.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Buzzing Your Hair

1
Get to know your clippers. Before you even get near your hair with the clippers, get familiar with them. Find the power button, turn them on and off, practice changing out the blades, clip the guards on and off, run through the speed settings, etc. Clippers tend to be heavier than people expect, so get a feel for their heft first.
- Mid-buzzcut is definitely not the ideal time to reference the manual, so get to know your tool.
2
Prepare your space. The best space to use is your bathroom, since you can jump right into the shower after and easily sweep/vacuum the hair up from the floor. Hair can be very difficult to get out of your clothing, so wear a plastic bag over yourself or do it without clothing altogether (another reason why the bathroom is the ideal spot).
3
Cut long hair off before buzzing. If you're going from a longer hairstyle to a buzzcut, it will be easier on you and your clippers if you chop off most of your length first. Use a sharp pair of scissors and cut off the hair, leaving only a few inches. Don't worry about cutting it evenly, since you're about to buzz it off. Just chop most of the length off and then you're ready for the clippers.
4
Buzz in the opposite direction of hair growth. Hair growth direction is different for everyone and it also may vary on different parts of your head. Run your fingers through your hair to figure out the direction of growth – the places where you feel the most force against your fingers indicates growth in that direction.
- If you have a lot of variation all over your head or if you’re afraid you might forget the growth directions, take down a few notes for reference.
5
Start with a guard that doesn’t cut too short. If this is your first time using clippers or if you currently have long locks, first buzz all of your hair with a guard that won’t cut it too short. When you use anything less than a #3 clipper guard, your scalp will be visible.
- If you've never had a buzz cut before, you probably won’t know if you have any bald spots, lumps, scars or any other scalp issues that you wouldn’t want to be visible.^{[2]
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- Always start a cut with clean and groomed hair, which will extend the life of your blades.
6
Do the sides first. Start at the back of the neck and move the direction of the clippers up to ear level. Trim around the ears with a special clipper, which you were hopefully able to obtain. If you don’t have this, buzzing around the ears may be a little more difficult, but it can be done. Then buzz from ear to temple level.
- If you have persistent long pieces, cut them carefully with scissors.>
- Go slowly and pay close attention to what you’re doing around the ears.
7
Use your hand as a guide for cutting the back. If you’re right handed, place your left hand on the back of your head in a horizontal position (if you’re a lefty, reverse those instructions). Your hand will act as a guide so that you can avoid cutting too far up or crookedly. Starting at the bottom, drag the clippers up through your hair until you bump against your hand. Put the clippers down and use the second mirror to check your work.
- Repeat the process of making one pass with the clippers and then checking the mirror until you’ve buzzed all of the back of your head.
- If you don’t have a second mirror on hand, use the camera on your phone.
8
Drag the clippers from forehead to crown to buzz the top. Do a couple of passes with the clippers, then check to see if anything needs fixing. Due to the curve of the head, it's easy to miss some longer pieces. Try different directions to get any stray pieces that might be lingering.
- Try going side to side across the top of the head, and both forward and backwards.
- Feel for any leftover long pieces with your fingers and clean up whatever remains.
9
Clean up the hairline. Do the back of the neck without a guard on the clippers. Use your hand, a headband, a piece of tape, or something else as a guide for the back of the neck. Apply pressure with the clippers and move them move slowly until you hit the edge of the guide. Be careful doing this, since the clippers can easily push under your guide if you aren’t paying attention.
- Use two mirrors or a camera to check your work and clean it up if needed.
- Be careful not to cut an uneven line at the bottom of the style.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Styling and Maintaining

1
Maintain your blades. Always remove any hair after using the blade. Keep the guards tidy and in order. Store all of the pieces in a case together with the clippers. Rub a few drops of oil into the blade every few times you use it. Always use a guard to cover the blade whenever the clippers aren’t in use.
- Check your manual for any specific care your particular blades may need.
- After having your clippers for a while, you may begin to notice that it is cutting unevenly and pulling at your hair.
- This means you either need to sharpen or replace your blades, whichever you prefer.
2
Invest in hair gel or wax for styling. To style shorter length buzzcuts, apply a pea-sized amount of gel or wax on the top of your head. Run your fingers up through the hair to distribute the product. This will give it texture and spike it up.
- For cuts that are longer than an inch, wet your hair first and then use a blow dryer to make the hair spike up.
- For additional hold or texture, apply a small amount of hair wax or cream after blow drying.
3
Watch for overheating. Once you’re done cutting, always unplug the clippers and put them away. While you’re in the middle of cutting, pay attention to the heat the clippers are generating – some clippers can become too hot to handle during use.
- Whenever you feel this happening to yours, immediately turn them off and let them cool down a bit before resuming.
- This will keep your clippers functioning well over time.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do I turn a buzzcut into a fade?

Arthur Sebastian
Professional Barber
Arthur Sebastian is the Owner of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon in San Francisco, California. Arthur has worked as a hair stylist for over 20 years and received his Cosmetology License in 1998. He believes that the true work of a successful hair stylist comes from passion and a love for hairdressing.

Arthur Sebastian

Professional Barber

Expert Answer

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For a fade, you switch the clipper out so that you work your way progressively down to a #0. So if the top of your hair was cut with a #3, you may work down the sides with the #2, then go to a #1. You always finish with the #0 near the bottom of the fade, which is basically the skin. This will give you a nice, seamless fade.
Question

What if a child does not agree with getting his haircut but it is very necessary? Should I convince him to have a buzzcut? Or just tie him to the seat and give him a buzzcut?

Community Answer

Do not tie a child to a seat and cut their hair. This is cruel and also dangerous, because you would be using a razor on a squirming kid. Explain why it is necessary, and try to convince him to let you cut his hair, that's pretty much your only option.
Question

Is it possible to do a buzz cut with scissors?

Trash Rat

Community Answer

No, it’ll be very uneven and you risk hurting yourself.