How To Cut Your Toddler's Hair at Home

Not everyone wants to wrangle a toddler in a hair salon, but if your little one is in desperate need of a trim, it is possible to learn how to cut your child's hair at home.

We're not saying it's for everyone, but if you want to save some money, don't think your child will do well in a salon atmosphere, or simply want the convenience of arranging a haircut at home whenever it works best for your family, here's a step-by-step guide for how to cut hair—with instructions that will work for kids of all ages and genders, from older children to toddler boys' and girls' hair.

What You'll Need To Cut Your Toddler's Hair

To cut your child or toddler's hair, you'll want to gather the following supplies:

• Clean pair of haircutting scissors
• Hair clips to section off hair
• Wide- and narrow-tooth combs
• Spray bottle of water
• Cape or old shirt to wear during the haircut
• Optional: Something to keep your child entertained, like a tablet
  

How To Cut Medium to Long Hair

Before you begin cutting your toddler's medium to long-length hair, you'll want to section the hair.

Use a wide-tooth comb to divide hair into top and back sections:

1. Part hair from the back of one ear, over the top of the head, and to the back of the other ear. (The hair in the front is the top section.)
2. Divide the remaining bottom section, from ear to ear, into additional 1-inch-thick horizontal sections. Clip all but the bottom section up.

Next, run a fine-tooth comb through the bottom section to make sure all the hair is going in the same direction, and divide it into a left and a right section. Before you cut the hair, it may be helpful to spray it with water to ensure you have all the hair evenly divided and measured out.

Cut the right section first. Hold hair, with slight tension, between the index finger and middle finger of the noncutting hand and trim half of the desired length in right-to-left motion. (Remember: Cutting 1/2 inch of wet straight hair will result in about 1 inch off when dry.)

To cut the left side, pull over a small section of already-trimmed hair from the right side as a guide for length, then cut so both sections are even.

Once complete with the bottom section, let down the next section and run a fine-tooth comb through both layers. Cut the length of the next section to match the length of the bottom section, dividing it again into a right and a left section first. Repeat for all horizontal sections.

To finish a medium to long haircut, end by releasing the top section. Next, part to create side sections. Each should start about 1 inch above the ear and include all hair below that point from temple to back. Clip the rest of the hair up and leave side sections down.

Cut the right side section first. Using already-cut hair from back sections as a guide, cut from right to left. Repeat for the left side section. Look at the length of side sections from the front to see if they're even and adjust accordingly.

Release hair from the top of the head in 1/2-inch sections and cut to match the length of the first side sections, as you did with the back.

How To Cut Short Hair

Just like with longer hair, you will want to start a shorter toddler haircut by sectioning off the hair.

Use a wide-tooth comb to divide hair, then clip it into sections. Create a top section by combing a rectangle from the temples straight back to the crown, leaving a section above each ear.

Next, part the back of the hair into a four-section grid.

Next up? Cutting. Let the top section down, take a very thin section from the left side, and comb it straight up with a fine-tooth comb.

Cut 1/4 inch off. Moving left to right and back to front, repeat, cutting to within 1/2 inch of the front hairline.

Next, you'll cut the back.

Take down the top left back section and use part of the already-cut top section as a guide for the length to cut. Work right to left, with sections no more than 1/4 inch thick.

Repeat for bottom left, top right, and bottom right sections.

Continue by dividing the left side section of hair into smaller horizontal sections. Working right to left, cut 1-1/4 inches off. Repeat for the right side section.

Finish by combing the front hairline section forward and trimming to the desired length.

How To Use Clippers To Cut Hair One Length

Shorter hairstyles may require clippers instead of scissors. Choose a guard length (such as number 3, which will leave hair about 3/8 inches long) and attach it to the clipper.

To cut hair all one length (like a buzz cut), start with the clippers at the back of the head, working your way up to the crown and finishing with the sides.

How To Use Clippers To Cut a Taper or Fade

To achieve a tapered haircut where the hair is longer on top and gradually gets shorter as it moves down towards the hairline at the neck and sides of the head, you'll need to use multiple guards.

Attach a short guard (such as a number 2, which leaves hair about 1/4 inch long) and move the clippers from the nape of the neck to the bottom of the crown, bringing the buzzer toward you in an arc to blend layers. Then, you can use scissors or clippers to cut the hair on top of the head to your desired length.

How To Use Clippers To Clean Hairlines

Clippers are also great for cleaning up the hairline at the nape of the neck and around the ears for short haircuts.

Cut across the bottom of the neckline and create straight lines from neckline to ear. Take note of where sideburns land at the ears to trim evenly.

How To Trim Bangs

To trim bangs, first separate the bangs and clip the rest of the hair back. Lightly spray bangs with water until damp and comb through. Aim to cut so bangs are even with the middle of the eyes. This length can be your starting point—you can always cut shorter.

Check the length by drying the bangs to see where they fall. If you want to go shorter, cut a little at a time and consider doing the extra trimming on dry hair so you don't accidentally go too short.

Bangs are best cut by cutting into the hair rather than straight across because the angle helps you see your work better and avoid any drastic mistakes. If the hair is curly, you may need to cut into each curl one by one.