How to Cut the Hair Perimeter

Many haircuts for both men and women begin at the perimeter of the hair. The perimeter of the hair is considered the area of hairline that starts at the forehead, down past the ears to the nape of the neck and back again. Cutting parts of the hair to different lengths can be made easier by working on one part of the hair at a time. Dividing the hair into sections, by making either a mental note or by actually sectioning off the hair, will make it easier to cut the perimeter of the hair. Does this Spark an idea?

Brush the hair to remove any tangles. Use a fine-toothed detangling comb, if necessary.

Divide the hair on the head down into sections. Consider the top of the head, back of the head, and above the ears, as separate sections. The back of the head below the ears another section, and the remaining hair on either side of the head should also be designates as their own section. Use hair clips to physically section the hair if cutting long hair.

Determine the length of the cut for each section. Remove the hair clip from the section if necessary. Start with the back of the head and remove the desired amount from the neck line using electric hair clippers. Use the proper length clipper-guide comb snapped into place above the blades. Trim the length of hair by moving the clippers upward in a rocking motion. Reattach a hair clip to the section if the hair is still long after cutting.

Repeat Step 3 for both sides of the hair around the ears and along the hairline on the forehead. Switch to different length clipper guides if you're not cutting the hair to a uniform length.

Cut the interior parts of the hair away from the perimeter to the desired length using the hair clippers.

Remove the clipper guide from the hair clippers, and adjust the blades to the lowest setting. Trim the neck line and behind the ears to remove any extraneous hair. Use scissors to trim any unevenness on the hairline at the forehead.