Combing before cutting gives you the best perspective on your sideburns’ length, thickness, and evenness. Additionally, running a comb through your hair will detangle it and make it easier to trim.
Guards also usually have corresponding hair lengths marked on them, such as 1⁄2 in (1. 3 cm) for #4. You can measure the surrounding hair with a ruler to determine its length and choose the correct clipper guard. Clipper guards usually simply snap onto the end of the clippers.
Repeat this maneuver 2 or 3 times to make sure you don’t miss any stray hairs. If you have a longer hairstyle, pull the trimmer away when it’s roughly in line with your ear canal instead of going to the top of the ear. You’ll also need to take a few extra steps to part your hair and create sections to trim into sideburns.
That way, the upper portion of your sideburns above the ear canal will blend into the surrounding hair, while the lower portion will be thinner. Try to angle the clippers away slowly to create a seamless transition between hair lengths. If you’d like, you can create multiple taper lines for a more gradual fade. Divide your sideburns into thirds, and thin each third with next lowest guard (for instance, from #3 to #2 to #1).
Using your ears as markers may seem like an obvious option, but most people have uneven ears. If you trim your sideburns to your earlobes, they may actually end up at slightly different lengths. [6] X Research source If your face is round, keep your sideburns longer, or roughly in line with your earlobes, to elongate your features. If you have an oval face, trim your sideburns shorter, or about 1⁄2 in (1. 3 cm) above your earlobes, to balance your longer facial features. [7] X Research source
For a classic look, make the bottoms of your sideburns parallel to the ground. If you want to mix things up or accentuate the lines of your cheekbones, try angling them downward. If necessary, carefully shape your sideburns by trimming stray hairs along the sides. Hold the tops of your ears away from your head and pull your skin taut to reach the spots between your sideburns and ears.
If your hair is starting to grow out and you’re handy with clippers, you can also trim and fade the hair around your temples and neck. Use gradually lower numbered guards to taper your cut. For instance, trim hair around the temples to around 2 inches (5. 1 cm) above the ear at #2, then switch to #1 for hair below that line. To blur out fade lines, angle the clippers so only the bottom third of the blade touches your head. If you’re not confident, just shape your lineup and sideburns and don’t worry about fading.
If you’re shaping a C-cut on your own, remove hair bit by bit to avoid making a mistake. Gradually shape your hairline from above your outer eyebrow to your sideburn in a defined curve. Look in the mirror and hold your head level and still to help keep your cut even. It’s also wise to use both a wall mirror and a hand mirror so you can see the sides and back of your head.
Remember to remove hair little by little to avoid making a mistake. If you have a detail trimmer or attachment, use it to carefully clip the hair around your ears.
If you’re not sure how long you’d like your sideburns, start by cutting them longer, or roughly in line with your earlobes. If you want them shorter, trim them about 1⁄2 inch (1. 3 cm) above the earlobe. After adjusting a sideburn’s length, you may need to trim carefully on each side to keep the point sharp and defined.
The hair below the part that’s too short to pull behind your ear is what you’ll trim into a sideburn.
Stop just before you get to the part so you don’t accidentally clip longer layers of hair.
If you want to try a more dramatic look, you could also gradually fade your sideburns from a #2 to #1 or trim them entirely with a #1.
