A pair of barber’s scissors will work best. A booster seat with a low back is also important so you can reach all sides of the hair from different angles. A comb with a pointed end can help you section the child’s hair. [1] X Research source Household scissors are often too dull to use to cut hair. Plus, dull scissors create split ends. Multi-purpose scissors might work if you absolutely can’t get barber’s shears. [2] X Research source Hair-cutting scissors can be found in your local pharmacy, beauty supply store, grocery store, or online. Put newspapers, magazines or a towel under the chair to capture the hair clippings that are bound to fall. Put a towel or hairdresser’s cape around your child’s shoulders so that the clipped hair doesn’t end up covering the toddler’s clothing.
Try giving the toddler a lollipop to suck on while you are cutting the toddler’s hair. [3] X Research source In order to further distract the toddler, you may want to put him or her in a chair that you set in front of the television. This should keep their focus elsewhere, and make it easier for you to cut their hair. [4] X Research source Talk a lot to the toddler with a smile on your face, and provide positive feedback. Make the cut a fun experience for the toddler by involving him or her in the process, perhaps by singing a song together as you cut. Don’t expect absolute perfection when cutting a toddler’s hair as most get a little restless.
Wetting the hair will make it easier to cut the hair properly. In order to wet it down, you could buy a water bottle, fill it with water, and spray it around the toddler’s hair. If you don’t have a water bottle handy, you can buy one for a dollar or two at many big box or department stores. You will also want a wide-tooth comb. [5] X Research source You could also wet down the comb, and comb the toddler’s hair with it before trying to cut it, in the case that you don’t have a water bottle available. Another method is to use a wet washcloth and a bomb to wet the hair. Don’t wet the hair too much. Just mist it. [6] X Research source
Take a clip, and fasten back all of the hair that you are not cutting. Pull out a small piece of the hair one section at a time. You don’t need many sections. Pull away a piece that you will find manageable to cut. The goal is to be able to focus on one section at a time. You also don’t need to make each section exactly the same size. It’s not that important. Sectioning back the hair just makes it easier to cut when a toddler gets a little antsy.
Try to cut the toddler’s hair at a 45-degree angle. Slant your cuts toward the toddler’s neck as you do so. Other experts say to cut at 11 o’clock. Hold a piece of hair at the 45-degree angle, while you cut along your fingers, using your fingers to keep the line straight. If your child has cowlicks on the top of his or her head, leaving the hair longer on top can help with that. The additional heaviness of the hair will likely stop it from standing straight up.
Start with the bangs. Cut from the outside of the toddler’s eyebrow to the outside of the second eyebrow. Pull the bangs straight down, and then cut them at an 11 o’clock or 45-degree angle. If you have someone helping you, have them hold the child’s hand gently with one hand while you hold onto and snip the bangs. [7] X Research source [8] X Research source Make sure that you keep the scissors positioned away from the child’s skin and eyes. Be ready for sudden movements the child might make. Some parents find it easiest to start around the ears when the child is least restless at the beginning of the cut. Cut very slowly around the ears so you don’t cut them.
This will make it easier to control the cutting, especially if the child moves suddenly. In order to cut a piece of hair, take a small piece between your fingers. Cut at an 11 o’clock or 45-degree angle not parallel to your fingers. This will blend the hair better. If you cut the hair too parallel to your fingers, you will end up with hair that is cut too bluntly for most people’s tastes. Choose the lengths with the first section. As you work around the head, take a little piece of the previous section to guide you on how short to go. Slide your fingers down the hair’s length, and then cut with the scissors below your fingers. Start out by cutting less than you think you want. You can always do more if you feel it’s necessary.
With longer toddler hair, it’s often a good idea to part the hair in the middle. This will make it more likely that the strands you cut will not end up uneven. [9] X Research source To cut longer hair, take a wide-tooth comb, and section the toddler’s hair into sections. Start with the top of the hair, and clip sections of the hair up so you can start by working on the hair that’s underneath and in the back. Make two sections out of the hair by each one of the child’s ears. Then, make two sections in the back, splitting it down the middle. Next, split each of the two back sections in half. Lift the sections up and clip them.
Cut the remaining hair in the back at the length that you would like the toddler’s entire haircut to fall. You will match all of the remaining cuts to the same length as the guide. You need to make sure that you can see the guide as you cut the other sections, so make sure the sections you take down next are not too thick. [10] X Research source Cut the hair in a straight line. Pull all of the girl’s hair to the back. Cut a straight line, with your scissors at 11 o’clock, to create a soft textured line. Do this by holding a section of the hair with your fingers, and then snipping off the desired amount.
Now connect it with the back hair to even it out. Try to get the toddler to look slightly down while you cut. [11] X Research source As you cut a section of hair, let down some of the hair in the clips, to continue trimming the hair. Use the first section of cut hair as the guide for length when trimming the rest. Pull down the next section, and trim it to match the guide section’s length. Do this section-by-section. If the child’s hair is thick, you may need to work on a {[convert|1|in|cm}} section at a time so you’re able to see the guide. To cut the sections by the ears, comb the child’s hair by the ears all the way back, and work from behind.
Buy a clipper set at a drug or department store. They should run you around $20. The clippers should come with several guards in different sizes ranging from low to high numbers. The lower number guards cut off more hair than the higher number guards. [13] X Research source Put the plastic Number 3 guard on the clipper. Plug it in. Hold the clippers at about a 90- degree angle. Clip straight up from the base of the beck. Cut upwards with the clippers, and do so all around the toddler’s head.
Remove the guard from the clippers, and clean up the hair around the toddler’s ears. Go slowly so you don’t cut the child. Use the clippers to clean up and shape the cut’s style around the nape of the toddler’s neck. Again, go slowly so you don’t nick the child. It’s very important that you proceed with great caution, making sure to distract the child and go very slowly, anticipating the possibility of sudden movements.
Start at the top of the hair by taking a section in the front. Decide the length you want. Hold your fingers across the section. Cut the hair away. Work your way to the back. Use the first cut as a guide cut. Cut the entire middle section and then cut the sides. Consider the hair as having three sections on top, the sides of the hair and the middle section. Work toward the back of the middle section. Blend the top of the hair with the sides. Cut at a 45-degree angle. Hold a section of the hair in your fingers, and cut at this angle. Then take another small section and do the same, working your way around the head.
