If you have fine or thin hair, you may want to reconsider choosing an undercut. It can actually make your hair appear thinner and take away the body. An undercut can be a good style for big, curly hair because it can take out some of the bulk.

When you’re trying an undercut for the first time, it’s best to go for a longer cut. You can always go shorter, but you’ll have to wait for your hair to grow out if you cut it too short to begin with.

In general, most undercuts involve the nape area of the head. The line of your natural part serves as the border. This type of undercut is usually only visible if you pull your hair up unless your overall haircut is very short. For the most dramatic undercut, you can cut the two bottom sections or even leave just the top section out and cut all of the lower layers. Keep in mind that if you do drastic undercuts like these, your shorn hair will be visible most of the time.

Make sure that there are no stray hairs from the upper sections of your hair that have fallen loose. You may accidentally wind up cutting them, and your undercut will turn out uneven.

You don’t necessarily have to use a straight part for the top of the undercut. For example, you may prefer a zigzag pattern to add more flair to your cut. However, you’ll want to start with the straight part and use the clippers to cut the design into your hair. [8] X Expert Source Jenny TranProfessional Hair Stylist Expert Interview. 31 August 2020.

Any type of headband that will stay in place on the back of your head without you having to hold it will work fine.

Don’t wet your hair before you cut it. It’s usually easier to do when it’s dry.

The grade 2 length blade cuts your hair to approximately 6-mm. The grade 3 length blade cuts your hair to approximately 10-mm. The grade 4 length blade cuts your hair to approximately 13-mm. The grade 5 length blade cuts your hair to approximately 16-mm. The grade 6 length blade cuts your hair to approximately 19-mm. The grade 7 length blade cuts your hair to approximately 22-mm. The grade 8 length blade cuts your hair to approximately 25-mm.

It helps to keep your free hand braced on the headband so it stays in place and you don’t accidentally cut off more hair than you intend.

Don’t panic if you wind up cutting your hair a little too short. It will grow in fairly quickly, and if you’ve only removed the lowest section of hair, it will be fairly subtle.