I finally switched from a 5/8 to a 1/2 guard for my bald fades

The extra eighth of an inch gave me way more room to blend, especially on coarse hair. Anyone else find a small guard change makes a big difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

gonzalez.vera3mo ago

That bit about coarse hair is so true. I tried going shorter on my brother's hair and it just turned into a blurry line, couldn't get it crisp. The tiny bit of extra length from a bigger guard gives the hair something to actually grab onto and move around. It's wild how such a small number change on the box fixes a real problem on someone's head.

derek9923d ago

Yeah that "something to actually grab onto" part is huge. With coarse hair especially, those bigger guards create a little bit of cushion between the blade and the scalp, so the hair stands up just enough for the clippers to follow the natural shape of the head instead of digging in and chopping it straight across. I see guys all the time trying to fade their own thick hair with a 1.5 guard and wondering why it looks patchy, but if they bump up to a 2 and use some light scooping motions with the clippers, it blends way smoother. The extra length lets the hair flow over the curve of the head instead of getting hacked off at a sharp angle. That blurry line thing is basically the hair fighting back because there's no room for it to settle before the blade hits it again lol.

sageallen3mo agoTop Commenter

Ever try a half guard between sizes? Like if a 2 is too short and a 3 is too long, put the 3 on and then just barely open the lever partway. It gives you that in-between length that can save a blurry line on really thick hair. I keep a set of those adjustable guards just for this.