Anybody cut their son's hair with clippers? I need advice.

[Rhonda in TX]

I bought some Wahl hair clippers a couple of days ago and tried to cut my son's hair today. It did not go well. His hair is on the long side right now (too much time since last haircut) and very thick. When I cut at the back, near the bottom, it went okay, When I started cutting the middle section, it started going bad. It would get caught on his hair and pull. The clippers would even stop running. I would have to turn it off, then back on.

 

Help! He's completely traumatized right now and I'm not doing so well myself. I cleaned it up as well as I could with scissors, but it still looks pretty bad.

[joannqn]

When hair is long and thick like that, you have to use scissors to cut it down first so it doesn't clog the clippers. Then you can use a large attachment to clean it up. Then you go down in attachment size and do the process all over again. If you want it really short (my DS likes me to use the smallest attachment), you'll need to do that as the last step.

 

Once you have it as short as you want it, you'll want to go back over the head a few times, in several directions to get all of the hair the same length. That's because the hair grows in several different directions. If you go just one direction, some of the hair will just end up laying down and not getting cut as short as the rest.

Edited June 24, 2009 by joannqn

[iamom]

I can't help you but I am just chiming in to say the same thing happens to me when I try and cut my son's hair with clippers. The back part is fine but when I run the clippers over the top of his head, we have problems like you mentioned. My son starts yelling and then I give up.

 

Any haircut-savvy moms out there?

[Quiver0f10]

I wonder if it needs to be oiled? I cut all my boys hair and when the clippers stop working it usually means it needs to be cleaned and oiled.

[Rhonda in TX]

I wonder if it needs to be oiled? I cut all my boys hair and when the clippers stop working it usually means it needs to be cleaned and oiled.

 

I oiled it before we started, then added more oil after we ran into problems, thinking it would help. It didn't. :tongue_smilie:

[OHGrandma]

Oil, oil, oil! I not only cut GS9's hair, I also clip our cattle for showing. Keep the clippers clean, hair clean, & use recommended oil on the clippers. Use a guard to keep from clipping too closely, go against how the hair lays. The guards come in various lengths, so you can experiment with leaving the top a bit longer than the sides.

 

eta:

I just saw your last post. Try using a comb to lift the hair in front of the clippers. It could be bunching up and making it difficult for the clippers to go through.

Edited June 24, 2009 by OHGrandma

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I wonder if it needs to be oiled? I cut all my boys hair and when the clippers stop working it usually means it needs to be cleaned and oiled.

 

It definitely needs oil. You need Clipper Oil, not any other kind, because clipper oil will help the blades to slide through the hair without making the hair all gross. :op You need to oil the blades between every use. In your son's case, you may need to oil every few minutes. I generally use three drops of oil on the blades (while they're running). Let them run for a few seconds. Then, stop the clipper and wipe off the excess oil. I store the clipper with oiled blades to prevent them from corroding. I think I got the Clipper Oil (Wahl brand) at Walmart, but it's been several years, so I may be mistaken.

 

I've seen military barbers use a special spray on the blades called "Clipper-glide" or something like that, especially when they're cutting a head with very thick hair. You might be able to get something like that. I doubt they'd have it at Walmart or any place like that. You'd probably need to get it from a barber/beauty supply store.

[joannqn]

I don't think you need any more oil, especially if you already tried using the oil.

 

My husband has really thick hair. I have to use a few attachments, taking the length down in incremental steps, in order not to clog it. When it clogs a little bit, it will pull. The blade is stopping because there's hair stuck between the blades and they can't move.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I oiled it before we started, then added more oil after we ran into problems, thinking it would help. It didn't. :tongue_smilie:

 

Oh, sorry. You wrote this while I was writing mine.

 

Did you adjust the clipper? It has a screw on the side that can be turned with a dime. You're supposed to turn on the clipper, turn the adjustment screw back until it makes a terrible noise (very loud vibration), then tighten it again until the noise just stops.

[OHGrandma]

It definitely needs oil. You need Clipper Oil, not any other kind, because clipper oil will help the blades to slide through the hair without making the hair all gross. :op You need to oil the blades between every use. In your son's case, you may need to oil every few minutes. I generally use three drops of oil on the blades (while they're running). Let them run for a few seconds. Then, stop the clipper and wipe off the excess oil. I store the clipper with oiled blades to prevent them from corroding. I think I got the Clipper Oil (Wahl brand) at Walmart, but it's been several years, so I may be mistaken.

 

I've seen military barbers use a special spray on the blades called "Clipper-glide" or something like that, especially when they're cutting a head with very thick hair. You might be able to get something like that. I doubt they'd have it at Walmart or any place like that. You'd probably need to get it from a barber/beauty supply store.

 

I use a similar product on our cattle clippers. It works great for thick hair.

[Rhonda in TX]

I'm using the longest attachment (an 8) on the top, so it does sound like maybe it's just too long, especially for a newbie.

[Rhonda in TX]

Did you adjust the clipper? It has a screw on the side that can be turned with a dime. You're supposed to turn on the clipper, turn the adjustment screw back until it makes a terrible noise (very loud vibration), then tighten it again until the noise just stops.

 

I also don't see anything in the directions about making that type of adjustment.

[Ginevra]

I was thinking it could just be the clippers aren't of very good quality. :tongue_smilie: I had a pair of clippers that I tried three times and they were a constant disaster, whether it was my son I was trying to clipper or my dh. Honestly, their hair looked terrible and was only slightly better when I tried to rectify the mess with scissors. I went top-of-the-range and bought a pair of Oster clippers at Sally's Beauty Supply. I never had another moment's trouble. They clipped beautifully and smoothly forevermore. They more than earned their keep over the years.

[Rhonda in TX]

I was thinking it could just be the clippers aren't of very good quality. :tongue_smilie: I had a pair of clippers that I tried three times and they were a constant disaster, whether it was my son I was trying to clipper or my dh. Honestly, their hair looked terrible and was only slightly better when I tried to rectify the mess with scissors. I went top-of-the-range and bought a pair of Oster clippers at Sally's Beauty Supply. I never had another moment's trouble. They clipped beautifully and smoothly forevermore. They more than earned their keep over the years.

 

I bought this one.

[Tammy]

It doesn't work well if the hair isn't just washed.

 

.

[Rhonda in TX]

Yet another clue in this whole thing. Thanks for the tip!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I bought this one.

 

 

Hmm. I think your dh is right. When you said it was a Wahl, I assumed it was a *good* Wahl! LOL. :D (ETA: I'm sorry. That was in really poor taste. I really don't know anything about the quality of your model. And, it cost about the same as mine: http://www.amazon.com/Wahl-Pro-8355-400-Designer-Clipper/dp/B000EDNCJO/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1245857113&sr=8-43'>http://www.amazon.com/Wahl-Pro-8355-400-Designer-Clipper/dp/B000EDNCJO/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1245857113&sr=8-43'>http://www.amazon.com/Wahl-Pro-8355-400-Designer-Clipper/dp/B000EDNCJO/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1245857113&sr=8-43'>http://www.amazon.com/Wahl-Pro-8355-400-Designer-Clipper/dp/B000EDNCJO/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1245857113&sr=8-43).

 

 

I have a Wahl Pro Designer model that I got at Sally Beauty Supply (http://www.amazon.com/Wahl-Pro-8355-400-Designer-Clipper/dp/B000EDNCJO/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1245857113&sr=8-43). It has made a wonderful difference in our hair cutting experience. I went through many clippers (Conair, etc) that I got a Target and Walmart, and they were terrible. They didn't get stuck, but they didn't cut well. Ds would have all these spiky locks sticking out all over his head. Then, they would just stop cutting after a few months.

 

My brother still has the Wahl clippers my dad had when we were kids. They were probably bought in the 1960s. I tried them and they worked better than my new Conairs! That's when I realized it wasn't me, and that quality matters. I got the Wahl Pro clippers, and I've never looked back! They're a great investment. I don't expect them to last 40+ years, like my dad's (they don't make'em like that anymore), but I have had 4 great years with them, and I expect them to last at least until ds is out of the house (and dh is completely hairless!) :D (ETA: Oh, and I just looked at them at amazon.com, and they cost less than yours. I really have no idea what the difference is, except the size, which maybe means it's a different mechanism?)

 

One thing, though, is that yours is cordless. I've noticed that most cordless models of anything (shavers, drills, blow dryers) don't have the "umph" of corded ones. I wonder it that's the problem. Maybe you just need to get a corded clipper, or plug yours in (if that's an option).

Edited June 24, 2009 by Suzanne in ABQ

[Tammy]

and dry it.....and try again. This is true of dog clippers also....they just won't work on dirty hair.

 

.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I also don't see anything in the directions about making that type of adjustment.

 

Hmm. My Wahl has one, and my dad's Wahl had one, so I just assumed it was a "Wahl thing".

 

Off to scratch my head some more.

[Dawn in OH]

Sometimes what's obvious to one is overlooked by another....you are tapping out the hair in the clipper before running it through the hair again, right?

 

My son has thick hair that grows fast, so I always seem overdue in giving him another hair cut. I do his in stages, starting with the longer attachment and working down to the smaller attachments till we get to the right length. The only problem I've had is getting the kid to stay still for entire process. He's not a be still kind of kid.

[Rosy]

I do what JoAnn does--I cut it long first, then cut it short.

 

Also, is it possible that they're not charged up enough? You might try making sure they're all the way charged, or if possible use them plugged in.

 

If neither of those options work, I'd try a different set of clippers. I've never gotten the expensive ones (I usually get a $20-30 set--Costco carries a good one), and mine do clog like what you're talking about if it's been a long time and I go immediately to the shortest attachment, but I can always at least get the long one through their hair without too much of a problem.