Clipper guard numbers chart: #0 to #8 in mm and inches
When a barber says "a two on the sides", they mean the plastic guard clipped onto the clippers. Each number leaves a set length of hair. Most US guard sets go up in steps of one eighth of an inch, so a #2 leaves about a quarter of an inch, or 6 mm. Knowing the numbers lets you ask for the same cut twice.
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Guard sizes in millimetres and inches
| Guard | mm | Inches | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| #0 | 1.5 mm | 1/16 in | The closest guard, about as short as a bare blade; skin shows through |
| #1 | 3 mm | 1/8 in | Very short stubble length; scalp visible in good light |
| #2 | 6 mm | 1/4 in | The common "short back and sides" length |
| #3 | 10 mm | 3/8 in | Short but covers the scalp on most hair |
| #4 | 13 mm | 1/2 in | A classic all-over buzz or crew cut length |
| #5 | 16 mm | 5/8 in | Soft short length; hair starts to lie down |
| #6 | 19 mm | 3/4 in | Longer clipper cut, often used on top |
| #7 | 22 mm | 7/8 in | Near an inch; texture and waves start to show |
| #8 | 25 mm | 1 in | The longest standard guard; longer hair is usually cut with scissors |
Guard sizes vary slightly by brand, and a few sets add half sizes such as #1.5. Many clippers also have a lever that makes the same guard cut a little longer when it is opened. When in doubt, say the length in millimetres as well as the number, and ask your barber which set they use.
Fades and tapers in plain words
A fade is a gradual change from short hair low on the head to longer hair above it. The words describe where the shortest part stops.
- Taper: only the sideburns and the neckline are cut shorter. The sides keep most of their length, so it grows out gently.
- Low fade: the shortest part stays just above the ears and the neckline, then blends up into the side length.
- Mid fade: the blend starts around the middle of the sides, about level with the temples.
- High fade: the short part runs high, close to where the head turns from the side to the top, for a strong contrast with the top.
- Skin fade (bald fade): the lowest part is taken to bare skin with a foil shaver or open blade, then blended into a guard. It can be low, mid or high.
The neckline is a separate choice. Tapered fades the hair out at the nape, blocked cuts a straight square line, rounded softens the corners, and natural follows your own hairline. A tapered neckline usually grows out more evenly than a blocked one.
How to tell your barber what you want
Give the parts of the cut one at a time, from the bottom up. A clear request names:
- Sides and back: the guard, and the fade if you want one, from the shortest guard to the longest. For example, "mid fade from a #1 to a #3".
- Top: how much length to leave, in centimetres or inches, and whether it is cut with scissors or a guard.
- Neckline and sideburns: tapered, blocked or rounded, and how long the sideburns stay.
- How you style it: pushed forward, side part, combed back or left messy, so the barber can cut the top to suit.
Sides: mid fade, #1 (3 mm) to #3 (10 mm).
Top: scissors, about 5 cm, pushed forward.
Neckline: tapered.
The FitMyFace barber card writes your cut this way, in English and Chinese, with millimetres beside every guard number. Pick a style on your photo, open the barber card, and change the sides, back, fade and neckline until it says what you want. The values start as a suggestion, and your barber adapts them to your hair. A barber or customer can also suggest a correction on the card. The card records the look you want and starting measurements; your barber checks and adjusts the final cut. The picture is illustrative.
Try a fade on your photo and save the card
FitMyFace hair previews are approximations, not predictions of how your hair will lie after a cut. Ordinary hairstyle try-ons perform face analysis on-device. The optional AI previews (hair and glasses) send a photo to Cloudflare; your consent is the one "I agree" on the scan screen, and a switch on the results turns them off. FitMyFace is for adults 18 and over and is not available in Illinois.
Questions
Is a #0 the same as shaved?
Not quite. A #0 still leaves about 1.5 mm, close to what a bare clipper blade leaves. A skin fade or a head shave goes down to bare skin with a foil shaver or a razor.
What number is a buzz cut?
Any single guard all over. A #4 (13 mm) is a common choice; a #2 or #1 is much shorter and shows more scalp. Try a longer guard first if you are unsure, because a barber can always go shorter.
Are guard numbers the same at every barber?
Close, but not exact. Brands differ by a millimetre or so, and some numbers above #8 do not match across brands. Asking in millimetres avoids the guesswork.
Not sure whether you want a fade at all? See fade vs taper. For the rest of the request, from the top length to how you style it, see what to tell your barber.
Thinking about the shape of the cut, not only the length? See haircuts for square faces or haircuts for round faces.
Every catalog cut shows its guard numbers in millimetres on its own page: see all haircuts.