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The 1mm Haircut: Grade Number, Length, Clipper [With Pics]

January 25, 2021
The 1mm Haircut: Grade Number, Length, Clipper [With Pics]

It’s tough to get much shorter than this. There’s beauty in simplicity and that’s definitely true when it comes to this length. You’re about to learn everything you need to know about the 1mm haircut. 

It isn’t as easy as it might seem at first. 

Why? 

Well, most mainstream clipper brands do not and will not come with a 1mm clipper guard. To be honest, it doesn’t really exist. What I’m going to teach you is how to use a pair of clippers to get as close to this magical length as humanly possible. 

You’ll learn what it looks like, what you can do with it, and how to achieve it. 

Let’s get to it. 

Which Clipper Guard Number For A 1mm Haircut?  

To trim as close to a 1mm haircut as possible, you’ll need to either use a #0 clipper guard (or #0.5 for Wahl clippers) or simply trim with no clipper guard attached. 

A #0 guard for most clipper brands, including Andis, Oster, and Remington, will trim down to 1.5mm in length. 

For some reason, Wahl is different; its shortest clipper guard is the #0.5, and this will get you down to 1.5mm.  

The standard blade size for most clipper brands is 0.5mm. Once again, Wahl is a little different, with its standard blade size being 0.8mm. 

Trimming with no guard attached – i.e with the lone blade of the clipper – will therefore allow you to trim as short as 0.5 – 0.8mm, depending on the clipper you’re using. 

It’s best to actually check the blade size of the particular clipper you’re using, however, as they do vary. In general, you can expect that length range to be a pretty safe bet. 

As you can see, whether you choose to use a #0 (#0.5 for Wahl) clipper guard or trim with no guard attached, you won’t be able to trim down to 1mm exactly. 

However, these options will get you as close as possible. Half a millimeter shorter or longer isn’t going to make much of a visible difference. 

1mm may be a nice round number to aim for, but the mainstream clipper guards in existence don’t make it possible to achieve with precision. 

What Does The 1mm Haircut Length Look Like? 

The 1mm haircut (or a haircut that’s close enough to it), can reasonably be described as a layer of very light stubble peppered across the scalp. 

As with any sort of short stubble, whether it’s on the face or the scalp, it’ll look like a subtle shadowing effect. 

It adds definition and contouring to the top portion of the head. 

Here’s what you can expect a 1mm haircut “all over” to look like: 

Example of a 1mm haircut
From Shutterstock

Trimming the whole scalp down to the exact same length is called an induction-style buzz cut. 

It’s as simple as short hairstyles can get; at this length, it looks masculine, sleek, and stylish. 

Example of a very short buzz cut
From Shutterstock

There aren’t many 1mm haircut styles to choose from. When the hair is this short, faded sides will barely be noticeable and as you’d expect, the hair is nowhere near long enough to be styled in any way. 

Because of this, induction-style buzz cuts are really all you can go for and that’s fine. Sometimes, a lack of choice is exactly what men want. 

What Sort Of Men Would Love The 1mm Haircut? 

Although any man could potentially wear this length of hair gracefully, there are certain men who may benefit from it more than others. 

Here are a few you should know: 

1. Balding Or Receding Men

Men whose hair is slowly but surely slipping away from them definitely benefit from ultra-short buzzes such as the 1mm haircut. 

The reason for this is that thinning hair tends to look more obvious when there’s a significant difference in length between the top and sides. 

When the typically thicker sides are as long or longer than the hair on top, the thinning hair on top looks even less dense. 

Trimming all of the hair ultra-short (in our case – down to 1mm) makes the lack of hair look even in all areas. This looks more proportionate and aesthetically pleasing than thin hair on top with thicker sides. 

In addition, a receding hairline looks less obvious when the hair on top is super short. This is because the transition from the forehead to the hair on top is less obvious. 

So, if you’re a balding or receding man that’s looking to embrace their thinning hair instead of covering up with awkward comb-overs, definitely consider this hair length. 

2. Men Who Value Simplicity

The hassle of having to worry about whether a hairstyle looks tidy, slick, or interesting isn’t something all men want to have to deal with. 

As I mentioned before, not all men want to have to worry about what their hair looks like. 

With a 1mm haircut, you’ve got the option of a buzz cut. That’s it. 

No mirror glances or untimely bathroom trips to fluff up a quiff or slick back a pomp. 

Your hair is guaranteed to look the same way it did when you left the house. That’s the beauty of it. It’s effortlessly tidy and neat. 

Plus, washing and drying is no trouble at all. Again – effortless

There are plenty of men who value the ease that this brings their grooming routine. If you’re one of them, again, maybe this length is the one for you. 

3. Bearded Men 

Beards and ultra-short buzz cuts seem to go hand-in-hand. 

Why? 

One reason is that having facial hair is a great way of adding balance to the face when there’s very little hair up top. 

1mm isn’t too far away from a shaved head. A clean-shaven face may lead to there just being too little hair above the neck. I mean you’ll really just be left with the eyebrows and a layer of light stubble over the scalp. 

If you didn’t want to go for a full beard, heavy stubble or even just light stubble would add some balance to the bare scalp. 

The combination of buzz cuts and facial hair is also just incredibly masculine. It’s a tried-and-true combination that really turns heads. 

4. Certain Face Shapes 

The 1mm haircut is better suited to some face shapes more than others. This is no secret. 

It’s similar to how a bald and shaved head suits some face shapes more than others. An ultra-short buzz cut is no different. 

Essentially, the rounder your natural face shape, the more difficult it may be to pull off a short buzz cut. 

The reason for this is that having barely any hair on top can make a round face look even rounder. It can take definition away from your facial structure. 

Unfortunately, with a 1mm haircut, you don’t have the option of using the hair on top to elongate the face. You can’t form a quiff or small pomp to add some vertical height, for example. 

Be aware of this fact when trimming such a short buzz cut. If you’ve got an especially round face, you may not want to trim down so short. 

However, one way of tackling this problem would be to grow a beard. You can use a beard to add some length at the bottom of the face to compensate for not being able to do it on top. 

A Great 1mm Hair Clipper  

An affordable and effective pair of clippers for the 1mm haircut would be the Wahl Color Pros

Click here to check them out on Amazon

Two things to note here: 

  1. Remember, much like any other clipper it won’t get you to 1mm exactly, but it’ll get you close. Either use the #0.5 clipper guard or just trim with no guard attached. 
  2. There are plenty of other clippers that could get the job done for you. This one is just a great combination of being effective and affordable. 

Conclusion

After reading this, you should have a good idea of what to expect when trimming this hair length. 

Getting to grips with how clipper guards work can be tough, but once you’ve figured this out, DIY trims become a whole lot easier. 

Even if you weren’t going to DIY and you were just going to ask your barber to trim this length for you, you now have a good understanding of what you’ll end up with. 

Enjoy.