How to Fade a Man's Clipper Cut

1
Don't skimp on a set of hair clippers.

Invest in a good pair of hair clippers if you don't already have them. Don't settle for inexpensive side-burn and mustache clippers. If you spend just $40 on a good set of clippers, that set will last a lifetime. Get a pair with at least five guards. Most good hair clippers come with a maximum of seven guards. Depending on how short you want to cut your hair, five may be all you need.
2). Buzz your hair to the length you want if you're goal is to fade your hair with just a set of clippers. A fade cut is usually a short haircut. If you are not used to how long each guard is, start with the longest guard to see how you like it. If your set has a 7, buzz all your hair with the 7. If 7 is too long for you, adjust the length of the guard on the clippers. You can start with the 7 guard on the longest adjustment on the razor, then go down a few clicks or go down another guard to get the desired starting length you want. Remember: If you go down too short, your hair will always grow back.
3). Once you pick a length to start with, the idea is to gradually go down so it all fades together. For example, trim everything with a 5 guard. Before you go with the 4 guard to trim the sides, go around the back and sides with a lower setting with the 5 guard. The reason to do this is to avoid getting lines on your head. You can tell if someone has a poor fade hair cut if you can see the lines where they changed guards. Playing with the settings on the clippers will help avoid this. Work your way down to eventually a 1 guard. If you have facial hair, you can blend your beard into your side burns to get a "chin strap" effect.
4). You might be afraid to cut the hair on the back of your head because it's difficult to see what you doing. A way to correct this is to turn your back to a wall-mounted mirror (in the bathroom) and look into a small hand mirror. You can see the back of your head by angling the hand mirror toward the bathroom mirror. Trim the back of the head the same way you trimmed the sides. Start long, then gradually get shorter. Don't go too short or it will not look smooth. Take your time.
5). The last step is trimming the back of the neck. This part requires a little more patience because you don't want the back to look uneven. Remove all attachments and put the clippers on the lowest setting. Still using both mirrors, shave the sides of the neck first. Then carefully trim where the hair meets the neck so it is in a straight line.