How to Shave Pubic Hair With Clippers (A Trim, Not a Smooth Shave)
How to shave pubic hair with clippers for men: which guard to start on, where the guard stays on, the steps in order and how to clean the clipper after.
Straight answers on shavers, trimmers and clippers.
How to choose, use and look after the tools men groom with, and how to get the beard or haircut each one is built for. Written for US readers, with every source linked.
What do you need help with?
Clipper guard lengths
The hair each guard leaves, drawn to scale
| Guard | Inches | Millimeters |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 1/8 | 3 |
| #2 | 1/4 | 6 |
| #3 | 3/8 | 10 |
| #4 | 1/2 | 13 |
| #5 | 5/8 | 16 |
| #6 | 3/4 | 19 |
| #7 | 7/8 | 22 |
| #8 | 1 | 25 |
- 14
- 5
- 4
- 0
Every topic we cover
Five topics cover a tool's whole life: choosing it, using it, getting the look, keeping it running and fixing it.
Beard & Hair Styles
The beards, stubble lengths, fades and buzz cuts these tools are built for, and how to get them.
- Beard necklines by face shape
- Buzz cuts by guard number
- Low taper fade
Read the guides
Technique & How-To
Step-by-step help with shaving, trimming and manscaping, plus cleaning and oiling the tools.
- Wet or dry shave with an electric shaver
- Trimming pubic hair with clippers
- How to sharpen clipper blades
Buying Guides & Reviews
Which shaver, trimmer or clipper fits your face, hair and budget, and which models to skip.
- Foil or rotary shaver
- Head shavers for a bald look
- Nose and ear hair trimmers
Parts & Accessories
Replacement heads and blades, guards, chargers, clipper oil, beard oil and balm.
- Clipper oil substitutes
- Replacement heads for Philips OneBlade
- Clipper guard sets
Troubleshooting
What to do when a clipper stops cutting, a trimmer pulls hair or a shaver leaves stubble.
- Clippers not cutting
- Trimmer pulling hair
- Shaver leaving stubble
Which tool does which job
Most grooming mistakes start with the wrong tool. Here is what each one is built for.
Electric shaver
Cuts hair at skin level for a clean-shaven face. Foil shavers move straight across; rotary heads turn in circles to follow the jaw.
- No length: a close shave
Beard trimmer
Keeps a beard or stubble at one even length with an adjustable guard, and cleans up the cheek and neck lines.
- A set length, from stubble to a short beard
Hair clipper
A wider, stronger blade with numbered guards, made for cutting the hair on your head, from buzz cuts to fades.
- #1 (1/8 in) to #8 (1 in) with standard guards
Body groomer
A shielded blade built for chest, back, armpit and groin hair, so it trims close without nicking sensitive skin.
- A short trim, or a smooth finish with a foil head
How a guide gets made
Every guide goes through the same five stages. Tested methods are compared side by side and never given a score.
Start with a real question
We start from what men search for and ask on forums, and plan one guide per question so guides never repeat each other.
Read the sources in full
Maker manuals, dermatology and medical pages. Every claim is tied to a linked source, and we say when advice comes from outside the US.
Run it by the written protocol
New shaver heads get a 21-day run-in first. Sessions are at least 48 hours apart, with checks at 10 minutes, 2 hours and the next morning.
Check it before it goes live
A second pass checks every quote against its source and every section against the plan before a guide is published.
Date it and keep it current
Guides show when they were written and updated. We review every guide at least once every 12 months, and check it within 14 business days when something changes.
What a test session measures
Same kit, same bathroom light, same time of morning.
- Length
- Median of 5 hairs, to the nearest mm
- Redness
- Photo at the same angle, 0, 1 and 24 hours
- Sting
- Rated 0 to 5, three times after a session
- Itch
- Rated 0 to 5 on days 1, 3 and 7
- Regrowth
- Photos on days 1, 3 and 7
- Time and mess
- Phone timer and a clean-up photo
Who pays for Grooming Nova
Readers do, indirectly, through affiliate commissions. What a guide recommends comes from its sources and tests alone.
The business side
- You buy through a link in a guide
- The store, like Amazon, may pay us a commission
The editorial side
- A real question readers ask
- Sources and hands-on tests
- What the guide recommends
Money has no path to a recommendation. A commission can’t move a product up a list or soften a verdict, and brands can’t pay for a better place in a ranking. Sponsored content, when there is any, is always labeled. Sponsorship policy
Questions readers ask first
Something else? Ask Aman, or read who runs Grooming Nova.
How do you test grooming tools?
We buy every shaver, trimmer, clipper and body groomer we test with our own money and test it on Aman's own skin and hair, using one written protocol and the same fixed test kit. Each session goes into dated notes, photos and measurements, and methods are compared side by side, never scored. Every guide shows when it was last updated.
Is Grooming Nova independent, or paid for by grooming brands?
We're independent and reader-supported. When you buy through some links, we may earn a commission from Amazon, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Grooming Nova earns from qualifying purchases. We don't show display ads yet. When we start, they'll be served by Mediavine. We sell a Sponsored Post and a Sidebar Display Slot directly to brands. Both are always labeled, and our Sponsorship Policy explains the rules. None of this decides what we recommend.
What does Grooming Nova cover?
We cover electric shavers, trimmers, clippers and body groomers: how to choose and use them, beard and hair styles, parts and accessories, and fixes when something goes wrong. We add new topics based on reader questions.
How often are your guides updated?
We review every guide at least once every 12 months. If something changes in between, such as a product update, a recall, a price or policy change, or a reader report, we check the guide within 14 business days. Each guide shows its last-updated date.
Can I ask about a specific shaver, trimmer or clipper problem?
Yes. Use our contact page and choose "Suggest a guide or topic" or "Help with a grooming problem". Aman Singh, the founder, reads every message, and we reply within 48 hours.