Abstract: A hair trimmer is provided that includes a housing having a proximal and a distal portion, a motor-driven cutting blade disposed on the proximal portion of the housing and an actuating cutting guard disposed on the proximal portion of the housing. The actuating cutting guard is configured to move between a disengaged position and an engaged position with respect to the cutting blade. When in the disengaged position, the cutting guard is housed within the housing and positioned away from the cutting blade. When in the engaged position, the cutting guard is positioned near the cutting blade and configured to prevent a predetermined length of hair from contacting the cutting blade. The hair trimmer may also include an adjusting member configured to move the cutting guard between the disengaged and engaged positions.