How to Cut Your Own Hair
Buy a sharp pair of scissors., Wash your hair, but don't dry it., Clip up the top portions of your hair., Find split ends., Measure where you wish to cut., Trim the ends., Make sure your ends match up., Trim your layers (optional)., Double-check...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Buy a sharp pair of scissors.
The first step in cutting your hair at home is to invest in the right tools.
You will need a sharp pair of hair cutting scissors (not just any old scissors you have lying around at home) and a fine-toothed comb.
Hair cutting scissors are easily available at beauty supply stores
- you can find them pretty cheaply, somewhere in the $25 to $50 range.
If you don't want to buy a hair cutting scissors, a fabric scissors will do
- just make sure it's really sharp.
Using dull scissors is a bad idea as you will find it harder to cut your hair and may end up giving yourself split ends
- which defeats the purpose of giving yourself a haircut in the first place! -
Step 2: Wash your hair
Wet hair is much easier to cut than dry hair, so make sure to shampoo and condition your hair before you start snipping.
Fully comb out your hair once you get out of the shower
- your hair needs be as sleek and tangle free as possible.Use a leave-in conditioner if your hair tends to be frizzy or fly-away.
If your hair is quite long or thick, there's a good chance that sections of your hair might start to dry before you get around to cutting them.
To tackle this, fill a spray bottle with water and a little conditioner.
Then you can dampen your hair whenever you need to! , Depending on how thick your hair is, expect to work in several sections as you cut, starting with the bottom-most layer and working up.
Use elastic hair ties or crocodile clips to divide hair into sections.
Just make sure the sectioned hair isn't left to hang loose
- otherwise it could get in the way of your scissors.
Once you've finished with the bottom layer of hair, you can start releasing the other sections as you go. , If you just want to give your hair a small trim to get rid of your damaged ends, you will first need to inspect your hair to find out how much hair will need to be cut.
Take a look at the ends of your hair.
If they seem scraggly or unruly, or you can see the split hairs, they're probably damaged and need to be cut.
Expect to trim about
0.25 inch (6 mm) above where the damage stops.
This will keep your hair in good condition. , For an accurate cut, grab a section of hair between the index and middle fingers of your non-dominant hand.
Drag your fingers down your hair, until you reach a point slightly above where you want to cut your hair.
Make sure the hair isn't knotted or twisted between your fingers
- it must lie perfectly flat.
Your hair will look shorter when it's dry, so be conservative when you're measuring how much to cut.
This is particularly important for people with curly hair.
Remember
- you can always go back and cut it shorter afterwards, but you can't undo it if you cut too much off on the first go. , When you're ready to start cutting, hold the scissors just below your fingers, in a parallel fashion.
Try to keep a reasonable tension on the hair between your fingers.
Trim slowly, letting the cut hair fall away as your fingers (and the strand they're holding) remain stable and in the same position.
If you want a blunt end to your hair, just cut straight across and leave it at that.
But if you want a softer finish, hold the scissors vertically (perpendicular to your fingers) and cut directly into the hair, until no sharp angles remain.
This will give the ends of your hair a more feathery look., After you've finished trimming one layer of your hair, make sure the ends match up.
Grab a section on each side of your face with your hands, using your thumbs and forefingers.
Pull your fingers down the hair at exactly the same pace.
Whichever hand runs out of hair first was holding a shorter strand.
Trim accordingly to match up.
Re-check the length until you're satisfied, then move on to the next layer of hair. , Working with layers, especially if you have very thick or curly hair, is best left to the professionals.
However, If you absolutely need a quick trim on the layers framing your face, use the following technique:
Grab as much of the ends of each layer of hair between your fingers as possible, then trim as little hair as possible, holding the scissors at a slightly downward angle.
In other words, trim your hair following the angle from your jaw on that side of your face to the shoulder on the same side.
Use the softening technique described above to even out the ends of the hair, then match the layers on each side of your face to make sure they're the same length. , After your hair has dried (in the way that you usually do it, whether that's air-drying or blow drying), check your cut for any glaring inconsistencies.
Use a handheld mirror to check the hair at the back of your head or, better yet, ask a trusted friend to check it for you.
If you find any unevenness, take your scissors one more time and, very carefully, attempt to even it out, cutting as little hair as possible. -
Step 3: but don't dry it.
-
Step 4: Clip up the top portions of your hair.
-
Step 5: Find split ends.
-
Step 6: Measure where you wish to cut.
-
Step 7: Trim the ends.
-
Step 8: Make sure your ends match up.
-
Step 9: Trim your layers (optional).
-
Step 10: Double-check your hair when it's dry.
Detailed Guide
The first step in cutting your hair at home is to invest in the right tools.
You will need a sharp pair of hair cutting scissors (not just any old scissors you have lying around at home) and a fine-toothed comb.
Hair cutting scissors are easily available at beauty supply stores
- you can find them pretty cheaply, somewhere in the $25 to $50 range.
If you don't want to buy a hair cutting scissors, a fabric scissors will do
- just make sure it's really sharp.
Using dull scissors is a bad idea as you will find it harder to cut your hair and may end up giving yourself split ends
- which defeats the purpose of giving yourself a haircut in the first place!
Wet hair is much easier to cut than dry hair, so make sure to shampoo and condition your hair before you start snipping.
Fully comb out your hair once you get out of the shower
- your hair needs be as sleek and tangle free as possible.Use a leave-in conditioner if your hair tends to be frizzy or fly-away.
If your hair is quite long or thick, there's a good chance that sections of your hair might start to dry before you get around to cutting them.
To tackle this, fill a spray bottle with water and a little conditioner.
Then you can dampen your hair whenever you need to! , Depending on how thick your hair is, expect to work in several sections as you cut, starting with the bottom-most layer and working up.
Use elastic hair ties or crocodile clips to divide hair into sections.
Just make sure the sectioned hair isn't left to hang loose
- otherwise it could get in the way of your scissors.
Once you've finished with the bottom layer of hair, you can start releasing the other sections as you go. , If you just want to give your hair a small trim to get rid of your damaged ends, you will first need to inspect your hair to find out how much hair will need to be cut.
Take a look at the ends of your hair.
If they seem scraggly or unruly, or you can see the split hairs, they're probably damaged and need to be cut.
Expect to trim about
0.25 inch (6 mm) above where the damage stops.
This will keep your hair in good condition. , For an accurate cut, grab a section of hair between the index and middle fingers of your non-dominant hand.
Drag your fingers down your hair, until you reach a point slightly above where you want to cut your hair.
Make sure the hair isn't knotted or twisted between your fingers
- it must lie perfectly flat.
Your hair will look shorter when it's dry, so be conservative when you're measuring how much to cut.
This is particularly important for people with curly hair.
Remember
- you can always go back and cut it shorter afterwards, but you can't undo it if you cut too much off on the first go. , When you're ready to start cutting, hold the scissors just below your fingers, in a parallel fashion.
Try to keep a reasonable tension on the hair between your fingers.
Trim slowly, letting the cut hair fall away as your fingers (and the strand they're holding) remain stable and in the same position.
If you want a blunt end to your hair, just cut straight across and leave it at that.
But if you want a softer finish, hold the scissors vertically (perpendicular to your fingers) and cut directly into the hair, until no sharp angles remain.
This will give the ends of your hair a more feathery look., After you've finished trimming one layer of your hair, make sure the ends match up.
Grab a section on each side of your face with your hands, using your thumbs and forefingers.
Pull your fingers down the hair at exactly the same pace.
Whichever hand runs out of hair first was holding a shorter strand.
Trim accordingly to match up.
Re-check the length until you're satisfied, then move on to the next layer of hair. , Working with layers, especially if you have very thick or curly hair, is best left to the professionals.
However, If you absolutely need a quick trim on the layers framing your face, use the following technique:
Grab as much of the ends of each layer of hair between your fingers as possible, then trim as little hair as possible, holding the scissors at a slightly downward angle.
In other words, trim your hair following the angle from your jaw on that side of your face to the shoulder on the same side.
Use the softening technique described above to even out the ends of the hair, then match the layers on each side of your face to make sure they're the same length. , After your hair has dried (in the way that you usually do it, whether that's air-drying or blow drying), check your cut for any glaring inconsistencies.
Use a handheld mirror to check the hair at the back of your head or, better yet, ask a trusted friend to check it for you.
If you find any unevenness, take your scissors one more time and, very carefully, attempt to even it out, cutting as little hair as possible.
About the Author
Melissa Peterson
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow practical skills tutorials.
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