A Guide to Cut Your Own Hair

I am not promising that your first haircut will be as great as one done by a pro, but it will be your very own creation and something to be proud of. Anyway, if it doesn't turn out that well, you have nothing to lose, after a week or so your hair will settle down and the cut will not look as odd as you think it was. Men's hair can grow within 2 weeks and will be ready for another trim, while ladies whose haircut didn't went so well (ouch!), can always tie their long hair for a few weeks. So, have you gathered enough courage to cut your own hair..? If the answer is yes, then gather the required tools and follow a technique or style mentioned below to cut the hair...

Basic Steps Prior to Hair Cutting
Here are few basic steps which you need to follow before you start to cutting your hair. It is important to follow the mentioned below steps before you cut your own hair. As this will make your job easier and more precise.
shampoo

  • Wash your hair with shampoo and rinse them. Then condition your hair and leave the conditioner for 2 minutes and rinse the hair thoroughly. Conditioning your hair will make it softer and easier to cut.
  • Then towel dry them. Make sure your hair is not wet or dry but just damp.
  • For coarse or dry hair, use a hair serum. Take few drops of hair serum on your palm and rub it against the palm. Then apply the serum all over the hair length.
  • Take a hair cutting comb and comb your hair straight down.
Note: Decide the length of the hair you want before you are going to cut. For curly hair, choose the length longer because curly or wavy hair shrinks and appears shorter after it dries.

Trimming Your Hair
For this technique you will need quality hair cutting shears and a thin tooth comb. You can also keep a spray bottle nearby to damp your hair from time-to-time.

trim
  • If you have long hair then trimming hair in a uniform length is very easy. All you have to do is comb all the hair down and then cut them in a straight line.
  • Make sure you always cut a little, comb and check. Measure twice but cut only once.
  • When cutting long hair in a uniform length, hold one section of the hair with the comb and then with other hand hold the scissor and make a straight cut. This way cut the whole hair. Comb and check, cut once more if you feel it is uneven.
short hair trim
  • However, if you want to trim short hair then check the picture above.
  • This technique is used to trim short hair. For short hair simply hold different section of hair between your index and middle finger and cut down the excess. Remember, to cut little at a time.
Layer Cutting Your Hair (Easy Method)
For layer cutting arrange two mirrors, one in the front and one to view the back hair. Use a pair of shears, a spray bottle and a comb.

easy method for layering

  • To cut your hair in layers follow this simple hair cutting technique.
  • Bend over, so that the top of your head is facing the floor.
  • Comb all your hair straight down.
  • Now, carefully start cutting your own hair in a straight line. If you have thick hair you may need to cut it more than once. It is important to maintain a straight line to layer cut your hair. Take great care to make the cut as precise as you can.
  • Now, facing the mirror, comb your hair with middle parting and check.
Layer Cutting Your Hair (Slightly Difficult Method)
This is a slightly time taking and difficult method, however this method is used by professional and gives better result. But, let me warn you this method calls for a lot of time and patience. So, do it on a Sunday when you have enough free time.
layer cutting difficult method

  • For this hair cutting technique, part in the hair in the middle and comb the hair straight down. Now, decide on the hair length and cut the hair in a uniform length trim.
  • To give layers on both the sides, decide from which point you wish to layer the hair, it can be cheek, chin, or collarbone level.
  • Once you have decided this take a section from left side of the hair and hold it between your index and middle finger and make a down slanting angle cut. This way keep doing the cutting on one side, keep in mind to cut more hair on top layers and less towards the end.
  • Once you are done with this, proceed to the other side.
  • Keep bringing the two section of hair on both sides to the middle of your face, for example near the nose, mouth, chin, etc. This will help you check if the hair are on the both sides are of the same length.
  • Sometimes, cutting hair this way can looks pretty blunt. But, keep the style for a week or so. After couple of hair washes the hair will look softer. However, if you want to make the layered hair ends look softer you can feather cut these sections. Here is a technique that will help to give a feather cut.
Feather Cutting HairFeather cutting is basically a technique which involves cutting the hair ends so that the hair look softer and have more texture. It can be done on bangs or layered hair. For this method you will need special feather shear.
feather cutting

  • To give this effect to the hair, simply comb the hair first. If you have a lot of hair to be feather cut then it is a good idea to work section by section.
  • Separate the hair sections with hair clips and release the one which you wish to work on.
  • Then comb the hair section and hold it between your index and middle finger away from your face, and at an almost straight angle keep snipping off bits of the hair ends. Keep it random, but not overly much. Make sure you cut a little bit at a time.
  • Again comb and check. This way work on the rest of the hair sections.
Cutting Hair into Side Bangs
To cut your hair into side sweeping bangs you will need a mirror, a comb, cutting shears, feathering shears and a spray bottle.
side bangs

  • To cut your hair into side bangs part your hair sideways. Then take a section from near the forehead. Remember, for thick bangs take more hair, for thin chunky bangs take less hair.
  • Clip the rest of the hair back. Then take the larger section of the parting and comb it, and hold it away from you with your fingers as shown in the above picture.
  • Make sure you are holding the hair section at an angle, and make a cut at the same angle too. Cut a bit at a time, and check. Always keep your bangs cut longer, because they will shrink up a bit.
  • Also, if you prefer blow drying then you can always make the bangs a little rounder, which will decrease their length too.
  • In a similar way cut the hair on the other side of parting. If you want you can give the hair ends a bit of feather cut too.
Cutting Hair into Cleopatra Style Bangs
You will need the same stuff mentioned in the above bangs technique. Here are steps on cutting your hair into a blunt Cleopatra style bangs.

Cleopatra bangs

  • For this style of bangs it is a good idea to take a larger section of the front hair, so the bangs look thick and stylish. However, if you don't want thick bangs or have thin hair then take less hair.
  • Comb your hair down and then part it in the middle. Then separate the amount of hair you desire for bangs.
  • Tie the rest of the hair back. Comb the front hair section down. Cutting your hair into Cleopatra style bangs can be tedious as it will be difficult to see yourself in the mirror, as all the hair will be on your eyes. So, if you are unsure then ask somebody to help you.
  • Now, cut the hair in a straight line a bit below the eyebrow level. Make sure you do a neat job. Then comb your hair and check. If it is not in a single line then again comb the hair and trim them.
  • To give the bangs a bit of volume, blow dry them using a round brush.
Cutting Hair with Clippers
Guys can use an electric hair clipper to get a quick short buzz cut, or a crew cut. Electric hair clipper can come very handy and are easy to use. However, one needs to be careful when using them especially around the ears. Hair clippers come with different levels, so you can control the amount of hair length you wish to keep. To cut your hair short with clippers, use two mirrors, one in front of you and one in back.
hair clipper

  • Buzzed style haircut is very popular as men's hairstyles. Just set the blades of the hair clipper at the length you want for the back and sides of your head. Start running the clipper around the sides and then at the back. Always keep the motion of the hair clipper from downwards to upwards.
  • After you are done with the sides and back set the blades of the clipper for top, and start running the clipper at the crown. Remember, to keep the top length of the hair slightly longer than the sides and back.
  • Check in the mirror to see if you have cut your hair properly. If not, continue to cut the hair till you are satisfied with the hair length.
There are many hassles to getting a haircut from a salon. If you wish to get your hair cut by a professional, it can prove to be quite expensive. Also, you will need an appointment of the stylist, or will have to wait for hours at a salon to get a haircut. And how many times has it happened to you that you got a haircut from a salon and were not happy with it? Well, so why not try cutting your own hair at home. You will require the right tools, right technique and a lot of patience. Yep, when cutting your own hair you will need to be very precise, so being patient helps. You can even ask a friend to help you with the task.

Though, you might not be able to give yourself a great haircut the first time, with patience and constant practice you will be able to cut your hair better and with more style. If you wish to practice more you can consider investing in a hair dummy and practice various types of haircuts on it. To add more to your haircut and make it look even better you can try highlighting hair yourself too. This will add nice texture and style to your hair. So, good luck!

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