How to cut your own hair at home

Looking for pro tips on how to cut your own hair at home? The first thing most stylists will tell you is: don’t do it. However, this is quarantine time and it’s likely to be a while before we can get to the salon. While the potential for a hair disaster does exist, with a little guidance you can freshen up your ‘do and successfully cut your own hair at home.

[Photo Credit: iStock.com/Mykola]

In order to get started, you’ll need the right equipment. In the case of a simple haircut for men, clippers are invaluable, and for all haircuts, you’ll need a good pair of scissors. Do not attempt to cut hair with kitchen shears. According to the experts, not only will you not get the results you want, you can actually create more split ends by using dull scissors. Hair-cutting shears don’t have to be expensive and are available online or at your local drugstore.

It may be tempting to lob off a big chunk of hair to get the job done quickly. After all, the YouTubers make it look so easy, right? Proceed with caution and cut only small amounts a hair at a time. You can always trim more hair, but it’s much more difficult to fix a too-short cut. Sometimes waiting for your hair to regrow is the only option. Let’s not go there.

Women with long hair looking to keep the shape of their current haircut while getting rid of those dreaded split ends may want to try the ponytail technique.  While you won’t see this in a salon, this method starts with securing all the hair with an elastic so it covers the face. It’s sometimes referred to as the ‘unicorn’ technique because you end up with a ‘horn’ of hair in the middle of your forehead. Touted for its simplicity, this technique creates a quick, even trim of the ends. To tackle any remaining split ends throughout the length of your hair, try this three-fingered method for locating and snipping away the damaged hair.

Bangs seem to grow like weeds. While a missed trim won’t usually bother you for a while, overgrown bangs will be an annoying reminder poking you in the eye until you take care of them. While this probably isn’t the time to cut new bangs if you’ve never had them before, this straightforward tutorial will show you how to trim your bangs properly, and regain your peripheral vision in a hurry.

If you’re looking for something beyond the basic COVID cut (a.k.a. buzz cut) check out this simple tutorial to learn the basics of using clippers and scissors, all in one cut. You’ll learn how to use clippers to create a gentle fade and then use scissors to keep it longer, but tidy, on top.