Does anyone do this? I usually keep my hair trimmed short, but I haven’t had a haircut in a year and I’m starting to look like a mad scientist. My wife refuses to try, and I’m too cheap to go to the $10 barber. We have scissors and clippers in the house. Please encourage me to cut it myself!
I used to cut my own hair with clippers and an extra mirror. But the pros can do a better job with different size clips, so I cough up the 20$ and pay them to do it. Do you have a pay pal account shaggy ? I’ll send ya 10$ for a haircut.
When I first decided to go for the bald* look, I figured,“no way am I going to pay someone $10+ to do something that takes no skill!” Afterwards, when I looked at all the hair everywhere in my bathroom, I thought,“man, I would pay someone $10 to clean up all this hair!” I later figured out doing it naked in the tub made cleanup a breeze.
*not totally bald. I did try shaving my head for about a week but hated it. The perfect smoothness lasts only half a day before everything started to catch on my head (taking off and putting on a t-shirt was an ordeal). I ended up just using the closest setting on the clippers. Now, my head, facial, and pubic hairs are always at the same length :D.
I cut my own hair, but that may not work for everyone. The reason it works for me? My hair is very curly and very very thick. Those two attributes hide any number of mistakes, like gaps or uneven-ness*. If my hair were thinner or straighter, I’d hit the salon. But I started cutting it myself after I spent much time and money trying to find someone who could cut it right. I finally figured I could screw it up for free, versus paying good money getting yet another crappy cut.
*Even my mother-in-law, a retired hairstylist, can’t see my mistakes. She also says that I have the thickest hair she’s ever seen.
Don’t go to a barber’s once a month, go once every three months and trim the hairs at the back of your neck yourself every month.
You can afford $40 a year right?
Oops… Okay, that detail escaped me. It isn’t something that stands out in the mirror…
(I’m reminded of Linus, in “Peanuts,” polishing only the front part of his shoes. He cares what people think when he comes in to the room, not what they think when he leaves!)
I cut my hair all the time. Does your set of clippers have different length guides(1/2, 1/4, 3/4 inch etc)? This allows you to have an even trim. You kit should have flairing guides for the sides if your so inclined. Just go for it, hard to screw up. Once you get the feel for it, you can try to taper the back. This takes some practice seeing as you’re using a mirror.
Helpful hints
Use two mirrors. This allows you to see the back of your head.
Make sure to oil the blades, they can get hot and start to pull the hair instead of cut nicely.
What I do to clean up is, before cutting my hair I lay a trash bag on the bathroom counter and sink. I then proceed to cut the hair. It mostly falls into the trash bag which can be bundled into ball and thrown out. The only other hair is on the floor which is a quick sweep.
Yep I used to do it but just a trim; I can’t do a “hair cut” on my own (that pretty hard). Well actually there’s a superstitious belief about that, according to them when you cut your own hair, essentially you are dwindling the span of your life. So has anybody heard about that gibberish belief?
Both of my brothers always cut their hair until they died.
Decades ago I was getting fed up with the waiting, cheap Ranger Rick magazines and the money. The hair stylist mentioned that the owner preferred to hire people who had little experience so he could show them how to cut hair his way. His way involved no special equipment other than the electric clippers and a hand as the guide. I decided I could do the same and purchased my own clippers. I have never paid since. And every haircut is exactly as I want it. I could cut my hair in a dark room with no mirror. I will say this requires some coordination between the hand and clipper. If you are unable to touch the clipper to your hand without looking, that could be a problem. And my eldest brother had his daughter cut his hair presumably for that reason. I think I can do this forever. And I have a normal haircut too, not a buzz cut or anything close.
I’ve heard good things about the flowbee.It won’t save you money intially, but after a year or so it should pay for itself, plus you don’t have to ever go to the barber again. I’ve been cutting my own hair for years, but I’m a girl with long hair, so it’s a different beast.
I cut my own bangs and only go to the hairdresser a couple times a year…but I have thin, curly hair, which like said above, is very forgiving to mistakes.
I’ve been cutting my own hair for about a year now. I use scissors. Since it’s naturally wavy, then it’s not bad. Here’s a photo.
I also cut my kids’ hair as well as trim my wife’s bangs. I’m just starting to experiment with feathering her hair. I’m doing only very small amounts so that I don’t make big mistakes.
Every time I’ve tried to cut my own hair, it’s ended in tears and disaster. So I say you should totally go for it. And post pictures when you’re done!
This thread has inspired me to have a go at cutting my own fringe - I’m such a procrastinator that I’ve had to wear my fringe clipped up for the past few weeks rather than get myself organised and go to the hairdressers!
For decades I avoided the barber by wearing a pony tail and occasionally cutting off six inches. Then when that got tiring, I started shaving bald.
I cut my own hair. I have pretty thick hair, which I keep about an inch long. Number 4 clipper guide, back and forth, and I’m done. I do it naked in front of a full length mirror, standing on a wooden floor. Easy cleanup with a broom.
Yay, I am now the proud owner of a decent fringe! I followed the instructions here:
I cut my own hair. I do the top with scissors (using my fingers as a guide - I hold my hair through my fingers like a stylist does, but making it the shortest possible), and the back with a #5, and the sides with a #3. My wife was doing the neckline. I think I’ll do my own next time.
Just throw down an old shower curtain and put the chair on top, and cleaning up is simple.
I’m in the photo gallery - pic is about 5 years old, but haircut’s the same.
I cut my own with a set f Wahl clippers. 3/8" on the top and 1/4" on the sides and back. Wife evens off the back at the neckline. Do it about every 12 days or so.
I shave my head about once a month or so. I would never try if I wanted to do a cut but just shaving it, yes just do it. The worst case scenario is you cut it super short like me. I never went back after doing it…the savings on shampoo is worth it!