# help re: self-haircuts **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703 "2003-08-30T23:43:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/1 "2003-08-30T23:43:33Z")
Ahh! I can’t stand my moderatly shaggy (about 2 in.) hair any more, i’m home alone right now, and i can’t afford a real haircut… (that, and i figure i’m the only one who doesn’t see my hair…) this will be done with standard clippers (the kind that emit a loud VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/2 "2003-08-30T23:45:14Z")
And the general question is…? ---
**Author:** ![Olive\_The\_Other\_Reindeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Olive\_The\_Other\_Reindeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olive_The_Other_Reindeer)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/3 "2003-08-30T23:51:37Z")
Find someone with a Flowbee ™. There must be a lot of them around since I see so many people with hair that looks like it was sheared off with a vacuum cleaner attatchment. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/4 "2003-08-31T00:14:21Z")
question: How do i cut my hair by myself with nothing but the clippers? Olive, thanks, but i know of no one with a flowbee, which is weird… i live in arkansas, the home of bad haircuts… ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/5 "2003-08-31T00:29:50Z")
The easiest thing to do is just shave your head. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/6 "2003-08-31T00:36:19Z")
I agree with **Harborwolf** - it’s much easier to just buzz your hair down to nothing than to try to learn how not to screw up a better haircut. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/7 "2003-08-31T00:45:47Z")
i’ll attempt and post back. i’m goin’ in… ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/8 "2003-08-31T01:24:59Z")
hmm… not bad, but looking back, the 3/8" guard was a bit short… but hair grows… and I ave no clue what the back looks like… couldn’t find a 2nd mirror… ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/9 "2003-08-31T01:35:59Z")
I cut my own hair with scissors. The sides and top aren’t too hard, because you can see them easily in the mirror. The back can be tough though. You can either work out the ability to use two mirrors and controls your hands in a manner resembling normal, or just do it more by the “feel” method. For me, I have a heck of a time using two mirrors, because the movements are so counterintuitive, I think. So I just feel, using my fingers as a rough guide to how far down I should make each snip. I can always check my progress in a mirror, and so far know one can tell. (“I haven’t gotten my hair cut in a year.” “But it’s short!” “Yeah, I’ve been cutting it myself.” “Huh, doesn’t look like it.”) Plus, it helps that I don’t really care what my hair looks like anyway, so I can be kind of bold about cutting it. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/10 "2003-08-31T01:39:33Z")
I just did that the other day, and I had to have my daughter do repairwork on the back of my head. I could feel it wasn’t even but you really need to see it to get every last hair. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/11 "2003-08-31T02:32:26Z")
I’ve been cutting my own hair for years. Right now, it’s 4 or 5 inches long but I’ve had it much shorter. I use the feel method and use my fist or fingers as a guide as to how long I want it. People who don’t know I’ve done it myself always compliment me on my haircuts so I must be doing OK. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/12 "2003-08-31T03:58:14Z")
I use clippers to cut my own hair all the time. 1/2" on top, 3/8" on the sides. Easy. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/13 "2003-08-31T07:39:53Z")
I cut my hair myself with a trimmer, a no 2 every fortnight or so. It’s really easy. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/14 "2003-08-31T08:29:59Z")
Well, I’ve never cut my own hair, but back in July, I had my hair professionally cut. It was just over 8 inches, and I got it cut to about 3 inches. The back was still too long, and I didn’t like it. So, I took a pair of regular desk scissors, and two mirrors, and trimmed the back of my own hair. I did most of it blindly, and looked after I cut. I guess I did a good job, because most people said that they liked the back the best. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/15 "2003-09-01T05:38:47Z")
I’ve cut my bangs before and done a pretty good job…and once I cut **Mudshark** ’s hair, but that was more a half-ditched effort at flirting than actual…what is the word? Barbering? I’m not brave enough to try to cut anything on myself besides bangs, though. I say let it grow and just trim it where it needs it. Shaggy hair’s the best. ---
**Author:** ![BaldTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@BaldTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaldTaco)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-re-self-haircuts/198703/16 "2003-09-01T15:19:54Z")
I’ve been cutting my own hair for 4 years now. A few suggestions: - Keep the sides shorter than the top - Use a mirror for the back. It’s totally worth $10 for a cheap little mirror. You can’t really get the back to look right without a mirror or a friend. - Once you get skilled, you can even do a proper taper in the back. First, shave the line with no attachments. Then, take the shortest attachment and bring the line up a 1/2" or so. Repeat with each successive attachment, and you’ll have a reasonably decent taper. Looks a lot better than just a straight line, but it will take some practice. - Use scissors to clean up straglers when you’re done shaving, particularly around the ears. - Depending on what type of hair you have, you may want to do the front with scissors too. I find that buzzing right up to the front looks kind of goofy. I usually leave the front 1/2" a bit longer, so it looks fairly flat from the front. Also helps cover the slightly receeding hairline. - Oil your blade every few times you use it. If you run out of the oil that came with your razor, buy some sewing machine oil. Anyway, best of luck with the self-haircuts. I’ve saved about $600 since I started, and haven’t looked back (except with the mirror of course). 🙂