# Tips on Cutting My Own Hair **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025 "2008-10-01T17:22:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025/1 "2008-10-01T17:22:58Z")
My mother usually cuts my hair for me, but I cut my own last time, and it didn’t turn out too badly. My hair falls just past my shoulderblades, and I don’t do much with it, so a trim is all it ever needs. It’s wavy and very fine. I use scissors designed for the task, and do it with my hair wet, and parted in its standard manner. Any tips on the process? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025/2 "2008-10-01T18:29:42Z")
You definitely need a [Flowbee](http://www.flowbee.com/?gclid=CI_tjJfUhpYCFRCiQQodEj0NFg)! ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025/3 "2008-10-01T18:42:11Z")
I would say just don’t. You can get a trim for less than 10 bucks, can’t you? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025/4 "2008-10-01T20:04:57Z")
I would say don’t. I cut my son’s hair for several years, and I trimmed my daughter’s bangs when her age was in the single digits, and I did a good job. I’ve trimmed my own but just on the top–because there is almost no way a person can do a really good job on their own hair on the sides & back. Go to Hair Cuttery once a quarter. ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025/5 "2008-10-01T22:53:43Z")
You know, I appreciate the input, but I’m not really looking for advice on how _not_ to cut my hair. The nature of my question is not whether I should do it. I’ve done it before, and will continue doing so; I just want to do it more efficiently. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025/6 "2008-10-01T23:46:01Z")
is it a straight across thing? if so, after washing and conditioning your hair, gather it in a ponytail that is placed in the very exact middle of the back top of your head, and elastics until you have one that is about an inch from the ends of your hair. trim just a wee bit so that the point becomes a fat cosmetic brush looking thing. this will trim off about .25 of an inch. you trim while you bend at the waist (or hips) and have the ponytail in front of your eyes. this was the way i trimmed mine when i was going for the crystal gayle look. alternately you could get one of those very nifty “triming” combs. that gets the split ends very nicely. ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025/7 "2008-10-02T00:32:30Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > is it a straight across thing? > > if so, after washing and conditioning your hair, gather it in a ponytail that is placed in the very exact middle of the back top of your head, and elastics until you have one that is about an inch from the ends of your hair. trim just a wee bit so that the point becomes a fat cosmetic brush looking thing. this will trim off about .25 of an inch. you trim while you bend at the waist (or hips) and have the ponytail in front of your eyes. Ah, thanks! Perfection. It worked like a charm. If not for split ends, I’d never have to cut it. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025/8 "2008-10-02T00:46:21Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > I would say just don’t. You can get a trim for less than 10 bucks, can’t you? Ditto. I tried to give myself a trim once; had to have the most expensive haircut I’ve ever paid for just to correct it. Unless you want to go from long hair to buzz cut, of course- hard to go wrong there. ---
**Author:** ![Demonica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Demonica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demonica)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-on-cutting-my-own-hair/466025/9 "2008-10-02T04:12:54Z")
I’m a hairdresser. Lots of people give themselves small trims (bangs, usually) in between visits to the salon. My advice is to be careful and just do a little bit at a time…while making sure you have the correct shears in your hand. One of my customers likes to texturize her own bangs with thinning shears. She unknowingly had her _regular_ scissors in her hand and managed to hack the front of her hair off down to the scalp. Twice. There wasn’t much I could do to help hide that! :smack: One of my customers is a single dad (a contractor) with a young daughter. He brought her in to have her ends trimmed, but had already cut her bangs a week before. I was amazed how straight they were! His secret? Duct taping them to her forehead first. He’s a hoot.