I’m autistic, I’ve had one haircut since covid because I hate the sensory aspect of haircuts. I’ve been searching online of how to cut hair and it doesn’t look that hard, but a lot of people seem to advise against it. I think that if I fuck it up it’s not the end of the world, I can just go to a professional. But I have very long hair so I have a lot of opportunity for trial and error. I think that if I get some practice, it’s something I can continue to do going forward. I also don’t particularly care how it looks, I just want it to be shorter.
I was a barber and yes, if your hair is long, you can trim it without training, as long as it’s not very straight it doesn’t matter if it’s precise. Short hair and straight hair are less forgiving.
Basically you just want to make sure the two sides left and right are the same length and there are no “points” - no sharp length changes.
I’d just look for videos with people who have hair similar to yours, showing how they cut their own hair. You can do it!
I cut my own hair, I am bald.
I think that’s largely going to depend on what kind of hair cut you want. I do a semi layered cut. I bend forward, brush all my hair towards my forehead, put it in a pony tail, and cut it whenever I want.
I will note if you’re cutting it close to your forehead, maybe take some front pieces out or you’ll have really really short bangs. After I do all that I double check it in the mirror, make sure both sides are even, trim if they’re not, trim my bangs how I want them, and I’m good for another month or two.
Is it in style? Idk. I’m pushing 40, I don’t really give a shit anymore. But it sure beats the hell out of going to the salon.
I often buzz cut my own hair. It takes a long time as I need to go over it many times to get the straggler hairs. There are areas that I don’t dare try to straighten up. My side burns and back of my neck. Otherwise I simply use a #2 in the most of the year and a #3 in the winter.
I cut my own hair during lockdown. I did it outdoors, using regular scissors and a mirror. It came out not too bad, from the front anyway. Not sure what the back looked like - it felt ok. That’s shortish hair, I’m sure long hair would be easier.
Every time I tried I ended up with a buzzcut. Now I just give myself buzzcuts from the get-go.
This is the way.
I started to go bald in my early twenties and started shaving it. I haven’t been to a barber in decades now. Even if they came up with the perfect baldness cure, I wouldn’t take it.
I always strongly encourage everyone to try shaving their head bald at least once, just to feel how it is. There’s nothing like having your scalp finally not itchy at all. No hairs pulling in any direction. Chilly in a pleasant way. It’s amazing!
The only downside for me is that I’m already visibly ill, so I look just like a cancer patient lmao
Yes, shaving one’s own head with clippers on a short setting is not hard to learn and do well. It’s incredibly convenient although it does limit what you can do with your hair. But the time saved is so wonderful.
I have some small experience and it did not go well
Watch videos and practice on something that isn’t you if you can. It’s easy to goof up with long hair if you don’t use the right techniques. I have been clipper-cutting mine for over a decade now. Obviously that’s much simpler but it still took practice.
If you want a buzz cut (something you can do with clippers and a single length attachment), doing it yourself is really no problem at all. If you want something more complex, you probably want to see a professional.
Yeah, I’ve gotten 3 or 4 haircuts in the last 15 years that were from barbers. But I don’t care as much about what others think I guess. I cut the sides with a single length, then the top with scissors or buzz it to a longer length if I’m lazy. The only tough part is getting the back straight, which you learn tricks for. I’m so not bothered by it at this point it is the only time I use selfie mode on my phone. Turn away from the sink mirror, selfie mode on and trim it carefully. Blend the top with scissors if needed, but really it isn’t often needed for my hair.
Edit: that said, if your are worried and you have a spouse, friend, family member, cleaning the back up only takes 2 minutes of their time.
Last professional haircut when i was 15. Have been cutting my hair with a 30€ battery cutter from Amazon for years. Need a new one about every 10 years. Its awesome and you can even vary in length. ;)
just be careful with the attachments. They sometimes can be easy to change during use.
The one a friend used tended to change its length without much pressure. And suddenly he got a full lane of 2mm length cut
Yeah, I used to give myself buzz cuts. 1 length all around. Not too difficult.
Go for it. There’s tons of Youtube videos. The difference between a bad haircut, and a good haircut? 2 weeks.
I’m doing it since Covid. No ideas about long hair but for me it’s simple:
With a hair clipper 9mm on the sides and back
12mm on the top (with the natural hair direction, not against)
Now the lower back is the hardest and it will never be amazing but gets better over time. I bought a hand mirror and use it to find where to create the border. I hold my comb in a roughly 20 degrees angle over that line and cut everything below with 3mm. This way I can’t overshoot and the angle creates a decent transition. If I want to improve it, I start another line below for a 0mm cut.
I would personally like to make an even shorter cut but my hair is pretty thin in some areas and then it looks spotty. At some point I might go full Heisenberg but there is still time.
I use a Remington QuickCut for most of my head and a Phillips 7000 series for details, beard and down under.
The only time I went to a professional since covid was for my brothers wedding.
Damn, are you me? I haven’t bothered with fading out the back yet, but I also cut 12mm on top, 9mm for the rest.
Personally, I found that when I lean my head back, then there’s a pretty noticeable bend where my neck starts. And when my hair crosses that line, it looks bad. So, that’s where I create the border.
And I just basically grab the back of my skull and move my hand down until it meets that bend to the neck, then I cut along the index finger.
I feel like I’d probably create the fade above that, too, but your mileage may vary, of course.I’ve also been using my hand to create the border in the past, it’s an even simpler solution that creates good results. It also has the benefit that you can feel where you are, while the comb is a bit more technical.
I never thought I would continue this after Covid but I like working on improving my cut and it’s good enough now that I don’t feel I need someone else. Always found interactions with hair dressers a bit awkward so I’ll gladly leave this behind me.
With long hair, you have two particular easy opportunities:
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Just trim only the temples with a trimmer, and let the rest grow as it pleases. Or cut the ends to some length that makes sense. This way you can have a ponytail, or loose hair if that’s your style, and look okay.
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Or, get a ‘long mohawk’: have a barber buzz the sides so that you have the back and top in a straight wide stripe, then tie a ponytail and shave the sides with a trimmer once every week or two. This is more fit for dudes, though there are photos of gals in image search too. The benefit of this style is that it’s more chilly than a full head of hair, while also being low-maintenance.
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I do my hair once a month because I’m lazy and I don’t care about my hair. #3 all around (cold) or #2 for summer.
I know plenty of stylists that cut their own hair. It’s just like anything you start doing, you’ll probably suck at first but you’ll get better.
Been cutting my own hair for a decade. It wasn’t pretty at first, but I got better. Have done several different styles over the years, too. Now it is easy, quick, and looks good.
I’ve saved so much money and, more than that, time and stress. I can cut my hair first thing on a Sunday morning or late on a Monday night. No appointments, no idle chit chat, no leaving the house… just 20 minutes and a shower and I’m good for another 3000 miles.
