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How To Cut Your Own Hair Quickly & Easily

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Blonde woman with hair between her top lip and nose

Cutting your own hair doesn't have to be hard

There often comes a time in our lives when choosing to cut our hair at home feels like the right decision. It could be that you’re on vacation and need a quick trim, you’re trying to save as much money as possible, or you’re just feeling sick and don’t want to leave the house that weekend! While there’s really no substitute for a professionally trained hairdresser, learning how to cut hair yourself is easy enough when you know some good tips! Find out more here.

Wild bangs, split ends, and shapeless layers all starting to drive you crazy and you just want to fix up your hairstyle yourself? Looks like it’s the moment to discover how to cut your hair at home. Luckily, it’s not as hard as you think and with the right knowledge, products, and a good comb and pair of scissors, you’ll have a great hairstyle in no time. Young or old, man or woman, wavy, straight, or curly locks, you can cut your own hair and be impressed with the results! 

Try some reparative treatments before hairdressing at home

It might be the situation that your hair simply needs some TLC and a cut isn’t necessary just yet. Certain products like hair serum are able to repair and avert damaged ends, and hair masks provide helpful nutrients that leave your locks looking better than before – maybe you don’t have to cut hair at home after making it healthier! Taking a break from heat styling and blow dryers is also recommended if you simply want to improve your hair condition overall.

How to cut hair yourself the right way

A comb, lock of hair, scissors, a hair clip and hair ties

Make sure you have the right tools before you begin

So, if your hair appears healthy but just desperately needs a trim, then let’s start with the basics.

Get the right tools

An old pair of kitchen scissors won’t do at all if you want to cut your own hair effectively! These are often not sharp enough, too unwieldy, and often create crooked lines that are much harder to repair in the future. You’ll need to pick up high-quality shears that are made for professional stylists, as these have very defined, sharp blades that give you cleaner lines if you’re to cut your hair at home. It’s possible to buy a hairdresser set online or in department stores, with the right scissors, razors, and accessories you’ll need to finish the job correctly.

Begin with freshly washed, dry, and unstyled hair

You’ll likely be familiar with stylists who wet or wash your hair in order to achieve precise lines before cutting, but if you’re to learn how to cut your own hair, then many hair experts recommend not copying the same procedure. This is because hairstylists are trained to cut hair like this and know what it will appear like when dry, but for amateurs at home, it’s often suggested to simply cut dry hair that looks and feels like it does on any other normal day. Your hair should still be clean and without any styling product.

Begin with tiny, minimal cuts

Unless you’re feeling really adventurous, it’s usually better to stick to your usual style when you cut your own hair. This will lessen the chance of a large hair catastrophe that you’ll have to get fixed by a professional in the end anyway! It’s never a good idea to cut directly to the desired length, but to cut smaller sections and work upward. Stylists always say that you can keep trimming more, but you can’t take it back after the cut! Pull an inch or two of hair between your fingers and start at the front before moving to the sides and back. Hairdressing at home isn’t complete without alligator jaw clips, as these help to securely pin sections away from your scissors when cutting.

Stay focused on your hair direction and scissor placement

When it comes time for cutting your own hair, it’s best to pull the hair upward through your fingers to ensure that you’re actually trimming the strands evenly overall. A good tip is cut the hair vertically that’s poking through your fingers, rather than horizontally, as this gives a better finish and is less blunt.

Be especially cautious when cutting bangs

It’s fair to say that cutting existing bangs is a lot easier than switching to bangs when you’ve never had them if you’re going to cut hair at home. Hairstyles with bangs are complicated at the best of time, but take it easy and use a comb as a guideline when cutting them yourself. Use the vertical cutting technique and keep the cuts minimal.

Try something really different

After learning how to cut your own hair, you could also consider something else like learning how to dye your hair. There are so many really vibrant and interesting colors available these days, so try something new like Schwarzkopf’s Color Ultime Vibrant Red, perhaps even Color Ultime Rich Brown, or Color Ultime Espresso Black to change up your hairstyle at home!

How to cut your own hair for men

Although shaved hair isn’t that uncommon on women nowadays, it’s still a hairstyle mostly favored by men. With good hair clippers, shaving and cutting your own hair is a lot simpler if you choose the men’s buzz cut! In fact, men with this style rarely choose to go to a hairdresser. A short and spiky hairstyle is a good choice if you want to go the DIY route for a haircut, as you could opt for the same length all around. You could also choose to grow your hair and simply trim the ends and the back now and then, as there are many fantastic long hairstyles for men that are trendy and low-maintenance.

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