Cut Your Own Hair and Hair Clipping Uses

My mother always cut our own hair and had a girlfriend cut hers. I didn't get a haircut at a Salon until I went to college and I regretted it. Went back to my mother. Did my mother have hair cutting talent/know-how? No, but long hair is pretty forgiving. Girl's hair is pretty easy as long as you maintain a shoulder length or longer style.

If you like something in particular all the time, have someone go in to the salon with you who is observant and would cut your hair for you and have them pay attention to what the person does. The few times I have gone in, I asked all the time what they were doing, like "Are you cutting that at an angle or straight? Now I can go in and tell them what I want with directions instead of vague description. Go to a beauty school and you will overhear much instruction on how to cut hair. Beauty schools, by the way, have been the only times I have paid to get my hair cut and came away happy.


However, my last one I actually got a rude pompous teen who would have rather dyed her hair than cut mine as she said at least a dozen times. However I was in a good mood thinking that she needs someone to practice on and since my hair grows fast, I grin and bore it, but I should have just asked for someone else to do it, which is perfectly fine at a beauty school, they aren't getting the money, the school is. I have never been happy with a professional. I think it is because the professional decides what should be done with my hair and the students want to do whatever I want. I am sure there are hairdressers out there who will cry foul, but I have tried a professional 5 times and every time it was not what I wanted. I have done the student schools more than 10 times and only this last time was bad, which I should have known when the first thing out of her mouth in a whiny voice was, "I don't like cutting it that way, cuz I'll cut myself." Anywho, vent over.

Now boys, much easier. Buy a Wahl or a very good electric shears set. We got ours for about $80. For my hubby who used to cut his hair every two to four weeks that is a savings of $80-$180/ year after the first year which will pay for the shears unless there is more than one person which would multiply the savings. My husband has been cutting his own hair for more than 10 years. They generally come with DVD instructions. Here's our Wahl. Pick whatever combs you want for the length you want. I like his hair longer, so this is the largest comb in the set.

Here is my hubby, I thought I would blur out his face to protect the innocent, but he isn't that innocent. Since I like his hair long, his thrifty Christmas present to me was to let it grow long which bothers him. However, I have been hinting for the last month for him to cut it, but he was growing it long for me. Evidently, I was to be thrilled with mangy! :)

First you wet your hair, this keeps the shears from catching and the mess is easier to clean up. Comb your hair how you normally would.

Then with the comb chosen, run the shears all along the top. When your hair has gotten too mangy that the shears won't cut it, stop and whack at it with scissors in a haphazard manner and go at it again. Go front and back, side to side, every way imaginable.

Now, choose a smaller size shear and cut the side straight up. Do not curve around the top of your head, just start at the bottom and cut straight up and off your head in a straight vertical line.

Pull your ear down to get behind.

Now take a smaller sized comb and you are going to cut from the bottom to the skull line before rocking it off the head to discontinue cutting. He does this by feel, feeling where his skull stops.

Then take yet again a smaller one and cut to taper from the bottom to about below the ear, he does this by feel too.

Then to cut the sideburns, comb it straight down and use the comb as a level, take shears without comb attachments to edge of hair comb and shave off.

Put on the ear phase comb that conveniently tapers it around the ear. Pull down the ear and shear around.

Now that the majority is done, go over with the same size combs in those areas again to pick up scraggilies.

Now clean up your fuzzy self. Always be ready to take a shower afterwards to get all that irritating hair off of you.

Save hair clippings and throw in the yard for the birds or compost or garden. Also I have heard to make pin cushions with it for the oils in the hair keep the pins from rusting. Evidently making mats from hair is a good way to soak up oil. Hmm, how to make that? Or check out these zany recycle your hair projects.