How To Cut Hair At Home – Ditch The Salon!
How to cut women’s hair at home? Of course, we know and understand that it is not ideal for anyone to cut their hair at home. However, the honest fact of the matter is desperate times call for desperate measures. So, if the shutdowns now and then and the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic has lingered on you, it is time you take matters into your own hands and learn to cut your own hair.
To help you understand the best way to cut your own hair, our team reached out to the renowned hairdressers in the country and asked them the big question – how to cut hair at home and the ideal way to avoid some haircutting mistakes at home.
In This Article:
- Basic Steps for Cutting Hair At Home
- How To Cut Long Hair At Home?
- How To Cut Your Own Hair Short At Home?
- How To Cut Mid-Length Hair?
- Hacks To Cut Your Own Hair (Some Do’s and Don’ts)
- Frequently Asked Questions
The first unanimous reply we got from them was – Do not do it! If you can wait, you must. On our repeated pestering, they did help us with some tips on how to trim your own hair. This guide will teach you everything you need to know on how to cut your own hair at home. Let us get started and address these tips one by one.
Best Way To Cut Your Own Hair Without Messing It Up
1. Gather all the supplies
Are you planning to learn how to cut hair at home? First, gather every resource that you may need during the haircut. So, fetch everything from the scissors to sectioning clips, a fine-toothed comb to section your hair, and a brush to sweep more significant sections. significant sections.
In addition, you should have two mirrors, one that helps you look in the front and the other that gives you a back view. There must also be a spray water bottle to dampen the hair as required and a cape to ensure that the hair does not land up in your clothes.
2. Wet vs. Dry
How to cut your own hair dry or wet? Of course, when you go to a professional salon, the hairdresser wets your hair before cutting, and you might find it a good idea to replicate the same, but should you be doing that?
The hairdressers are trained to work on wet hair, but are you? So, how to cut women’s hair at home? You must start with dry hair, but ensure that your hair is clean, straight, and blow-dried.
Further, you must keep your hair just as you usually keep it to understand how the final outcome will look. Bottom line, regardless of whether you cut your hair wet or dry, you must always shampoo and condition it before digging in. When your hair is dirty or oily, it will stick together and result in an uneven finish.
3. Section your hair
The best way to cut your own hair is by sectioning the hair like you usually do. So, divide the hair into a parting from the center, and split the hair into two. Then, you can use your fingers and a comb to properly section the hair and secure it with a sectioning clip. The comb must be in the horizontal line when you go through it.
4. Keep the comb and fingers level, and start with the scissors.
Using the point technique, you can start trimming the hair. This will help you cut into the hair, not across it, ensuring that the line is well-textured and forgiving. Then, those confident with the scissors can trim across to achieve a solid, blunt look. However, you only have to cut the ends, not just anywhere.
5. Repeat the same on the other side
If you have understood our above-listed steps on how to trim your own hair, you can proceed further. So, now to ensure that the cut is even, you must sit level. Now, run your hands from top to bottom on both sides of the head.
While doing so, your hands must be parallel, and hair in-between the fingers. To figure out the best way to cut your own hair, you must ensure that both your hands reach the base simultaneously.
If yes, you have achieved the perfect balanced cut. If not, you need to address the more extended side now and try to meet up.
So, this is a general guide on how to cut women’s hair at home. Hopefully, you have learned how to trim your own hair with our guide above.
How To Cut Long Hair At Home?
How to cut hair at home if it is long? Follow the steps below:
- Ensure that your hair is straight, clean, dry, and ideally even.
- Place yourself in front of a mirror, and sit straight.
- Section your hair into two while dividing from the center, and comb all the tangles.
- Depending on the hair’s thickness, you may need some clips to divide the hair into appropriate sections.
- Typically, you can consider the hair in three horizontal sections, and you will proceed with the bottom section first. So, use the comb, and sub-divide the first section into two halves to achieve a straight line. Twist, and clip the balance back on the top of the head. Spray some water on the leftover section.
- Now, decide the length you want to cut and make the first cut right in the middle. Then repeat the action around both sides.
- After the first section is dealt with, compare both sides and ensure that the two are of the same length.
- Now, bring down another section of the hair, divide the remnant hair into half, leave one part down, and clip the rest on top.
- Damp the section at the bottom, and against start with cutting the middle. Your first clipper section will work as the guide again. You can use it to cut the length around the remaining sections.
How To Cut Your Own Hair At Home – Short Length?
Have short hair, and wish to trim it at home? Below is the guide that can help.
- Comb and untangle your hair, and then divide it into three sections. There should be a right section, a left section, and a back section for an even cut. Let the back section be left down so you can start with it, and secure the left and right section on the top with section clips.
- Decide the length you wish to chop off. It majorly depends on your hair’s current length. If you desire a smart bob, you can cut the hair at the nape of the neck. Alternatively, trim some ends if you want a neat short hairstyle.
- Go horizontally, but keep it about 1/2 -inch longer than your desired length. This can prove helpful towards the end when you are making the final touches. Of course, if it is the first cut, some major flaws here and there can be overlooked. Once the back section is tackled, check the mirror to ensure that the cuts are straight.
- Now, to even the cut, make vertical snips at the ends.
- Now, repeat the same on the right and left sections to match the back length. If the hair is thin, you can do it all in one go. On the contrary, if the hair is thick, you should divide it into multiple sections before cutting.
How To Cut Hair at Home If It’s Mid-Length?
Want to learn how to trim your own hair mid-length? Follow the guide below.
- Start with a clean and neat ½-inch wide section of the hair, and hold a firm grip over this section. To ensure that your grip is tight, wrap this section under the index finger, over the middle finger, and back underneath the ring finger. It also gives you a better view of all the splint ends in your hair and prevents you from chopping the length.
- Pick a small, sharp scissor to achieve a fluid and precise cut.
- Run the fingers down the hair while ensuring that the hair is perfectly sandwiched, as explained in (1), and start trimming the split ends which show.
- Repeat till you finally get the desired outcome.
Do’s & Don’ts To Consider Even If You Know How To Cut Your Own Hair
1. Invest in new scissors
– No, you cannot use your kitchen scissors for a haircut. You need to invest in a fresh pair of scissors, exclusively meant for your hair. Why? The regular kitchen scissors can give you further split ends.
More so, it can also result in cross-contamination. You should pick one razor-sharp styling scissors, which will be used exquisitely for the hair. This can help you achieve a phenomenal cut.
2. Stay still and keep your head level
– To ensure that you do not end up with an uneven cut, you must sit or stand still, and keep your head level. If you prefer sitting, do not cross your legs, and be still. The movements you make during a haircut might prevent you from achieving the desired cut.
3. Cut less than your desired length
– You can cut further, but you cannot undo what’s already done. Please bear in mind when your hair is wet, it looks longer. So, once they dry after the cut, it will look even shorter. So, be cautious.
4. Go ahead with the natural texture
– If you have curly or waxy hair, you can start the cut with the dry texture only. This will give you better clarity on what the final look will be. On the other hand, people with straight hair should cut when the hair is damp.
5. Buy a spray bottle
– A spray bottle will help you adequately wet your hair and achieve clean and sharp lines.
6. Cut your hair dry
– Of course, the professionals wet your hair to give you a neat cut, but when you DIY, you must always commence on freshly-washed hair. When you cut the dry hair, you can simultaneously see what the outcome will be like.
7. Cut vertically
– When you intend to thin or trim your hair, never go horizontally. You must always go vertically as it helps you achieve a more blended and diffused cut instead of a thick blunt cut.
8. Never pull the hair to the front
– You have a better view of your hair when it is turned to the front, but that does hamper the actual length of your hair. If you use this length to cut your hair, it might result in an uneven cut. So, before you start cutting your hair, you need to ensure that everything is laid flat.
9. Section your hair before starting
– Of course, you have seen many ‘how to trim your own hair’ YouTube videos and tutorials, but you are still an amateur at it. So, you have to start slow. Section your hair to avoid any major faux pas. To section, you can use hair ties or sectioning clips.
10. Never cut your hair oily
– Lastly, if you know know anything about how to trim your own hair, you’d know that it is always advised to cut it when it is freshly washed and clean. So, if there is oil in your hair, you must avoid cutting.
Expert Q&A
Ques 1. How to cut your own bangs?
Ans. When cutting bangs at home, you must always use a fine-toothed comb and lay it flat on your hairs to get a proper idea of the length. Once flat, you can run the comb through the fringe till you reach just an inch above where you ought to snip. This should work as your guide, over pulling the hair with your hands.
The problem with using fingers is that it results in space between the bangs, and when you go cutting, the hair will bounce right up, making your cut more than you should. Also, it would be best if you always went vertically.
Further, you would wish to ensure that the bangs properly frame your face. So, it would help if you went slow and slowly proceeded through the hair. Pay closer attention to the temples, and do not trim the fringe part just above the eyebrows. Give the finishing touch using a flat iron.
Ques 2. Is it a bad idea to cut your own hair?
Ans. In all honesty, if you are not confident enough, it can be a bad idea to cut your own hair even if you have read 100s of guides on how to cut women’s hair at home. This may be more than just a style risk as, at times, cutting your own hair can also damage it.
Ques 3. How to cut layers in medium length hair yourself?
Learn how to cut hair at home in layers with these simple steps:
- Stand or sit in a well-lit room with a mirror. Now, start by combing through the hair and getting rid of any tangles in the hair.
- Commence by scooping a giant section on the top of the hair. Next, take the front end of the section while holding the hair at a 90-degree right angle.
- Now, pull your hair tout, and start cutting. The length you cut depends on what is preferable for you.
- Now, cut a tiny inch-long section from the top portion, and go all the way to the back. You can use the first section as the guide.
- After you complete the top section, divide it into two halves, and check. Make adjustments if needed.
- Now, divide the front hair sections, and begin with the right side. Take an inch-long hairpiece, and start combing upwards to a 90-degree. Again, trim it to match the already cut layer.
- If you wish your hair to be concentrated at the front, you can end the cut hair. However, if you need further layers, you need to divide the back section again into two halves and start cutting layers as above.
- Now, examine your hair, and make modifications if needed.
Ques 4. Is it better to cut women’s hair wet or dry?
Ans. Typically, in a salon, hairdressers wet your hair before cutting. However, when you are giving yourself a cut, we recommend dry cutting with minor damping to detangle the hair if and when required.
In addition, dry hair will provide you with a neat idea of how your hair will finally look (the final length) after the cut. So, you will only cut the length as desired. The same is not the case with wet hair, as hair, when wet, look longer.
Ques 5. Is it better to cut curly hair wet or dry?
Ans. Typically, the curls cut better when they are dry. So, let them stay dry as you cut them at home.
Ques 6. How to fade hair with clippers?
Ans. Take the hair clipper and analyze your hair before starting the cut. The correct way how to cut your own hair using a clipper is:
- Firstly, decide where you would want the fade line to start.
- Do you want a long fade or a short fade? You can accordingly pick the guard size for the same.
- Move the clippers to the sides and then to the back. It would be best if you always started at the bottom and then travel all the way up. However, start with short strokes.
- Now, go gradually, and blend the hair by changing the guards. Always remember the final look should appear seamless and natural.
- Travel up, but stop around the temples.
- Next, Blend the fade into the hair on top with the help of a comb.
- Finally, clean the neckline and hairline using trimmers.
Now that you know how to cut your own hair at home, we hope that you’d be able to save up on your salon visits by a lot.