Best tutorials to teach you how to cut your hair at home

 

How to Cut Your Hair at Home, According to a Celeb Hairstylist

If you can't resist, here's how to do it right.

What you’ll need:

• Towel to collect hair
• Comb (wide-tooth for curly hair, fine-tooth for straight hair)
• Clips or scrunchies to section hair
• Fine-point scissors
• Fine-mist spray, like Biolage All-In-One Coconut Infusion Multi-Benefit Spra

How to Cut: Curly or Wavy Hair

The first rule of trimming hair with a lot of texture: Let it air dry completely in its natural state. “This will give you the truest form and you’ll be able to easily see the areas that need a trim,” says Brook. “If you cut curly or wavy hair when it’s wet it stretches much more. Once it dries, you may feel like you took off more than you wanted.”

1. For front layers, start with hair completely dry in a middle part.
2. Using your ears to hold the rest of your hair back, take small pieces of hair to create a guide for the rest of your hair.
3. Continue taking small, even sections around the face, and cutting hair at a slight downward angle, using your wide-tooth comb to help section and keep hair even. (See Brook use this technique in action in her IGTV tutorial here.)
4. Use clips and/or a scrunchie to keep longer hair out of your face, and continue checking that both sides are even.
5. For split ends, flip your ends so they face upwards, and point cut—a.k.a. the technique when your hairstylist cuts vertically into hair. (Be very careful with your fingers!)
6. Finish with a fine mist to revive curls.

How to Cut: Straight or Fine Hair

Be sure straight hair is blown out completely dry, “taking special care that the crown area is laying the way you would wear it,” says Brook.

1. Start with hair completely dry in a middle part.
2. Using your ears to hold the rest of your hair back, take small pieces of hair to create a guide for the rest of your hair.
3. Use a fine-tooth comb so you have maximum tension on the hair and get a clean line. If you prefer a blunt edge, cut the hair straight across on the lengths. For a softer finish, point cut using the tip of your scissors to vertically snip into the ends.
4. Use clips and/or a scrunchie to keep longer hair out of your face and continue checking that both sides are even.

How to Cut: Short Hairstyles

"These lengths are more challenging to trim on your own," warns Brook. "I would get a partner to help you trim since the angles of these styles are hard to reach on your own."

1. Let hair dry in the state you tend to wear it in.
2. Use the tip of your scissors to carefully trim the lengths or layers.
3. For a blunt edge on a bob, take small sections starting at the bottom and perimeter of your hair.
4. Continue going around hair, section by section. Remember a little goes a long way—you can always take more off later.

Oops. I Cut Too Much.

If the mistake isn't devastating, it's probably best to put the scissors down now and quit while you’re ahead—your hairstylist can fix it next time you can make it to the salon. When in doubt, go straight to the source. “Ask your hairstylist beforehand if they have any tips, or if they are open to doing a FaceTime coaching session,” says the celeb stylist. (Don’t forget to Venmo them for their time, if you’re able.)

Try to keep things in perspective if things do go south. “Remember, your hair is not a tattoo! It will grow out,” reminds Brook. “Have a glass of wine and a laugh, and watch some ‘how to’ videos on ways to style your hair until it grows out.”

Step 1: What You Need + Tips:

• a scrunchie
• a pair of scissors for hair
• a brush
• a handheld mirror

Make sure the scrunchie is made from a slick fabric, something that grabs the hair will make this tricky. Also make sure you're using the right scissors - scissors that you'd use for cutting random things around the house are not ideal. You can get some nice hair scissors for $10-15 at any drugstore.

I like to cut my hair right after I've washed it and it's totally dry. You want your hair to be dry and free of tangles when you cut it. :)

It's also a good idea (especially the first time you do this) to employ a hand held mirror and large wall mirror so that you can see how what you're doing in the back. :D

Step 2: Part Your Hair and Make a Low Ponytail

Part your hair as you normally would. (I've included a photo to show you what the top of my head looks like during this bit!) It's important to part your hair as you normally would - if you brush it all back, it won't fall as it normally does. After you cut and remove the scrunchie, it will be the farthest thing from straight when it's parted again. If you don't normally part your hair, you might want to play around with using a middle part - I think that may be the safest.

Then use the scrunchie to tie your hair into a low ponytail - right at the top of your neck. Make sure this is in the middle of your head!

Use your hand mirror to check it. :)

Step 3: Pull the Scrunchie Down Your Hair

Gently pull the scrunchie down the length of your hair, being careful to not pull it to one side. This can take a fair bit of practice. Keep checking with the hand mirror as you go!

If your hair is especially long, you might want to pull from the bottom as shown in the second photo. This method is a little trickier, and I don't do it often, but it's doable.

Leave 3-4 inches of hair below the scrunchie.

Step 4: Bring the Scrunchie Around the Front and Cut

Hold the scrunchie and the hair below the scrunchie firmly and gently bring it around to the front.

If you sense that it's shifted, you might want to give it another go. The hair that you'll be cutting should look fairly straight across - though not perfect because hair is always growing at different speeds!

A good rule of thumb here is to cut very little at a time. 1/2 inch tops! That way you can check it in the mirror to make sure you've done it right before you proceed. :D

Hold the ends of your hair firmly between two fingers and cut straight across.

How to cut your own hair during lockdown - top tips from Burnley FC hairdresser

One of Lancashire's best stylists has given LancsLive his ultimate home hairdressing tips.

We've now entered a second national lockdown, and, with hairdressers and barbers across the country closed, may of us may be tempted to give ourselves a bit of a trim.

During the first lockdown in March, social media was flooded with people giving themselves a DIY cut, with very mixed results. We've had the dodgy fades, the wonky fringes, the crazy dye jobs and the guys who have just decided to shave it all off.

If you haven't made an attempt on your hair yet then we've got professional tips.

Simon Townley has been cutting hair for Burnley FC players for the past decade.

The likes of James Tarkowski, Nick Pope and Matt Lowton are amongst his regulars but he has previously contributed to making Danny Ings and Tom Heaton look on point.

He even joined the England camp at the last two world cups and has given Manchester United defender, Phil Jones, a trim.

Heres what he had to say about cutting your own hair.

The equipment

We thought we would start with equipment, what you're going to need to get the job done.

Simon says you'll need scissors, clippers and a comb, the wider the comb, the better.

"A wider comb gives you more room for error," Simon told Lancslive.

"I've talked a friend through a DIY cut and he had a wider comb, he found it a lot easier."

But clippers are the key part of the DIY haircut, Simon has some tips on getting the best ones.

He said: "You can pick up professional-esque clippers from Amazon for a nominal fee these days.

"£30-£40 is enough to get a good one, you wouldn't see a difference in quality between them and more expensive ones, the difference would just be in how long they last."

Keeping it even

When it comes to women's hair and long hair, we really just want things to be even - no elaborate styles or having a pixie cut.

Simon has the perfect tips for making sure you don't end up with a wonky barnet.

"If you've got long hair you should start by pulling it all over your left shoulder," said Simon.

"Gather it to the same point and then cut and add. Then cut it straight along. Move it all over to the right shoulder and do the same.

"You will end up with a nice curve at the back and at the front and it will be straight. Best of all, your hair will be even."

Fringes

"We've all seen the YouTube video of the girl cutting her fringe and then crying," Simon laughs. "We don't want that."

We certainly don't, and Simon has some pretty simple tips when it comes to the fringe.

Simon said: "Use the bridge of your nose as your reference, not your eyebrows because your fringe will spring back up.

"Use the bridge of your nose for a full fringe and the tip of your nose for a longer fringe."

Styles

Now that we are in lockdown, Simon says it is time for us all to experiment and try out new hairstyles.

If you're a man, it's time to experiment with long hair, or maybe you could go for a slicked back look, or to try out a parting.

For women, or people with longer hair, change the position of your parting or go for a sweeping fringe.

"It's time to try news things, not many people are going to see you at the moment, so you can experiment," said Simon.

Fades

"Fades are the hardest thing to do," admits the 32-year-old.

"Some barbers don't get it right, we saw a lot of bad fades walking around even before lockdown."

If you're going to get it right you're going to have to make some concessions and put in the time.

Simon said: "Have it longer than you would usually because it will still look better than it does now and there is less margin for error.

"If you usually have a skin fade go for a one. It's all in the details, if you can get the sideburns and fluffy bits right it will look a lot better.

"The other thing is it will take a long time, don't just expect it to be done in 10 or 15 minutes. Barbers take 30 to 40 minutes so you should take closer to two hours.

"Just keep going, keep a structure and keep returning to it, don't cut to a point and stop, keep maintaining a rhythm."

Simon also has some key points of reference when it comes to the positioning of your fade. You don't want to end up with it halfway up your head.

"Use reference points," explains Simon.

"Your temple should be the reference point for the shortest part of your fade at the front. At the back use your Occipital Bone, that's the sticky out part of the back of your head, as the reference for the shortest part."

Dye jobs

A lot of people seem to be dying their hair during lockdown, perhaps due to boredom, or because they can get away with bright pink hair when they don't have to serve customers all day.

Being a stylist, Simon has had his fair share of experiences and has some key tips for people who want to get it right.

"Your roots should be a darker shade than your tips," said Simon.

"On the box of dye will be a range from one to 10 with 10 being the lightest shade. Find your shade and go one shade darker on your roots.

"That will stop the roots looking a different colour to the rest of it. Do the tips in a natural or neutral tone.

"For the last 10 minutes of your dye, wet your hair and then emulsify, that will stop banding or marks showing up."

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Cardinal sins of home hairdressing

"The biggest mistake people make is not keeping a rhythm," said Simon.

"It's important not to stop and show marks. It's all about flow and returning to the same point again and again."

Have you tried cutting your hair or changing up your style during the pandemic? Let us know in the comments below.

How to cut men’s and women’s hair at home in easy step-by-step guides

How to cut your hair in four easy steps

STEP ONE 'SECTION': On dry straight hair, comb and section into a centre parting. Continue this parting all the way down past the crown and down to the nape of the neck. Then split the hair into quarters and clip up the hair in front of the ears, out of the way.

At the back of the hair, either side of your parting, draw a line horizontally leaving you with an inch section thick and clip the remaining hair up and leave down your inch section. This will be the hair you are going to cut.

STEP TWO 'COMB': Taking the hair from your inch section, comb it all so it's knot free then take an area in the centre. Once again comb the area so it falls naturally straight down. Use your comb as a ruler and take off the desired amount.

STEP THREE 'CUT': Start to include more hair from your clipped up section and repeat the process taking one inch slices and combing the hair straight down. The hair you cut previously will act as a guide. Once it feels even continue to the sides.

STEP FOUR 'REPEAT': Taking an inch thick slice sectioning from your original parting above the ear towards the face and clipping up as you go. Use the hair you see at the back as a guide. Repeat this until no more sections left.

How to cut men's hair using clippers

STEP 1: For the back of the head, put a grade-two blade on your clippers for a standard cut, or longer or shorter as desired.

If unsure, and to save a row, start longer.

Begin at the nape of the neck, moving the clippers up and down to a point level with their eyebrows.

If new to this, you could use a ruler.

Use clippers in the opposite direction to the hair growth, so no long bits are left.

Ease away at the ruler line so hair blends.

STEP 2: Move to the left and repeat on the side of head.

Using the ruler in line with the eyebrows, move the clipper up and down.

Move to the right side and repeat.

STEP 3: For the top of the head, change the clipper to grade five for a shorter cut or grade eight for longer.

Run the clippers from front to back, working across the top of the head.

Work in the opposite direction to the hair’s growth.

STEP 4: Tidy up with a grade three on the clippers, blending the shorter back and sides with the longer top, moving the clippers up and outward.

Take the grade off and run it on the neck to tidy stray hairs down to the hairline, then do the same with the ears.

Pull the ears out . . . but be gentle!

HOW TO FADE HAIR WITH CLIPPERS

1. Decide the fade height.
2. For a high one start by creating a zero line at your temple.
3. Or for a low fade create a zero line just above your sideburns.
4. Start from the bottom of the hairline and work up, cutting against the grain with a 0.
5. Then create another line with a 0.5 just above the 0 line.
6. Adjust the 0 guard by pulling the lever down so it is in between a 0 and a 0.5 so you have 0.25.
7. Use this to blend the 0 out into the 0.5.
8. Create another line with a 1 guard just above the 0.5. Use a 0.5 to blend into the 1.
9. use either a 2 guard or a 3 guard to blend this out into the rest of your hair.
10. Then adjust a 1 guard by pulling the lever down to make it a 1.5 guard — use this to blend the 1 into the 2 or 3.

AND IF YOU'RE WORKING ALONE.

You can achieve the same results if you don't have someone to help you out.

Use a mirror and follow the steps above, with experts warning have-a-go barbers to go slowly when attempting the back of their hair.

Experts at Braun advise: "It takes time to learn how to cut the back of your own hair so be sure to go slow.

"To make sure you're cutting evenly, hold a mirror behind you so you can check your progress as you cut. Use the same guard length on the back and sides of your hair unless your hairstyle calls for something different."

How to cut your fringe at home

STEP 1: Wash and towel-dry the hair. Then get a comb and scissors and let your wife, partner or daughter brush their fringe to where it would normally sit, downward towards the eyes. This should be a triangular section. It is important not to bring too much hair forward from the back or it will be too thick. Then, put the rest of the hair in a ponytail.

STEP 2: Take an inch-wide section of fringe and comb it taut – bringing your fingers down their hair, keeping it tight to the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows. A bit of hair will be left hanging below your fingers.

STEP 3: For the next step make sure you cut just below your fingers, so the hair will have room to bounce back slightly when dried and you will not have cut the fringe too short. If you are not sure, leave it slightly longer and you can always come back to the job. Less is always more if you are not sure.

STEP 4: Repeat the previous steps – moving to the right and left of the fringe section, cutting with scissors held sideways, working all the way left then all the way right. Make sure you are only cutting a bit at a time. If you are ready to advance your skills, as you gain experience, face the scissors vertically to the fingers and chip-cut – this will give the haircut a softer finish.

SHOULD YOU CUT YOUR HAIR WET OR DRY?

According to Blush and Blow London hair stylist Ana Gomes, it is best to cut your hair when it is wet.

She said you should put your hair in a centre parting from your hairline to the nape of your neck.

Ana advised: "Comb all the hair forward so it sits above the chest, tightly flatten the hair between your middle and index finger stop at your desired length and cut in a straight line.”

She continued that you should apply the same method to the other side to achieve a one-length haircut.

What to consider if you have curly hair?

Like anything in life, this guide it's not one size fits all and Salon64 owner Ricky warned those with curly hair should tackle their trim differently to those with straight locks.

The salon owner told Fabulous: "Curly hair when wet is massively different to once it is dry.

"If you have curly hair your hair will ping up and look far shorter once dried into its usual curl. This means you can go from Brian May to Lionel Richie in seconds!"

He suggested those with curly-hair should refrain from trimming their locks after the hair has been tied up in a tight bun, which stretches the curls.

Before pulling the trigger on your scissors, lift the curl up to the position you would like it to sit and check in the mirror if this looks good.

Instead tackle your curls when dry, and "think about the shape you want to create".

He said: "Before pulling the trigger on your scissors, lift the curl up to the position you would like it to sit and check in the mirror if this looks good. Perhaps even go a little longer as a safety net."

He added that "curly hair is very badly behaved even at the best of times and loves to play tricks on you" so refrain from getting too scissor happy.

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The hairstylist, who tends to Laura Whitmore's mane, added: "For those with very curly hair don’t use a comb. Curly hair should be cut as visual as possible.

"Very similar to trimming a hedge, just shape where needed by picking up curls in your hands and taking a little off the length.

"Try to point your scissors down so you cut at an angle and not straight across as this can leave heavy lines."

What to consider if you have wavy hair?

Echoing Ricky's advice, Kerry Mather, owner of KJM Salons in Fleet, Hampshire, explained that those with wavy hair should "style it as you would normally wear it" before cutting.

She told Fabulous: "Then with the sharpest and smallest scissors you own (and never a razor) gently nibble at the ends of your hair. Take the tiniest amount off – remember this is just a tidy up to get you through this period of lockdown until salons re-open.

She added: "It will be a challenge, so don’t be too ambitious and attempt to replicate what your hairdresser does."

But if you're adamant about trimming it, she suggested positioning "as many mirrors around you as possible and never cut anything you can’t see".

Best tutorials to teach you how to cut your hair at home

Source: Joseph Keller/iMore

Here's the situation: you're stuck at home, and it's been weeks since your last haircut. You're starting to look a little raggedy, so you decide its time to take the drastic step of cutting your own hair.

But just how do you do it? How do you cut your own hair so it doesn't look like you got into a fight with a pair of hedge clippers?

Truth be told, I don't know. But there are plenty of tutorials online willing to help you master the home haircut if that's something you need to do.

Alex Kouras

This tutorial from Alex Kouras teaches you the essentials of keeping your hair trimmed in a medium-close style.

Tips for Clips

Tips for Clips has this quick tutorial, and I really appreciate that the video just jumps right into the steps, not really spending any time on an introduction.

Fashionistas

Fashionistas is filled with nothing but expert-level haircuts and styles, many of which you can give yourself at home. If you just need a bang trim, you have to check out their fringe bang DIY.

Brad Mondo

For people with longer hair, Brad Mondo's tutorial showcases how you can maintain its look at home, though he does recommend going to see a stylist once you're able to do so.

Sharee Anonuevo

This video from Sharee Anonuevo is less about styling, and more about maintenance for people with longer hair, and is a fairly quick walkthrough.

Shop Style Conquer

Tara of Shop Style Conquer takes you through how she cuts her own hair. Great if you're looking for a style somewhere around chin-length.

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