We’ve had to accept the fact that barbers aren’t always going to be available. This has required us to adapt and, in some cases, learn how to cut men’s hair at home.
It may appear complicated, but it isn’t; you just need to follow a few simple steps and be patient. With enough perseverance, you’ll discover that you can do almost anything with your hair!
That’s what I’ll be discussing today: how to cut your hair at home in 7 easy steps!
Why You Should Cut Your Own Hair
Haircuts are frequently the only aspect of a man’s appearance that is dependent on someone else.
However, this does not have to be the case if you learn how to cut men’s hair at home. You might be surprised to learn that roughly three out of every ten men cut their hair. They discovered the following advantages:
- It is more convenient to cut your hair at home: Your 24 hours a day are valuable, and cutting your own hair takes 10 minutes, saving you an hour or more at the barbershop.
- On the Go Style: Meetings, dates, and interviews all come up. When they do, being able to give yourself touch-ups rather than hoping the barber can fit you into his schedule will keep you looking great all the time.
- You Have More Control When You Cut Your Hair At Home: You can always choose when you want it cut and what touch-ups are required; no other considerations are required. You make the time, and you complete the task.
- Cutting Your Own Hair Is An Important Skill: People are impressed by your abilities. The more skills you have, the more likely it is that others will put their trust in you with things that are important to them.
- Great Style with Minimal Effort: While the initial cut may take 20-30 minutes, a quick 5-10 minute touch-up every couple of weeks will keep you looking great.
The Tools You’ll Need
It’s critical to use the proper tools for the job; no one wants to pull on their hair because they didn’t use a sharp enough pair of scissors. Make sure you get this right if you want to learn how to cut men’s hair at home.
Here are the resources you’ll need:
- Hair-cutting scissors: also known as shears are recommended. They should be small and sharp (5-6 inches). You CAN use regular scissors, but they will do a choppy job and be more difficult to use due to their size.
- A comb: This is the simplest tool for moving your hair around while you’re cutting it.
- Hair clips (optional): These can help keep your hair in place.
- Unless you cut your hair, this is optional. Don’t make the mistake of hacking at your head without thinking about it.
- Clippers: These are the tools that do the majority of the work for you.
- Thinning Scissors: These help thin out your hair rather than cutting it all off.
The Mistakes To Avoid
It’s very easy to make mistakes when first learning how to cut men’s hair at home, especially if it’s your first time. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid.
- Excessive Aggression: Take your time. Don’t cut too much, too quickly, or too high up. Take it one step at a time and be patient.
- Miscommunication: If your partner is doing your hair, make sure they understand what you want. Don’t let them decide on your haircut; it’s YOUR hair, so tell them what you want.
- High Expectations: If you believe that you or your partner can cut your hair and look stylish, you will be disappointed. Make sure whoever is doing this for you is not under any pressure to get it perfect, because I guarantee they will not.
Before You Begin
Make sure your hair is clean. If your hair is longer, wash and condition it, but don’t use any product after you get out of the shower.
If you’re going to use scissors, feel free to experiment with cutting your hair while it’s still wet.
If you’re going to use clippers, make sure your hair is dry because moisture and electricity don’t mix.
Prepare for the worst-case scenario. You might make a huge mistake and have to shave your head. That’s fine! Now is the ideal time to experiment with a buzz cut or force yourself to learn how to wear a hat!
Keep in mind the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Silly!
Slow down. Reduce your cuts. More evaluation is required.
Don’t try to experiment; instead, stick to what you know and are comfortable with.
Is it less than three weeks since your last haircut? Take the shape that your stylist left!
3-4 weeks or your hair grows quickly? You’ll want to go slowly because you’ll be shaping the cut’s silhouette.
It’s better to have an imperfect longer cut than a bad short cut – you can’t glue the hair back on!
Now for the Step-By-Step Guide to Haircutting.
Step 1: Visualize What You Want to Cut Hair At Home
You should begin by ensuring that you (and/or the person cutting your hair) understand what you want. You can accomplish this by imagining yourself electrified.
Now, run your hands through your hair and take a look at what you’ve got.
Consider how you want the end result to look.
Consider what would happen if you were electrified again.
Determine what changes should be made to your electrified look to achieve the desired result.
Step 2: Prepare to Cut Hair At Home
You should now prepare the area where you will cut your hair. Make sure you’re in a well-lit, distraction-free environment.
- Make room in your chair or in the bathroom for some mirrors.
- Remove anything that may be in the way from the floor.
- Wet your hair in the sink or shower.
- Straighten your hair back.
- Cover your clothes to keep them safe.
Step 3: Trim the Sides of Your Hair
You should begin with the sides because they are the easiest to cut.
Be aware of the Transition Zone – this is the area between the lower and upper halves of your head where we will blend, so don’t cut into it yet!
A blend is a smooth transition from short to long hair. The goal of blending is to appear seamless. As you move up the head, most men prefer their hair to be longer (as it creates a square shape which most men like).
Remember that cutting less early on is preferable because you can make a second or even third pass!
Lift the hair on the lower half of your head with comb bristles facing up and begin to cut 1/4 inch from the base of your head.
Repeat, but this time go a little higher but not into the transition zone.
Move up 1/4-inch increments – smoother movements usually result in a cleaner look.
Begin on the left side of your head, work your way back, and finish on the right.
Determine whether or not it looks good.
Step 4: Cut The Top of Your Hair At Home
After you’ve finished the sides and back, move on to the top of your head.
Begin cutting the top from the front and working your way back. Concentrate on the two inches in the center. If you can picture yourself with a mohawk, that’s where you’ll be trimming.
Pull the hair perpendicular to your head with your fingers, then cut a small amount off the ends (1/2 to 1/4 inch).
Similarly to cutting your sides, you should move about 14 of an inch back after each cut.
Repeat on the left side (1.5-2 inches wide).
Then, repeat on the right side (1.5-2 inches wide).
You can cut less for a more “styled” top (1/8 to 1/4 inch at most), or more for a shorter summer look (1/2 inch at a time!). You can go over it again if necessary.)
Err on the side of too little cutting; you can always cut again later!
Take note of your usual clothing style. It’s possible that one side is longer than the other!!
Step 5: Cutting Hair at Home, The Transition Zone
Let’s blend now that you’ve completed the bulk of the work.
Take a look at how your hair is styled. What is your fashion sense? If you part to the right (as I do), the left side will not be as smooth as the right side. As a result, depending on the style you want, the transition zone does not have to be even on all sides.
Use clips (or your fingers) to keep long hair out of the way (creating a low temporary side part).
We want to hold the hair perpendicular to your head and connect the upper and lower halves as we cut, using the same comb technique as in the previous steps.
Imagine the silhouette you want and cut accordingly.
If in doubt, leave your hair longer.
Take a step back and look for lines (a distinct transition between short and long hair) and irregular shapes (puffy areas where hair lays more than on the other side, creating an imbalanced look).
This is where you’ll want to return and, if possible, improve your blend.
Step 6: The Particulars of Haircutting at Home
Congratulations! You’ve just finished the most difficult part of cutting your hair. You should now go through and pay attention to the small details.
Clean up around your ears by using a comb and scissors to raise the lines. Take care not to sever yourself!
Check for and cut any stray long hairs.
Now concentrate on the nape of your neck, taking care not to overcut – especially if you’re going for a rounder shape with clippers.
Step 7: The Big Picture of Haircutting at Home
It is now time to evaluate your efforts.
Take a step back and wash, clean, and comb your hair as usual.
Examine your hair from various angles in bright light to see if anything needs to be fixed right away.
Examine whether or not you need to address issues – but let minor issues slide, as messing with a “good” cut in order to get it “perfect” can often result in a blunder.
Remember that by using natural men’s hair products, you can make your hair do exactly what you want – even if you don’t get it exactly right the first time! With a little time and practice, you’ll be able to cut men’s hair at home in no time.
