If you haven’t attended cosmetology school and paid to maintain a license, it would be illegal in most states to accept payment for cutting someone’s hair in your home. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with cutting your own hair at home, which is good news for a lot of us. The only thing stopping you might be the fact that you simply don’t know where to start…

Some might say that it’s similar to what is said about a lawyer who represents themself – that they have a fool for a client. However, the main difference with cutting your own hair is that your hair grows back if you mess up! Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that you couldn’t learn a few things and possibly take care of a few hair care issues from the comfort of your own home. Let’s take a look at a few basic tools and tips to help you on your hair-cutting journey, including ways to keep your hair healthy. 

How To Take Care Of Your Hair From Home

Woman admiring her hair in the mirror.

There are tons of home remedies to experiment with for hair care, beginning with washing.
While it is good and encouraged to bathe or shower daily, it is not vital to wash your hair every day, unless of course, it gets dirty every day. And a daily shower doesn’t have to include washing your hair. For some people, especially those with dry or very curly hair, it can be enough to wash with warm water and no shampoo. This is known as the ‘no poo’ method. When doing the ‘no poo’ method it’s important not to forget to massage and cleanse the scalp too. This keeps it clear and free from oil buildup. Try massaging a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar onto your scalp to help keep dead skin cells and excess oil at bay. This popular DIY also helps to leave your scalp feeling clean and tingling.

For many cuts and styles, maintenance can be done from home. Longer hair can often be self trimmed to reduce split ends, while shorter hair may need attention more often to retain the desired style.

How To Cut Hair At Home Explained

Cutting your hair at home is really not as scary as you might think. With the right tools, you can at the very least do some repairs and trimming until you can get to a professional if needed.  It’s important to have good sheers, not the ones used to cut poultry or the ones used for wrapping gifts. These are heavy and could push the hair leading to an uneven cut. Clips are super handy to hold sections of hair in place and out of the way from an accidental snip.

When cutting hair at home, start in a well-lit room ideally with a large wall mirror. You’ll also want a clean hand mirror to check your work in the back.  An ideal scenario might be if you have a mirror on the door that can be moved so that you can see a wall mirror. This leaves your hands free to cut and style. Always try to cut from a seated position, sitting straight with both feet on the floor. This will get you the most even look.

How Often Should You Cut Your Hair?

Hairstyling tools.

Healthy hair grows about a half an inch every month. So for some people with especially short hairstyles, the grow-out can be particularly bothersome.  Generally speaking, for those with longer hair who only want to have their ends trimmed, every 6 to 8 weeks should be enough to keep your ends healthy. Some people need to keep their hair cropped and that will determine how often you should get your hair cut. 

Does Cutting Your Hair Make It Grow Faster?

Add this to the list of old wive’s tales you may have heard over the years. While cutting your hair will never make it grow faster or at all, it will help to reduce the split ends that can cause hair to break. Although, it may seem counterproductive when trying to grow your hair out, getting a trim to keep the ends healthy and allowing layers to catch up makes it seem like your hair is growing faster. The bottom line is that your hair doesn’t grow faster simply because you cut it regularly. A regular trim leads to healthy hair – and healthy hair grows!

Tips For Cutting Your Own Hair

1. How To Cut Your Hair Short

Woman with short hair cut.

For short hair, the best way to cut your own hair is dry instead of post-shower. If you decide to cut your hair when it’s wet you have to take the shrinkage into account. Yes, hair shrinks, and if you have short hair you want to be mindful of that so you don’t end up chopping off more than you bargained.

For many guys that want a simple, clean, and cropped look using clippers over scissors can be a quick and easy solution. Guys should get familiar with their clippers and their attachments so you know your desired length. Most women usually prefer scissors but regardless of tools, it’s standard practice to begin with the sides then to the back, saving the front for last. 

2. How To Cut Your Own Hair With Clippers

Cutting your own hair with clippers is a quick way to achieving that clean and well-groomed look. This look can be maintained simply by knowing the capabilities of your clippers and its attachments. For obvious reasons, it’s better to use the attachment that leaves more hair. You can always go shorter if needed. It’s best for the clippers to cut damp hair as opposed to overly wet hair. This keeps the blades at their best. Also for optimum blade protection, clean and oil after each use so they are always ready for use.

3. How To Cut Curly Hair

Woman with curly hair.

If there is one hair care tip that everyone needs to take on board it’s this: work with the hair you have. When you have curly hair, you know that there is a special touch needed to maintain them. How to cut your own curly hair can be done systematically, begin with separating your hair into sections. This will give you the most control over your hair. Each cut should be within the curl. It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to use sharp hair shears to avoid slipping during each cut. Additionally, many curly-haired girls opt for a dry cut so as not to snip off more than they desired!

DIY Haircuts: How To Trim Hair 

How To Cut The Back Of Your Hair

Woman doing her hair in the mirror.

One of the hardest parts of giving yourself a trim is figuring out how to cut the back of your hair. There are many tips and tricks when it comes to this one, but the main thing is to ensure that you have a well-positioned mirror behind you. As mentioned above, a large mirror in a well-lit area is essential. Make sure you have your back toward the larger mirror. If you can get someone to hold the frontal mirror that may be necessary. A little practice in maneuvering will help you find the best positioning. Maintaining a good posture is also important in how to cut your own hair straight, especially when it comes to the back of your hair.

How To Cut Split Ends Yourself

Keeping your hair healthy may include a monthly self haircut just to keep those split ends under control. One way to maintain the current length of your hair is to separate your hair into sections. Twisting or twirling your sectioned hair with your fingers will reveal the flyaway hair that should be trimmed. Ultimately, this should be done on dry hair so that the split ends are obvious.

This method really works best for longer hair, but know that this will result in varied hair lengths.
How to get rid of split ends may actually depend on how often you trim as well as how well you maintain your hair. Routine conditioning with the addition of an essential oil can help to strengthen the hair follicle and limit split ends. Depending on the oil you use, the conditioning also helps to keep your hair ultra-moisturized and silky smooth. With all this in mind, let’s get into my favorite oil for hair care!  

Argan Oil For Hair: Post Haircut Care Explained

Argan oil for hair.

If you’ve had your hair cut in the salon recently, you might have noticed they smooth a little oil into your hair right at the very end of your cut. More often than not, that oil is the golden elixir that is argan oil. Using a few drops of argan oil on your damp hair adds a silky luster. Massage into the scalp and work your way down to the tips to give your hair an natural moisture boost from root to tip. If your hair is already dry, there is still benefit to adding a few drops to smooth and tame frizz. Using argan oil on your scalp and hair provides great hydration post hair cut. and because it’s not greasy, gentle, and absorbs easily, you can use it to moisturize other areas with confidence.

Conclusion

So whether you are trying to save money on hair care, are in quarantine, or simply an avid DIYer, your hair can still look selfie-ready at home. It does take some effort to find the right tools and techniques for you. While it is never recommended cutting your own hair while in an emotional state or while under the influence, you can certainly feel comfortable doing an unstructured haircut on your own. Go ahead and experiment armed with the many helpful hints mentioned, and if you mess up, it will grow back.