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Who's attempted a DIY haircut?

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Retired Community Manager

Who's attempted a DIY haircut?

Beauty services in some states, including salons and barbershops, are starting to reopen. Even with new rules and restrictions in place, you may or may not be comfortable patronizing these shops just yet.

 

Has anyone resorted to a do-it-yourself trim, clip, color or haircut? Was it a success or a fiasco? Share your story in a post below. And we'd love to see your photos of the finished product!

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Conversationalist

I've been cutting my own hair for years, and it looked better and better the longer I'd been away from an actual barber and had forgotten what a real honest-to-goodness professional haircut looked like. Then I went back and saw why these gentle giants of the sea get the ridiculously high prices they charge.

 

During COVID-19, however, I was forced to take out the ol' Braun EconoClip and give me noggin' what-for again! 

 

Here are the results!

 

Clippings...and regret.Clippings...and regret.

Yeah, that's the floor of the garage, after what we're just referring to now as The Incident. Oh, don't think for an instant you're going to see what my head looked like.  But I think it looked fine. Your results may vary.

 

Anyway, folks, take a tip from me and do it in the garage, so you can just sweep out your shame and mistakes and dander onto the patio where you're helping the environment!  Squirrels will gather it up by the armful to feather their nests.

 

Well, hair their nests, I suppose.

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Contributor

I had always cut my own hair and then my husband asked me to cut his one day....hesitant I asked, 'are you sure?'   He stated, 'its only hair and it grows back!'   So I did it , his co-workers were impressed and wanted me to cut theres, which I politely declined!

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Super Contributor

I've sent for and received a barber eliminator.  Have not used it.  Maybe one day get crazy, reckless and try it.  Meanwhile, it sets on my bathroom shelf, taunting me.

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Periodic Contributor

Funny how inanimate devices can do that!  I have the same problem with my vacuum cleaner.  It almost SNEERS!

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Newbie

I was in the Coast Guard in 1974 with a woman who was giving herself her own haircut.  I was intrigued.  I didn't believe I could EVER do it myself.  I didn't have the courage to do it myself until much later in my life. 

 

She had given me some tips on how to do it and said, "It's YOUR hair.  You can do with it what you want."  She would comb all of her hair in front if her face, cut the hair to frame her face.  Then she would take the scissors to cut across the back of her neck.  She would then take her hair between her fingers and cut to give it a good feather look.  I started doing this after I was out of the Coast Guard and I have been cutting my husband's hair since we have been together.  Janet Dulles, if you read this, thank you!

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I have a variation of a bob cut and having watched my stylist for many years I know how to do it. I used barber scissors and purchased shorter blade trim scissors. Start at the back for the length you want but first, using your fingers, get a feel for your hair all over. I can go on but you can learn from tutorials on YouTube.

 

Take it slow. Sometimes I would trim over several days. The biggest hurdle is getting started.  Everyone says my hair always looks professional. I also color my hair. Esalon is very reasonable and mix the color just for you. I sent a picture of my hair so they could see the shade I wanted.

 

You can do it.

 

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Newbie

        Ahhhh, yes, the DIY haircut. 

        Well, I'm not about ready to throw my life down for lovely locks, and since I've started cutting my own hair I have become a master at hiding mistakes by using an assortment of colorful clips and bobby pins. REALLY.

          Bangs are easy. I can now create the perfect wispy bang after some trial and error. I can manage the overall length of my hair, too; well, I'm hoping so, anyways, because I refuse to look at the back of my head in the mirror. I bundle half my hair over each shoulder and cut away an inch or so until the length is even and all the split ends are gone. This method is likely to produce a shorter length for the hair that lays on my back, but it sure feels good when I'm done. I tell myself I'm creating a new chic looking style when I do this, but I don't know for sure because, like I said, I won't check the results in a mirror. It feels good, and I leave it at that. 

         The hardest part is layering the sides of my hair. I'm getting better but I'm using clips and styles that hide the chunks of hair that I mess up. THAT works. Also, producing symmetry on each side of my face with layered lengths is HARD. Layering is an art form I haven't mastered but I do notice that my gaffes improve with each attempt. I'm in for the long haul. I'll get it yet!

 

 

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In the 60s, I had long hair that was all one length, so I cut my own hair.  I didn’t go to a salon  for years then started down the path of complicated cuts, perms (the 80s!) etc.  Now my hair is longer again and I have been cutting it again.  I finally caved after five months and went for a foil appointment although I was surprisingly comfortable with the natural grow-out. Some day I may let it go natural.

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Periodic Contributor

I did. Gave myself a buzzcut! I've had them in the past, but, never did it my self. The $70 I paid for the clipper will pay for itself in 2 - 3 cuts.

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I have cut my hair for years. My mom cut all six kids hair (4 boys & 2 girls.) So  when I went to college, I began to cut my own and college friends. It is hard now because my shoulders don’t have the flexibility. I can still trim the front and bangs.

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Newbie

Actually I have been sometimes doing DIY haircuts for years when I have been to busy to go find a barber or sometimes didn't want to spend the $$$. I get a passable haircut with a gadget I have. It's called a Tinkle hair cutter. I got it on Amazon. I cut my hair in the shower. It is easy to contain and clean up the mess. And if anyone asks, implying perhaps a bad haircut, I say I got my haircut from a blind man. It's true after all. Even if I did have a mirror setup in the shower which I don't, I have my eyes closed to not get hair in them.

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Super Contributor

Wow-Jim B, You've given a whole new meaning to "tinkling in the shower, haven't you?😊

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Contributor

For many years I’ve gone to a “stylist” to have my hair colored and cut - lots of $$$ here on the East Coast.  Of course, hair salons paused their operations, and appt after appt was cancelled.  During this cancelling period my hair grew longer, the lovely auburn color faded, and - wonders of all wonders - white roots started to take over.  My hair started to look like a huge under-the-bed dust bunny with Siamese cat fur mixed in. To color again, to trim, perchance to cut?  Hmmm.  With quarantining (yes, I quarantine), social distancing, and wearing a mask (yes, I wear one), and with my sunglasses on when I’m outside (whenever I get out to food forage at the local market) who can possibly recognize me?  To trim a bit, snip a bit?  NO!  I’ve gotten used to my long, no fuss, money saving dust-bunny look.  I think I’ll keep it.

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I have been doing DIY hair cuts for a long long time (30+ years). once a month or more I use my Flowbee, it's been around for many years (late 80's). with the Flowbee a trimming set and a little help from my wife (for the trim to the back of my neck), I'm on my 2nd one now, all is good.

check it out at flowbee.com, works on a lot of hair lengths and styles it is supper easy to use.

The  Astronauts aboard the Skylab us it.

The Flowbee works with 90% of vacuums, check it out, it works great...

 

RC Bradenton FLA

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Periodic Contributor

Yes. I attempted cutting my own hair in May. I am cutting it very short like a crew cut or "Caesar". It came out very good. There were a couple areas around the ears that could have been better.  I used 2 mirrors to make sure the back of my head was cut well. But, overall, I was satisfied and I am not contemplating going back to a barber any time soon. I am saving money also.

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My normally short hair had grown so long I couldn't stand it anymore but I was uncomfortable going to my salon. I went to YouTube and searched short hair cuts. I managed to find a hair cut similar to mine that illustrated how to section off the hair and cut it.  Believe me when I say this took quite a bit of time to find. I then contacted my nephew's girlfriend who is a stylist. She recommend an inexpensive comb and scissors for me to purchase at Ulta.  One of the things I kept hearing in the YouTube videos was NOT TO USE THE KITCHEN SCISSORS.  Armed with the above, I turned to my husband of 43 years, Don, and said "Please cut my hair." Delighted with thoughts of me not complaining about my hair, he willingly watched the video and agreed to attempt to cut my hair.

 

Friends have called me brave because I let Don cut my hair. Don is really the brave one. He attempted something he's never done with determination and a good sense of humor.  As he was cutting my hair I kept hearing him say "There is so much hair!". At one point he let an expletive out. I immediately said, "Honey, don't worry. It will always grow back." 

 

Don's first woman's hair cut was a huge success! My hair looks great! I always knew Don could do many things. He's now added stylist to his resume and will be cutting my hair until Covid is over or he gets tired of doing it.

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I have cut my own hair for over 50 yrs. Every time I tried to find a hairdresser they never did what I wanted. I even took pictures (some of me) of what I wanted, but no luck, so I stick to doing it myself. I use 2 mirrors, 1 on the bathroom wall, 1 one the back of the bathroom door, and I can see my hair front, back and sides....

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Periodic Contributor

I’ve been cutting my own hair since 1973. I was living on a remote atoll in the Marshall Islands where there were no barbers, so instead of having other non-barbers cut my hair, I decided to do it myself. I haven’t been to a barber shop since.

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I have! Sent a picture of my cut hair in the sink....one friend said “don’t stop up your sink!”, one daughter said “ STOP! Put the scissors down and walk away from the sink.NOW”. And one daughter said “MOM. you will survive the hurricane and people are gonna see you again!”...lol Susan herrod

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I've been cutting my own hair for decades. I refused to pay more for a military hair cut (taper cut) at a beauty parlor. At the time I started, women were required to go to the beauty parlor, and not allowed in the barber shop. While that finally changed, I found it easier to keep doing my own whenever possible. I also saved lots of money. I'm retired military. I learned to do it with two mirrors so I could see the back of my head.

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Newbie

I bought a MicroTouch SOLO for my beard and it is great. 

One morning I decided to use it for my long hair in the back and it worked.

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Newbie

Long story short, I used some electric shears I bought at Costco and emboldened by the left side looking ok, I started on the right. But, I was unaware that the spacer had fallen off and whoops, I had the buzz cut of my life. Well, I won’t have to do that again for a long while. 

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Contributor

I've cut my own hair (due to thrift and the optimistic view, "How hard can it be?") for decades now, so the pandemic hasn't affected my hairstyle. My friends were talking about their hair despair, in a socially distant backyard pool setting, when I remarked that I always cut my own hair and one of my friends said, "I thought so." ... Still not sure how to take that. Heh!

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Newbie

No mirror. No glasses. I stand in the shower, water off. I start with a number eight comb on my clippers which takes everything down to one inch in length. I comb it forward and back, left and right.Then I switch the clipper comb to a number three to do the sides and the back. I pull off when I reach the area where I want the sides to segue to the top so I don't get the David Lynch look. Finally, I put a number one comb on my clippers to blend the edges. Again, I do all that blind: no mirror.
When I'm done with all that, I scoop up the hair the best I can so it doesn't plug stuff up.
After cutting my hair several times this year, I've gotten quite good at it. I'll never pay for a haircut again! 

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Newbie

Began cutting my own hair when I was 12 years old, then grew it long and kept it trimmed and healthy by lightly clipping it myself, and after having had my hair cut several times professionally, I reverted to cutting it myself. Have I made some goofs? Definitely. But do I get compliments on my classic style? I certainly do. I have an old pair of hair clippers from my father, a small mirror, then I sons mine hair up and comb it flat on my head, then get the outline I want, then play a few games to vary the length here and there. The worst part is shaving the back of my neck. I love it.

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  1. I have been clipping my own hair since I was 18 - now I am 65. I will let you guess how much money I have saved over the years!

B944BBD8-EAF0-477F-90AE-A2E484E6F1BC.jpeg

 

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GUILTY!  and I'm growing it out before I go see my stylist....LOL!

 

I have extremely long hair down to my waist.  It WAS to my, ahem, butt and I just HAD to trim it.  I put it in a braided ponytail (UMMM, that was my first mistake).  Then, I positioned the scissors (not professional scissors....mistake #2) and where the rubberband was located at the end of my braid, began to snip, snip, snip, OOOPS! and SLIPPED (can we say mistake #3?)  Um, it ended up on an angle cut and not straight across.  THEN, when I undid my braid....yup, you guessed it!  It was VERY uneven but, it ended up around my waistline--more or less!  *ahem*  I did that back in, oh, June.  Needless to say, I usually French braid it up, put in a bun, or a ponytail to hide my attempt at "trimming".  Once I find out my stylist is reopen, I'm booking a much needed dye job (oh, yeah, grey roots are no longer "roots") and  get that professional haircut/style for my long hair!  I promise to never to that to myself again!  I hope she doesn't laugh at my attempt.....then, again, maybe she won't notice if my hair gets to my butt???

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Since, Covid19,has come into the picture, I decided, girlfriend let’s do this, it will grow back out, so who cares.

i got my scissors and started cutting the sides because they seem to grow the fastest, cut my bangs and yes, it looked good. That was in February.

Now, it’s September, and yes, we are still with Covid19, they opened the salons in Dreamland, but did I go, hell no, who wants to chance getting that dreaded disease and give it to all your family members. So, out came the scissors and yes, went at it again and folks it looks good, why, because YOU love ❤️ it!

Dont be afraid to try anything, it’s a new adventure!

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Periodic Contributor

I have! I've cut my hair twice since Feb. I used a technique I remember from a Seventeen magazine I had when I was a kid. Turned out great both times!
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