General Discussion > Share Your Badassity
Cut own hair for first time: success!
Unicorn:
I find going to the barber to be a huge PITA... Takes time to get over there, wait, etc., costs ~ $250 per year, and "in between" visits the hair gets pretty unruly.
So, I decided to take the plunge and obtain a Wahl clipper. I figured this is not rocket science, and the worst that could happen is I don't like it, buzz it down evenly, and wait for it to grow back. I read the excellent instructions that came with the clipper -- essentially, use 3 different guard sizes in increasing length as you go from bottom to top, and then blend between sections using a rocking motion. It worked AMAZINGLY well. My daughter did not know it was not a professional cut, and my wife is also happy. I'm really shocked at how easy it was.
A few tips and observations:
-- I waited until a time when I did not have important lectures to give or family functions to attend; not a huge deal but I did not want to have a million conversations about why I chose buzz cut or bald (if it ended up that way)
-- I was able to do most of the cut myself, but I did need my wife's to help trim the line on the back. I had two mirrors but I think this would have been very difficult to manage on my own. Maybe I will get better at this.
-- I found the Wahl clippers irritating to the skin when used without the guard (outlining the back) -- I think I will use my beard trimmer without a guard for this next time.
sokoloff:
I did mine the first time about 4.5 years ago. Checked it with a colleague with an apparent fashion sense and she gave it a passing (but unexceptional) grade.
On the back, I find that placing the index finger of my left hand as a guide line (sort of a Spock-pinch or a 180° out choking attempt) and using the clippers without any guide does a more than good enough job. I freehand around the ears, also without the guard and sometimes need to clean that up with a pair of hair scissors that we bought to cut the kids' hair anyway. I like 2 on the sides/back and 5 on the top, but my wife prefers for me to use 3 & 6, so I do that [my preference is not a strong one and I don't have to look at it, so...]
Now, I save a ton of time, money, and inconvenience every year. If I have a presentation at work and realize the night-before or morning-of that I could use a trim, I can knock it out in 5-8 minutes.
lexde:
I cut my SO's hair because he hates going to the stylist and having to make small talk. I do a #4 guard on the bottom, #5 in the middle, and use scissors on top. Have gotten much better over the last 6 months or so (wasn't ever bad, but now a more stylish cut) and it was easy to learn. 10/10 would recommend not spending $20 to get it cut every 6 weeks.
ixtap:
My husband's last professional haircut left a chunk near one of his temples. Luckily, she left a chunk, rather than taking out a chunk and he was able to go back and have another stylist fix it. We figured since the clippers were about the price of one haircut, the worst that could happen was that he had a buzz cut for awhile.
Well, he thought that it would be OK with just clippers, but was unhappy with how short even the 8 was. Plus, I removed his sideburns instead of trimming them... Somehow he let me try again.
Now he has a summer cut (3, 5 and hand trimmed) and a winter cut (4, 6 and hand trimmed).
Neither one of us has gotten up the nerve to cut my hair. I thought about chopping it off this summer, but he reminded me how much I HATE growing it out.
lexde:
--- Quote from: ixtap on September 23, 2017, 04:18:36 PM ---My husband's last professional haircut left a chunk near one of his temples. Luckily, she left a chunk, rather than taking out a chunk and he was able to go back and have another stylist fix it. We figured since the clippers were about the price of one haircut, the worst that could happen was that he had a buzz cut for awhile.
Well, he thought that it would be OK with just clippers, but was unhappy with how short even the 8 was. Plus, I removed his sideburns instead of trimming them... Somehow he let me try again.
Now he has a summer cut (3, 5 and hand trimmed) and a winter cut (4, 6 and hand trimmed).
Neither one of us has gotten up the nerve to cut my hair. I thought about chopping it off this summer, but he reminded me how much I HATE growing it out.
--- End quote ---
How long do you keep your hair? What kind of haircut do you have now? I was terrified too, but have a fairly straightforward cut with a slight taper that goes down right past my shoulders. When my hair is wet, I part it down the middle (usually wear side part), and comb it very straight. Tie it under my chin with a hair tie, comb the "ponytail/beard" straight again, and cut a straight line. Done in 1 minute.
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