Cut own hair for first time: success!

[Aelias]

I've heard some people cut their hair outside so they don't have to worry about the mess- do you just pick a corner of your yard, run an extension cord, and bring a mirror?

omg, I love this idea.  We typically try to get all the hair scraps together to put in the vermiculture composter (totally works-- the worms eat it up, no problem), but I feel like this cuts out the middle man.  And it will totally solidify our neighbors' perception of us as a couple of weirdos. ;)

[Car Jack]

Bought a Wahl clipper.  Boy, wish I had done this years ago.  I've been cutting my hair and for years, my 2 boys but using whatever the cheapest clippers Wal Mart sold.  They're all total junk by comparison.  Instead of spending $20, I think I paid all of $29 and the difference is night and day.

[lexde]

Cut my hair yesterday; also treating it with MTG. Work stress has been thinning it a bit and so I’m hoping this helps me stop shedding so much. My head smells like bacon and campfire until I wash it out (been doing overnight treatments), but it’s a small price to pay for better growth!

[DadJokes]

Cut my hair yesterday; also treating it with MTG. Work stress has been thinning it a bit and so I’m hoping this helps me stop shedding so much. My head smells like bacon and campfire until I wash it out (been doing overnight treatments), but it’s a small price to pay for better growth!

Maybe I can try this with my wife. I don't know if her hair is thinning or not. I just know that she sheds like crazy. We have a hypo-allergenic dog, so we don't have to worry about dog hair everywhere, and I keep joking that I need a hypo-allergenic wife as well.

[lexde]

Cut my hair yesterday; also treating it with MTG. Work stress has been thinning it a bit and so I’m hoping this helps me stop shedding so much. My head smells like bacon and campfire until I wash it out (been doing overnight treatments), but it’s a small price to pay for better growth!

Maybe I can try this with my wife. I don't know if her hair is thinning or not. I just know that she sheds like crazy. We have a hypo-allergenic dog, so we don't have to worry about dog hair everywhere, and I keep joking that I need a hypo-allergenic wife as well.

She might just shed a lot if she’s not thinning. It’s normal.

Get blood work drawn. Specifically thyroid, iron, and Vitamin D. Once you rule those out, I’d check out topical stuff.

Full disclosure - MTG is marketed for horses. :-)

[Playing with Fire UK]

...
(Also: only you are guaranteed to give yourself what you want. I’ve had too many hair stylists steer me forcefully away from something I specifically asked for because they needed to be right. No thanks!)

Giant +1 to this. Or just cut it wrong anyway, and then be so surprised when I call them out on it rather than being delighted by their styling ideas that I already rejected before they were on my head.

[lizzzi]

Have been cutting my own hair with Wahl clippers, Crea clip, and a pair of haircutting scissors for around three years now. Also let it grow into its natural color--kind of a silvery-gray that friends and family rave about. So I'll try to post a picture.

[tyrannostache]

Love the natural color, Lizzzi! And nice cut.

I wimped out, and I very much regret it. I had a friend's wedding coming up, so I thought I'd treat myself and go to a stylist for a cut. I knew exactly what I wanted to happen, spelled it out pretty clearly, brought a photo to illustrate, and... nothing. I was out $50, and I STILL ended up having to do a bunch of work on it myself at home.

I will definitely not be doing that again.

[jimmyshutter]

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.

Once I figured out the finger trick I no longer needed a second person to cut the back. Haven't needed help in over 15 years.  :)