How to cut your own hair...instructions from a barber

TxMex · #1 12/11/10, 03:05 PM

Since a lot of people have expressed an interest in this I thought I'd make a separate posting. This is how to cut guys hair with clippers.

Go to a Barber/Cosmetology supply house and get a decent set of clipper with guards. The cheap ones you can buy at department stores just don't last and you will be better off in the long run to buy a good pair. Keep your clippers oiled and rust free. There should be instructions with the clippers on how to do this.

For a tapered hair cut:

Start at the neck line with a #1 guard and shave upwards for approximately 1 1/2 inches. Then put on a #2 guard and go up to the base of the skull.

For a neckline hair cut:

Use a #2 or #3 guard and shave upwards to the base of the skull.

Sides and around ears:

Determine how long you want your hair above the ears and put on that # guard. Shave upwards approximately 3/4 inch above the top of the ear...back around the hairline to the base of the skull and in the sideburn area.

Now you have the back and sides done and only need to do the crown area and top of the head. This can be done with guards also if you want a 'burred' look. Simply determine which guard you would like to use and shave the rest of your head with it. For a more conventional looking haircut this is the area where scissors should be used.

Using scissors:

First comb the hair forward over the forhead and cut at or just slightly above the eyebrows. Now this will become your guide for cutting the rest of the hair. Comb the hair back and then pull up a finger section straight out from the skull(remember the skull is rounded..straight out..not straight up). You should see the hair that has been cut. Cut the next hair just very slightly longer than your guide hair. Continue straight back to the crown of the head. Leave the hair in the crown area slightly longer so that it will have enough length to help it lay down. Now the area that needs cutting is between where clippers were used above the ears and the strip that has just been cut along the top arc of the head. The goal in this area is blending. Pull up a finger section of hair and angle your fingers to make a straight line between the different lengths of hair and cut the angle. Again, leaving it slightly longer at each finger parting as you go back towards the crown.

Remove guards from clippers and outline around the tops of ears, sideburns and neckline.

That's the proceedure for a basic guys hair cut. Hope this helps.

Callieslamb · #2 12/11/10, 04:22 PM

Do you happen do to videos? The guards are those plastic things that come with the clippers that snap over the cutters? One of mine ( at least) is tapered. How do you use that one?

Ed Norman · #3 12/11/10, 04:42 PM

We got some cheap clippers at Walmart 10 years ago and they have cut my hair and DS hair without problems ever since. I told DW the first haircut cost $24. The second took the cost to $12 each, then $8, then $6... Now each haircut costs pennies. Those clippers are paid for many times over.

Just remember to throw your hair clippings in the orchard to keep the deer away.

MoonRiver · #4 12/11/10, 05:47 PM

I've cut my own hair with just a pair of scissors for the last 40 years. Just run my fingers through my hair and anything that sticks out gets cut off. A little longer on top and shorter on the back and sides. Use 2 mirrors to see the back and cut straight across and slightly round at both ends. Razor to clean up the neck and I'm done.

Only messed up to where it was noticeable a couple of times. Too short fixes itself in a few days. I used to do a razor cut and sometimes ended up with a bald spot or 2 on the back of my head. Went back to scissors.

TxMex · #5 12/11/10, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Callieslamb

Do you happen do to videos? The guards are those plastic things that come with the clippers that snap over the cutters? One of mine ( at least) is tapered. How do you use that one?

I actually thought about making a video. Tis a thought!

Yes, the guards are the plastic things that snap over the blades. How do you use the tapered guard(shorter on left or right side and angling).....well, I don't...lol.

TxMex · #6 12/11/10, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Norman

We got some cheap clippers at Walmart 10 years ago and they have cut my hair and DS hair without problems ever since. I told DW the first haircut cost $24. The second took the cost to $12 each, then $8, then $6... Now each haircut costs pennies. Those clippers are paid for many times over.

Just remember to throw your hair clippings in the orchard to keep the deer away.

Congrats! My experience has been that they aren't worth having. Maybe they made em better 10 yrs ago. You can also compost the hair clippings.

Ed Norman · #7 12/11/10, 07:18 PM

DW puts on a tapered guard and drives over the top of my ear, cuts the hair short right beside the ear then longer farther out from the ear. Then she switches to the other tapered guard for the other ear.

I think she could do it without the tapered guard by holding the clippers at an angle, but she prefers it.

ceresone · #8 12/12/10, 09:15 AM

I have expensive dog clippers, the Oster 2 speed, and guards--I can cut Hubbys hair--but scared to start on mine-any advice?

TxMex · #9 12/12/10, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceresone

I have expensive dog clippers, the Oster 2 speed, and guards--I can cut Hubbys hair--but scared to start on mine-any advice?

What type of haircut do you have or are trying to perform?

mamato3 · #10 12/12/10, 10:02 AM

I cut my own hair. Well my bangs lol hubby helps me with the back of my hair. Also i cut, or shave the whole familys hair Ive bought clippers at walmart so for we have went threw 2 sets. Im hoping soon to go get a nicer pair. I have always wondered how to cut my sons hair i love the look with the hair longer ontop and coming over the sides and shorter on the sides. I tried to do this look and my mom said he look like a boy out of the depression area lol. Would love videos to teach me how to shave my sons hair.

City Bound · #11 12/12/10, 10:44 AM

TX thank you for the lesson.

City Bound · #12 12/12/10, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamato3

I cut my own hair. Well my bangs lol hubby helps me with the back of my hair. Also i cut, or shave the whole familys hair Ive bought clippers at walmart so for we have went threw 2 sets. Im hoping soon to go get a nicer pair. I have always wondered how to cut my sons hair i love the look with the hair longer ontop and coming over the sides and shorter on the sides. I tried to do this look and my mom said he look like a boy out of the depression area lol. Would love videos to teach me how to shave my sons hair.

Mama, that depression era hair cut you are talking about is easy to do. My friends and I use to give each other those hair cuts way back when the surfer look was cool.

What you do is, find where you want the long hair to fall over the short hair, then part the hair at that point. If you are doing the right side, part and comb the hair on the top of the head over to the left side of the head, and then the hair on the lower side of that part straight down. Now, you cut off and buzz the hair on the lower right side of the head. Do the same, part, comb etc, on the other side of the head and then just trim the top to the length you want to drape over the short hair. I am not sure of the style you want for the back of the head, because there were a few style worm for the back of the head with that style. basicly, the back was done the same way as the sides.

Does this help?

**Shrek** · #13 12/12/10, 11:00 AM

I bought the $20 Wahl kit from Walmart 9 years ago when my ex took the one we had with her and once a month I stick the 1/8 inch guide on it and give myself a boot cut. Then I white sidewall around my ears with my safety razor.

Before storing the clippers away I unscrew the blade and wipe it down and oil it then realign and tighten it and scrub the guide.

Figuring $20 devided by 108 boot cuts thats 18 1/2 cents a haircut from a cheap clipper set so far.

Ed Norman · #14 12/12/10, 11:08 AM

That's it, Wahl. I've been trying to think of the name. We got ours at Walmart 10 years ago.

ceresone · #15 12/12/10, 05:15 PM

TxMex, my hair is short, little longer on top--looks to me like it would be easy to cut--but the one time I tried, I took a "bite" out on top

Win07_351 · #16 12/12/10, 09:00 PM

I've cut my own hair since 1996 with the same electric clippers with attachment (that prevents you from taking too much off). Always comes out good. The only hard part is doing the back of the neck.

Win07_351 · #17 12/12/10, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shrek

I bought the $20 Wahl kit from Walmart 9 years ago when my ex took the one we had with her and once a month I stick the 1/8 inch guide on it and give myself a boot cut. Then I white sidewall around my ears with my safety razor.

Before storing the clippers away I unscrew the blade and wipe it down and oil it then realign and tighten it and scrub the guide.

Figuring $20 devided by 108 boot cuts thats 18 1/2 cents a haircut from a cheap clipper set so far.

That's probably the price of a haircut circa 1890

kritter8888 · #18 12/13/10, 02:50 PM

I have recently started to let my husband cut my hair, its straight so its a really easy cut and I dont want to pay $15. My friends and family got a nice laugh out of it when I told them that he cuts it, it might be that he uses really big scissors ( I call them pizza scissors) lol

kirkmcquest · #19 12/13/10, 03:43 PM

I've been cutting my own hair for almost ten years. Basically, I set the clippers to 5/16 inch and do the whole head. I then go around the base with the 1/3 inch attachment to clean it up.

Its not fancy but it does the job and looks neat.

moonwolf · #20 12/13/10, 05:02 PM

easiest self hair cutting method is using a device called "robocut". It hooks up to your vaccuum and you adjust the length of cut you wish making it quite an easy and fairly accurate method to do the job okay.