Cutting hair yourself: Important tips & rules

Fancy a spontaneous change but don’t have time to go to the hair salon? Or does your haircut just need a new touch and you want to cut your hair yourself? If you follow these tips, you can cut your own hair at home.

First of all, don’t be afraid of making a mistake! If you put on scissors yourself, you have to reckon with the fact that the haircut can go completely wrong. A crooked fringe or uneven layered cut are not uncommon and can happen. Those who can come to terms with a possible disaster have the best cards in this case. Everyone else should rather sit out the waiting time and wait for the next possible appointment with the hairdresser they trust. This can be easily bridged, for example, with an updo or a ponytail.

Another – and very important – requirement is the right pair of scissors. Above all, these should be sharp and not standard household scissors. The wrong tool ensures dull hair and an unsightly result. If you want to cut your hair yourself, you should urgently get professional hairdressing scissors. These are available at drugstores or online. Aids such as clips, hair ties and a tail comb can also be valuable for separating and trimming individual strands of hair.

Beginners in cutting hair yourself are advised to limit the haircut to the tips, bangs or layers. Anyone who is still inexperienced in cutting hair quickly overestimates themselves and should leave the scissors alone for complicated haircuts. This makes it easier to cut long hair yourself than to cut it short.

If you want to cut your own hair, you should know your own hair type. Is the hair curly or straight? Is it rather thin hair or thick hair? Then you can discuss, among other things, whether the hair should be cut when it is dry or wet.

If you have a wild mane with a lot of volume or curls, you should prefer a dry haircut. Curls, in particular, are unpredictable when wet and bounce at different heights once they’re dry. The fringe cut should also be done when dry. Possible whorls and ruffles are fully visible when dry and can best be observed in this way.

Straight hair, on the other hand, can be cut well when wet, especially with a straight haircut. This makes them easier to grip and the lengths of the individual strands no longer change due to the straight structure. Of course, after blow-drying, you can put your hand on the dry hair again for the final touches.

For a straight haircut or to trim the tips yourself, the first step is to dampen the hair and comb it thoroughly.

Step 1: Divide the hair into two equal halves via a center parting from the forehead to the nape of the neck.

Step 2: Tie your hair into a low ponytail at each side.

Step 3: Tie a second hair tie tightly underneath the first one and slowly pull it straight up to the desired hair length.

Step 4: Pinch the end of the braid firmly between your index and middle fingers and carefully cut in a straight line.

To control the haircut, untie the braids and place them forward. If the strands are the same length, the hair has a uniform length.

Thin hair in particular can be given more volume with layers. However, the step cut is clearly one of the more demanding haircuts and requires some skill. For long hair, however, there is a practical hack that you can use to easily cut layers yourself.

Step 1: Dampen hair and comb well overhead.

Step 2: Tie your hair into a tight ponytail at the highest point of your head.

Step 3: Pinch the ends of your hair between your index and middle fingers and cut straight to the desired length.

The layers are created because the top hair has a shorter path to the ponytail than the lower sections. So it automatically becomes a little shorter and the lower hair stays longer.

And this is how you cut the currently most popular layered cut:

A pony should always be cut dry – especially if you are not a professional. It’s no secret that wet and dry hair differ in length and texture. Once the hair has dried, the bangs will continue to rise and may end up being too short. Swirls also come into their own better when dry and can be taken into account when cutting.

If you don’t dare to have a compact fringe, you should take a closer look at the curtain bangs trend hairstyle:

In contrast to us women, men are more likely to struggle with outgrown hair in their hairstyles. If it is not possible to go to the hairdresser, the partner often has to put on scissors. But especially for men’s hairstyles it requires an extra portion of sensitivity and clean work. After all, short hairstyles are more difficult to implement than cutting the tips yourself with long hair.

Here, too, the right tool is the be-all and end-all. In addition to haircutting scissors, it is advisable to have a comb and an electric hair trimmer at hand. The latter in particular makes cutting hair a lot easier, since there are nicer transitions and there are no unwanted edges. In fact, even a complete cut can be done with just a hair trimmer by simply changing the length settings.

If you prefer to use the classic scissors, you can find out step by step how to cut a man’s hair yourself:

Step 1: Wash your hair and dry it briefly with a towel.

Step 2: Part the back of the head (from ear to ear) and both sides and comb the top hair forward.

Step 3: If the hair on the back of the head is long enough, hold it in individual strands vertically between your index and middle finger and cut them straight with the scissors. Start in the middle and work forward across both sides. Leave the hair longer towards the top of the head.

Alternative to step 3: If the hair at the back of the head is too short to be able to grab it easily, set the hair trimmer to the desired length setting and move it upwards in a slight curve from below. Here, too, leave the hair longer towards the top of the head.

Step 3: Now grab the top hair parallel to the head in individual strands and shorten to the desired length with the scissors. Alternatively, the hair trimmer can also be used here. In order to be able to estimate the length, keep straightening the hair with the comb.

Step 4: The finishing touch! To do this, set the hair trimmer to three to six millimeters as desired and pull the individual edges around the ears and clean the neck.

With a short haircut, it is generally advised to keep the sides and the back of the head shorter and to become longer towards the top of the head. Clean and even transitions are extremely important here.

Basically, it is recommended to slowly approach the desired length when cutting your hair yourself. It’s better to work your way up inch by inch instead of having to settle for a crooked haircut.