Tips and Tricks for Cutting Your Own Hair

Learning how to cut your own hair is useful when you’re in a time crunch or you can’t get an appointment with your favorite stylist. That fresh from the salon cut from a professional stylist is needed in many cases to rejuvenate your locks (especially for more complicated styles.) But sometimes, we might not have the time to get to the salon.

If you need to cut your own hair, we’re here to help with tips for cutting your own hair, along with the tools you’ll need. Follow our guide on how to cut your hair in the comfort of your own home. Get your scissors ready!

How to Cut Your Own Hair

Maybe you want to trim your bangs or get rid of those dead ends, as you master how to trim your own hair. If you’re ready to become your own personal stylist, let’s get into the essential tools you’ll need to get started, and then we’ll go over the best way to cut your own hair with easy-to-follow tips and tricks. 

Use the Proper Tools to Cut Your Own Hair

Step away from the kitchen scissors! These are not sharp enough and can leave your ends looking uneven and frayed. You’ll need to buy specific shears for cutting hair, as the sharper the scissors, the better the control as you learn how to cut your own hair. You can order these scissors online with variations on the blade, shape, and size. Opt for scissors that are four to five inches in length to give more control as you cut your own hair.

Once you have your scissors covered, you’ll need some sectioning hair clips (basic plastic ones work just fine!), a sectioning comb for detangling, a rat-tail comb to create precise parts in your hair as you cut, and a brush to smooth everything out. Position yourself in front of a large mirror so you can see all angles, and you’re ready to start on your journey on how to cut your own hair!

Cut Your Own Hair When It’s Clean and Dry

We know what you might be thinking, your hairstylist usually cuts your hair wet, right? Stylists do it this way because they were trained in this and are professionals! They can create precise and clean lines when the hair is wet.

When it comes to learning how to trim your own hair at home, cutting it dry is much easier. You’ll be able to see as you go along figuring out how to cut your hair the way you want it to turn out. After washing your hair, blow dry or air dry as you normally would. You don’t want to cut dirty hair as the strands will stick together, resulting in an uneven cut. 

Start Small with Trimming Your Hair

Especially if this is your first time trying to pull off how to cut your own hair, you’ll want to focus on how to trim your own hair with small and less drastic cuts. Avoid a major hair mishap by working in small sections and cutting your hair little by little. Start small and work your way to the length you want to achieve. 

If you want to maneuver how to cut your own hair short, you can always trim more as you go along! Beginning at the front, gather a section of your hair an inch or two wide and spread it as thin as possible between your fingers. Trim the hair and use that as a guide on how to cut the rest of your hair in each section. ​​If you’re wondering how to cut your own hair in layers,  section pieces of your hair, pull them to the front, and make angled cuts into the length using professional shears.

Focus On the Direction of Your Hair and Scissors

Pay special attention to how you hold your hair and scissors when you cut your own hair. This will determine the difference between a stellar at-home cut or a hot mess. Pull your hair straight upward with your fingers, then place your scissors parallel to the hair held by your fingers. 

Cut the hairs vertically rather than straight across, lightly opening and closing the scissors on the ends of your strands. This blends and protects your hair against uneven pieces that are much more noticeable with a straight across cut. Use a comb when cutting your bangs as a guide for a straight line, and cut upwards with the scissors.

Practice Makes Perfect to Cut Your Own Hair 

Do you feel like a hair pro expert now? It’ll take some trial and error the first few times (if worse comes to worst, you can always call up your salon for damage control), but we have confidence that you’ll master how to cut your own hair in no time! If you start to miss your longer strands, use Wicked Roots Hair extensions to liven up your locks.