Cutting your hair

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thrifty++
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Cutting your hair

Post by thrifty++ »

I am about to embark on a quest to cut my own hair.

Haircuts are so expensive these days The cost of hair clippers and scissors was less than one cut so I have made back my money immediately.

I am however slightly terrified as I have zero skills in this area. I also have a reasonably high profile job where I have to see people regularly and be well presented. I am also self conscious and vain about my appearance. My hairline has receded a bit at the front which is part of why I have held off on doing this myself for so long. I figure barbers cuts would be better and would help me hide the evidence of that recession. My non receded hair is however very thick and I think I generally manage to avoid it being noticed most of the time.

Does anyone have any tips about cutting your own hair. Ideally mens hair, for men hoping to hide any hairline recession?

vexed87
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by vexed87 »

The style you go for depends on the extent of your hairline, as a general rule of thumb, it's probably better to embrace the thinning rather than try hide it. If you must, why not visit the barber one last time, and play close attention to how they trim and replicate that look if you like it.

Yet a simple buzz cut is easy to do, and can be a strong look, particularly with a little 7 o'clock shadow. My number one tip is to have someone on hand who can help you tidy up the neckline, it's possible to do this yourself, and even easier if you are going for the buzz cut, but if you need to fade the back, it's hard to do it on your own.

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Seppia
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by Seppia »

After a bit of practice it's really feasible to do a decent job on your own, especially for men as we can keep very short hair.
I've been doing this since 2001 non stop so now in 20 minutes I cut my hair and have everything cleaned, but even at the beginning it's not too hard to do a decent job if someone's there to help on the back of the head.

The shorter the easier, and i also find that short is connected unconsciously to "clean" in the minds of many.
I work in sales and I never had an issue

You can do it

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Chris
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by Chris »

I've been cutting my own for years now. Can's speak for hiding hairline recession, but I can tell you what I do know.

I started with just using clippers on the sides, since it would extend the time between haircuts. I eventually moved up to complete haircuts. I watched one YouTube video and got to work. Some tips I've learned by doing:
  • Short cuts are easier, since it's easier to make everything look even by using your fingers as a guide. If you have big knuckles, you might want to wrap them up to avoid cutting yourself.
  • Get an even line across the back of the neck by using masking tape (-:
  • Hair growth will cover most mistakes. If you're nervous, cut it on the Friday of a 3-day weekend

OTCW
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by OTCW »

I just do a #3 buzz all over and clean the neck up with my razor.

TopHatFox
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by TopHatFox »

This works for me. It's a bit more involved than running one guard, but worth it!

1. Use #1 on beard, no-guard on neck hair
2. Use #4 on sides and back
3. Use scissors and fingers on top to leave about 1-2 inches
4. Use L guard on left ear and R guard on right ear
5. Use no-guard to make square side burns and to cut the hair behind the neck
6. Use fine tooth comb to remove all cut hair, then shower and broom
Ex. 7. You can also run different size guards all over the arms, legs, inner thigh, chest, stomach, upper back, and butt; trim and pluck stray eyebrow hairs (no unibrow); trim nose and ear hair; and use no-guard on pit hair (to minimize smell). Body is the closest home and neat is inviting. : )

---------------------------

Ah, grooming. I like Alpha.m from the Youtube community. He does a long video on cutting your own hair and appears very friendly.

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

I also have a reasonably high profile job where I have to see people regularly and be well presented. I am also self conscious and vain about my appearance.
Sometimes it's worth it to pay someone for a professional job.

Be sure to keep your clippers sharp. After 10 cuts (or something, it's hard to say), remove the blades and use a sharpening stone to sharpen them. There are videos on youtube for how to do this. It's easy and takes under a minute.

Scott 2
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by Scott 2 »

It's not like paying twenty or thirty bucks for a haircut guarantees it will be good anyway.

Hair grows back. You can do it.

henrik
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by henrik »

I don't have problems with receding hair, so I'm not equipped to understand why one would want to hide it.
A complete buzz cut is probably the easiest to do, most suitable for any kind of environment and the hardest to mess up doing it on your own. I discovered that when I lost the numbered guards for my clippers. I usually do the hair once every two months and the beard once or twice in between. You can usually tell when it's time by looking in the mirror.
Having a second mirror to check the back is helpful. (I got mine from a burned down car. Rearview mirrors have the perfect shape and angle for checking the back of your head.)

An older related thread

thrifty++
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by thrifty++ »

Thanks for the videos guys! I have been cutting my hair for a couple of months now and its awesome! Saving heaps of money and it actually looks better. I give it a quick cut of some sort every two weeks generally to make sure it always looks good. Takes like 10 to 15 minutes for the quick cuts including clean up time.

One thing though is that it looks as though I might run out of the oil for the blades which came with the clippers. Probably will run out within the next cut or two.

What sort of oil do other people use for the blades ? Please avoid brand names as I am in the USA. Rather what is the raw materials. Eg olive oil etc

Farm_or
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by Farm_or »

Remington gun oil

Riggerjack
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by Riggerjack »

Remington will work, I use air tool lube, because i have an excess (a bottle comes with each air tool...), and it has no real smell. I'm pretty sure that is what the original oil was.

On the subject of receding hairline. Mine started to go at 18, and I caught my share of flack when in the service. Pattern Baldness is caused by testosterone binding to your hair follicles. Your hairline is visual proof, that you are too much man for your hair. This should be flaunted, not hidden. Lessor men should be plucking their hairlines in a shallow attempt at imitation.

If you can't pull off that level of swagger, the right move is to shave it all. Any attempt to hide it, is clearly visible to others as an attempt to hide it, with the social implications of having what you consider to be a fault, and trying to hide it. Trying to hide it makes you appear weak/insecure.

If you ignore all my best advice, and want to DIY haircuts, and advertise your feelings about your hairline, try a Ceasar cut for best results of concealment and DIY ease.

Good luck.

thrifty++
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by thrifty++ »

I will see if I can find some air tool lube

Earlybath
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by Earlybath »

I think it's just mineral oil, so baby oil ought to do it. Most clippers I've had specify a drop per cut, so the little 5ml bottle that comes with them lasts 4 or so years.

guitarplayer
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by guitarplayer »

Very surprised this thread is so short!

Anyway, I will be exploring the topic. Until now I would just shave off my hair and beard every once in a while. However, some changes in my diet and lifestyle resulted in my hair (and skin = no dandruff) looking better than before, so I now aim to keep more of it. This also means I need to learn to shape it better :)

sharing common wisdom welcome.

DutchGirl
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by DutchGirl »

guitarplayer wrote:
Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:06 am
Very surprised this thread is so short!
It got cut?


As a woman with slightly longer hair and bangs, I learned that if the bangs grow too long, you can take 'em all together, spin them around in your fingers several times (so that they are quite mixed up) and then cut them a bit shorter. The twirling or spinning around means that even if you do cut a bit uneven from start to finish, due to the fact that the hairs were mixed up anyway, it won't be as visible.

loutfard
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by loutfard »

A close relative of mine is a very well-respected academic managing a very large unit. None of his colleagues know that he cuts his own hair, but that's what he does.

I used to cut my own hair, but my significant other does not allow me to anymore, so I geo-arbitrage. I go to the hairdressers two times a year when visiting her home country on the other side of Europe. The hairdresser there has recently upped her rates considerably though. 7€ it costs now.

guitarplayer
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by guitarplayer »

Hehe I appreciate it @DutchGirl :) good tip about the spinning, though I am not there yet would need to wait a few more months. I might though!

@loutfard I'd sometimes do the same when visiting family, the last time was a long while back and I paid 5EUR, but guess that now inflation would hike in the range of 7EUR. That being said, in the passing I see the prices here in Glasgow and the cheapest one gets is £5 - this is mostly shaving the hair off and I presume a bit of shaping + probably paying for the time saved as this should take like 5 min. Maybe ask the academic about his tricks the next time opportunity allows!

I am going to see if the links to videos above still work.

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mountainFrugal
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by mountainFrugal »

I have a Wahl corded clipper/trimmer set with a number of different guards. This works for hair and beard. I do a quick shave with a longer guard (#7 or #8) on my entire head. Then I fade up the sides with progressively 2-3 steps down in guard size going up the sides of my head. The bottom of my hair near the back of my neck is the shortest. It gets gradually longer as it goes up. I use a mirror to clean up edges and around my ears with no guard. The faster way for the final piece is to have my partner look for any stray hairs and do the guard-less trim on the back. I catch all the hair in a box and disperse it in our garden.

Coincidentally, @AxelHeyst is literally using this kit right now to trim his beard. haha.

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Slevin
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Re: Cutting your hair

Post by Slevin »

I have the same clippers as @mountainFrugal, but as of right now I use no guard to do my whole head, then the number 2 guard to do my beard. This methodology changes every once in a while due to taste, but the tools stay the same. Fades get much harder the blonder your hair is, but I suspect that isn't a huge general problem.

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