Originally published at: A page of priceless information on how to cut your own hair | Boing Boing
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One word. “Flowbee.” (Or is that two words?)
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That won’t work on all types of hair…
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I’ve done it twice now. I think i have settled with short sides and back and long on top. And now I just have to commit to touching up the short parts once a month or so. I like it so far. My GF likes it. So I guess I will stick with this for awhile.
I should go to a pro once so they can even things up in the back better
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#1 After cleaning/adjusting the trimmer, never forget to put the numbered guide back in place before proceeding.
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If you do, hopefully you start on the side and not the center of the head…
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Nothing that can’t be fixed by deflecting attention from the top of your head with a dab of hair-dye and a tongue stud.
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I have so little hair left I was cutting it myself long before COVID came along.
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Let me write that one down.
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Just do the same thing barbers do: Find some sharp scissors. Pick up some hair between index and middle fingers, holding them flat next to each other, and parallel to your scalp. Cut. Grab new hair and do it again, cutting to the same length. Do your whole head, leaving the top longer than the sides and back. Make the edges tidy around your ears, and the back of your neck.
I’ve been to a hair salon twice in the last twenty years. I’m a typical looking white guy with European lineage, so barbers have always given me the exact same 1950s haircut, even when I was like “Please, do something different! Be creative!”
Then in my early 20’s when I was super poor, I was like “pfffft. I can do that,” and have been, ever since. =)
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That is immensely useful. [/Irony]
When I lived in the south of England I cut my own hair once or twice. I performed what is known as a “coup sauvage”. You simply gather a tuft of hair between two fingers and cut what protrudes. Continue until you have done the same to all your hair, and nothing significant extends beyond your fingers. It looks untidy for a day or two, but after that looks pretty good! (On Hairdressing models, it looks fantastic immediately. Not on me, though.)
When I moved up North of England, the barbershops looked extremely discouraging (our local barber was called “Haggis” - which did not inspire confidence for some reason). Consequently I let my hair grow and now wear it in a single plait. It has been eight years now. The plait is down to my waist. (Mind you, my forehead is larger than it was…)
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Pffft. Real self-trimmers don’t need numbered guides - swing the fine adjustment lever to the short setting and have at it.
I haven’t had my hair cut by someone else in over 20 years. When my hairline started to recede, I had it cut shorter. I finally figured out that using an electric trimmer would give the same result if I was careful and made sure no area of the scalp was missed.
I mostly cut my own longer hair in my 20s due to having some horrible haircuts from professionals. A piece of tape across the nape of the neck is a good guide for a pair of sharp scissors.
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Clearly this is how Bezos does it, omitting the last step of course.
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I wish the husband had read that before trimming the back of my head during Pandemic Hair Adventures, Chapter 1.
Luckily it grows back, and I never see the back of my head anyway.
There are videos on YouTube, some by professional hairdressers, giving advice on how to cut your own hair during the pandemic. Manes by Mell and Brad Mondo are two creators I like, but there are others.
I managed to do a decent job of taking off some scraggly ends last year, but I may have to try it again soon. I’d really hoped I’d be able to get a pro haircut by now, but with the delta variant on the loose, I’m not sure how wise it is to book an appointment.
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Yeah I followed one of those and had some help for the back. I turned out ok.
I wanted to change things up this go and I think I did pretty well. The back is the weakest part- but i never see the back of my head.
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I’ve been doing a 6mm (~1/4") brush cut all over since I joined the army in ~1981. Brush cut was cheapest at the base barber, and needing it once a week meant cheapest. After I left the army, my wife took over the job.
I also do my face at the same time. Full beard or goatee, mustache, and eyebrows. Except that one time what I used the “5 Day” guide. Too short. I felt like GI Joe or similar action figure with a felt beard.
huh huh I said felt twice.
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I have honestly never used a Flowbee. The whole concept seems corny. But I worked with a guy who had been cutting his own hair for years with one and he looked presentable.
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