How (not) to cut your own hair: tips and warnings

Alexa Chung did it. Emily Ratajkowski did it. Even Lena Dunham and Lily Collins did it. Mulan even used a sword. If they all cut their hair themselves, can you do it too? Absolutely not. There's only one person who should handle your locks: a hairstylist. Trust me. I've had long hair down to my waist, shaved it off like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta, sported the bob like Crepax's Valentina, bangs, and side-swept fringes, but I've never dreamed of picking up the scissors myself. I didn’t give in during lockdown, not when my strands were covering my eyes and slipping between my glasses, nor during times of financial strain. In short, if for any reason I can't see a professional, I let my hair turn grey and grow like vines down my shoulders and beyond. It's almost a liberating, powerful, primal feeling.

The TikTok Trend Isn't for Everyone

I'm also deaf to TikTok and Instagram with all their tutorials on how to cut your hair at home. Frankly, the proliferation of videos claiming to teach people like me, who can't even cut a straight line on a piece of pre-dotted paper, how to go from a medium length to a short bob seems reckless—an invitation to commit a crime against our hair. It's an overestimation of my skills that will likely result in many tears in front of the mirror and an unpleasant and expensive visit to the first hairstylist I dare visit once I have the courage to leave the house. The result? Butchered hair, frayed nerves, increased sense of incompetence, a diminished bank account, and a "corrective" cut entirely different from what I wanted. Is it worth it?

There’s a reason why, in movies, when a woman cuts her hair, she either looks angry or cries. It’s not because she’s about to make a dramatic change, symbolized by a snip of the scissors; it’s because she already knows the result will be disastrous and she’ll have to wear a hat for the next few weeks. Once it's cut, there's no going back. No one can cut hair well and care for it like our hairstylist. Even if they never give us the cut we want and seem to never fully listen to us.

How to Cut Your Hair Yourself (If You Really Have To)

But if, for whatever reason, you feel the urgent need to trim your bangs, layer your hair, or chop off a good chunk of it, there are some tips to follow to avoid an epic fail and keep your mental health intact—or almost.

Get the Right Tools

The first thing to do is to get a pair of professional scissors— in steel, with blades suitable for cutting hair precisely without fraying it. Stay away from kitchen, paper, sewing, or nail scissors. Make sure you also have on hand a comb, either wide-tooth or fine-tooth depending on your hair type, a brush, hair ties, and crocodile clips. If you have a flat iron, grab that too, and if you don't want to spread hair everywhere, add a cape or towel.

Don’t Cut Hair When It’s Wet

Whether to cut hair wet or dry depends largely on its texture and your skill. If you’re inexperienced, it’s better to dry your hair first because wet hair appears longer, and you risk ending up with a cut that's slightly shorter than you wanted. This is especially true for curly or wavy hair. So, be careful!

Don’t Overdo It

Don't get carried away with excitement. Remember, you're not Edward Scissorhands, so aim for a super simple cut or, better yet, just trim the ends by a few centimeters to avoid too much mess. Take your time, proceed slowly, and avoid giving yourself a drastic haircut in one go.

Go for Point Cutting

When trimming the ends, cut the hair vertically, angling the tip of the scissors as parallel as possible to the hair, not horizontally, unless you want a blunt result. Point cutting is easier if you don't have a steady hand.

Divide Hair Into Sections

After washing, conditioning, and blow-drying, it's time to section the hair, using a tail comb, hair ties, or clips. Maintain your natural part and use your ears as a guide to determine exactly how to section the layers. The simplest method is to split your hair down the middle, gathering it into two parts on the sides. Then, comb it and trim the ends.

Try the Elastic Method

This method is highly recommended on TikTok because it seems very easy. Just gather all your hair into a tight ponytail—high, low, or in two side ponytails secured under the chin—and tie it with an elastic. Then, secure the hair with a second elastic at the point where you want to trim it and make a clean cut. Depending on the type of ponytail, you’ll get a bob, a straight cut, or the popular butterfly cut. Good luck!