You’ve got hair on your ears, unruly sideburns are all over the place, and you’re starting to struggle every morning just to make your hair look straight.
If you’ve been staying at home for self-isolation, then you’re probably due for a haircut. Yeah, you’re probably not trying to impress anyone with your dashing looks right now. But it’s still important to look decent.
Seriously though, leaving your home to go to the barbershop is simply not worth it right now. And you probably wouldn’t find one that’s open because it’s non-essential anyway.
So, what should a guy like you do? We can’t really let a pandemic ruin your good looks now, can we?
Well, you just have to give yourself a new ‘do!
Have the right tools and set up
Think you can use just any scissors for cutting your hair? Well, not exactly. You need to have the right tools to get the job done.
You want to avoid big and super sharp scissors in order to minimize getting a wound when you make a mistake. Smaller scissors are also easier to control, so you can will find it easier to make precise cuts. It would also be helpful to have a small comb to help you style your hair as you cut. You will also need a small hand mirror so you can easily check how the haircut looks from the back.
It best to cut your hair in a well-lit bathroom with easy access to a sink. This also makes immediate wash-off a whole lot easier. To make clean up faster, you might want to put down a big sheet or old newspaper to catch all the loose hair.
Decide on a style you want
Unless you want to get a buzz cut, you need to have a plan. What style do you want? How short are you wiling to go? Look for your older photos to have a clear idea of the look you’re aiming for.
Prep your hair
Before you start cutting, it’s important to remove all products like styling gel or wax on your hair. If you’re using any of these, you might consider getting a full wash beforehand. If not, you might want to dampen your hair a bit to make it easier to control.
Right after you wash or dampen your hair, part or section it properly to ensure that you will get to cut your hair evenly. This can also help ensure that you are not cutting your hair on top too short. Try to recall how your barber does it when cutting your hair.
Start with the sideburns and back
For beginners, it’s best to start cutting the back and sides using a trusty pair of clippers. It’s practically foolproof! You just have to set the clippers’ guard to around 1 to 2 centimeters, so you won’t end up cutting too much hair. If you don’t have clippers, you may use scissors too. Just try to cut into your hair with your scissors perpendicular to a comb to avoid mistakes. Repeat the process on the other side.
Once you’re satisfied, start cutting the back. Move from the bottom to the top. Use a hand mirror to monitor your progress as you cut.
Trim the top
Now, you’re in the most important part. Use your handy pair of scissor to style the top of your hair. You can use your fingers to raise your hair as you cut. This will give you more control and help ensure that you get the right length and style. Do it section by section and make your cuts short to avoid drastic mistakes that can change your overall look.
Clean up the edges
Now, it’s time to clean up the entire look. Check the length and make sure your hair is even on all sides. If you are using a scissors to clean up the look, make sure to cut only small amounts at a time. You may also use a razor if you want.
Experiment and have fun
Let’s be perfectly honest here, you probably wouldn’t get it 100% right on your very first try. But it’s fine, what matters for now is that you feel neat and well-groomed in spite of the quarantine. Think of it this way, if you get this wrong, no one is going to see it anyway,
But if you keep on trying and eventually get it right, then you just earned yourself a very useful skill. And when the quarantine is over, you might not even have to visit your barber every two weeks anymore. You can just trim your own hair and save money in the process.
Good luck!