Hair cutting scissors are easily available at beauty supply stores - you can find them pretty cheaply, somewhere in the $25 to $50 range. If you don’t want to buy a hair cutting scissors, a fabric scissors will do - just make sure it’s really sharp. Using dull scissors is a bad idea as you will find it harder to cut your hair and may end up giving yourself split ends - which defeats the purpose of giving yourself a haircut in the first place![2] X Research source
Fully comb out your hair once you get out of the shower - your hair needs be as sleek and tangle free as possible. Use a leave-in conditioner if your hair tends to be frizzy or fly-away. If your hair is quite long or thick, there’s a good chance that sections of your hair might start to dry before you get around to cutting them. To tackle this, fill a spray bottle with water and a little conditioner. Then you can dampen your hair whenever you need to!
Use elastic hair ties or crocodile clips to divide hair into sections. Just make sure the sectioned hair isn’t left to hang loose - otherwise it could get in the way of your scissors. Once you’ve finished with the bottom layer of hair, you can start releasing the other sections as you go.
Take a look at the ends of your hair. If they seem scraggly or unruly, or you can see the split hairs, they’re probably damaged and need to be cut. Expect to trim about 0. 25 inch (6 mm) above where the damage stops. This will keep your hair in good condition.
Drag your fingers down your hair, until you reach a point slightly above where you want to cut your hair. Make sure the hair isn’t knotted or twisted between your fingers - it must lie perfectly flat. Your hair will look shorter when it’s dry, so be conservative when you’re measuring how much to cut. This is particularly important for people with curly hair. Remember - you can always go back and cut it shorter afterwards, but you can’t undo it if you cut too much off on the first go.
Trim slowly, letting the cut hair fall away as your fingers (and the strand they’re holding) remain stable and in the same position. If you want a blunt end to your hair, just cut straight across and leave it at that. But if you want a softer finish, hold the scissors vertically (perpendicular to your fingers) and cut directly into the hair, until no sharp angles remain. This will give the ends of your hair a more feathery look. [6] X Research source
Pull your fingers down the hair at exactly the same pace. Whichever hand runs out of hair first was holding a shorter strand. Trim accordingly to match up. Re-check the length until you’re satisfied, then move on to the next layer of hair.
Grab as much of the ends of each layer of hair between your fingers as possible, then trim as little hair as possible, holding the scissors at a slightly downward angle. In other words, trim your hair following the angle from your jaw on that side of your face to the shoulder on the same side. Use the softening technique described above to even out the ends of the hair, then match the layers on each side of your face to make sure they’re the same length.
Use a handheld mirror to check the hair at the back of your head or, better yet, ask a trusted friend to check it for you. If you find any unevenness, take your scissors one more time and, very carefully, attempt to even it out, cutting as little hair as possible.
Start an inch or two (2. 5-5 cm) above your ear, and follow that line around the back of your head to the other ear, moving the razor in a straight-up motion as you cut. Then, starting at your forehead, trim the top of your hair by moving the razor back over the natural curve of your head. Catch any spots you missed between these two areas.
On the back of your head, start the razor at your neck and move upward, again stopping where you cut with the longer guard. Don’t worry about the difference in length for now - that’s where the scissors come in. It’s best to ask a friend to help you trim the back of your hair. While they’re trimming, be sure to tilt your head down and look at the floor—this helps the cut look cleaner.
With the scissors, carefully trim the hair until the two different lengths blend into each other. Do this all the way around your head until the two sections look well-blended and the there is no obvious difference between the two lengths. Have a friend double-check the back of your head, or use a hand mirror in front of a larger mirror to check it yourself. If the “long” part of your hair on top is shorter than finger-width, then skip using your index and middle fingers to pull out sections.
On each side, grab a strand between the thumb and forefinger of each hand. Pull your fingers down slowly and at the same pace. If one hand runs out of hair before the other, you need to trim a bit to match up the sides. Do this until you’re satisfied that the lengths are even.
Tip your head forward slightly, so that your bangs fall away from your face. Put your scissors in the direction you want your bangs to run. Starting near the part, position the scissors where you want the shortest part of your bangs. For side swept bangs, they’ll get a bit longer as you go on. Because of this, angle your scissors slightly downward. Make short, small cuts across your bangs. The lengths should be a bit choppy, but not overly so. Aim to cut sections that are about 0. 5 inch (12 mm) wide. When your bangs dry, touch them up. Ruffle the hair a bit, and see if you’re happy with where it falls. Make more trims if necessary.
