How to cut your own hair without botching it

Some beauty admin is easier than others. As for how to cut your own hair, that one’s on the trickier end of the spectrum, since a fair bit of our hair is at the back of our head where, um, we can’t actually see it. Even if you’ve got full view of the situation (see: your own fringe, your friend/ flatmate/ partner’s hair) there’s no guarantee it won’t end up looking like a mushroom. Hair stylists train for years to get a grasp of layers, so it’s understandable that we may have some difficulty coaxing the best out of our strands when we don’t know what we’re doing.

But, if you can’t make it to the salon, we’ve called on the help of the pros for their tips to ensure you don’t emerge from your DIY chop with a wonky ‘do. Their first piece of advice? Don’t do it. “Wow this is a tricky one,” says top hairstylist, Syd Hayes. “I don’t recommend it,” stresses leading hairdresser, Hollie Rose Clarke. “I’ve seen so many horror stories. If you can wait, then wait.”

But, “if you are going to do it, I’d rather help you through unchartered territory,” offers Hollie. It won’t replace your hairstylist (especially if you want beautifully blended layers and ultra straight edges), but for those wedded to their six-week trim, there are ways to keep split ends at bay, and fringes, in check. Anything more technical, steer clear. “Ghost trims, nano cuts and micro dusting will be enough to improve the condition and remove split ends from travelling up the shaft,” says Hollie. Start small and save any drastic cuts for your next salon visit.”It’s best not to get creative or carried away, less is definitely more,” she adds.

Here are the pro tips for how to cut your own hair…

What tools do you need to cut your own hair?

The scissors pros use are not the same as the ones we use in our kitchens. “Sharp is critical. The blades are made to cut hair,” explains Hollie, and kitchen scissors won’t do a very good job of this, so it’s a good idea to invest in some HD scissors that are up to the task, (try to Salons Direct or Amazon). If you really can’t get your hands on them, “straight nail scissors would be best,” advises Syd. You’ll also need a comb, two clips, a hair tie, a towel or gown and a mirror with some good lighting.

Is it better to cut hair wet or dry?

“It’s best to begin with clean, blow-dried smooth hair,” says Hollie. “Greasy or dirty hair will cling together, resulting in more hair coming off than necessary.” While you could get away with cutting the lengths of your hair wet if you find this easier, don’t cut your fringe while it’s wet as it will bounce, explains Syd, meaning it’ll scrunch up much higher than you anticipated once it dries.

Point cutting vs slide cutting

There’s two main techniques you can use to trim ends: “point cutting, which is where you cut the hair in small movements keeping the blades pointing up and cutting upwards into the ends of your hair,” explains Hollie. Or, slide cutting “which is where you slowly glide the scissors down the hair slightly closing and opening the blade as you slide down,” she adds. “To hold your scissors practice moving just your thumb and keep the top blade as still as you can, as this will give you more control,” explains Hollie.