Cut Hair at Home: Tip-of-the-Day #169

SAVE MONEY AND LEARN TO CUT HAIR AT HOME

Out of the blue my boyfriend asked if I might cut his hair for him and I must admit part of me was thrilled. Growing up, some girls dreamed of becoming dancers, princesses - even mommies - but I always wanted to cut hair. Like the others, my dream was derailed and so when this opportunity presented itself I couldn't say no. That said, once the reality set in and I realized I had no idea how to cut a man's hair I thought I'd better do an internet search and take a quick crash course. And that's precisely what I did! I Googled "how to cut a man's hair" and found a particularly helpful wiki page.

Simple steps included:
1. Wet the hair generously before cutting and towel dry.
2. Comb hair to remove any tangles and to get an idea of how and where to cut.
3. Trim the back of the head first (using good styling shears) and get that nice crisp line with a small clipper. Use also around the ears. Consult the guy about how short he would like it to be.
4. Comb the hair forward and make an imaginary line down the center of his head, as if it were in between his eyes separating the right side from the left side.
5. Pull the hair up in between your fingers where your imaginary line is, and cut to desired length (usually as tall as your finger is against his head).
6. After cutting your entire line, comb hair forward again and begin at the very front of the head. You should notice the length difference where you just cut.
7. Using that as your guide, make another "line" to either the right or left of your original one and begin cutting again as described in above steps.
8. Comb one last time after the entire head has been trimmed. Look over to make sure no spots were missed or to touch up any areas a little more.

Easy as that all sounds it can still be daunting...but I had a few things working in my favor:
1. My boyfriend has a lot of hair so even if I screwed it up it likely wouldn't show
2. My boyfriend is very laid back
3. I'd had a drink

Tips:
* It's always best to have your man shower after a cut, and before going out, to get all those tiny hairs off his neck, ears, etc.
* Next time when going to the salon, take some time to observe, and maybe even take notes on, a hairdresser cutting a man's hair. This is the best way to learn.
* Get tips from your favorite hairstyle magazine.

Net net: I did a pretty good job (with some coaching) and I saved us $20 which we promptly spent on dinner!