Buzzing Your Own Hair?

[Tathlum]

Three way mirror helps me out a lot.
Self cut system is the brand. Little expensive but I've saved it back by not going to the barber scince COVID.

 

[SmokedStanley]

Been using the same Wahl clipper set for at least 20 years. While I have not saved any money shaving, the money I have saved with the clippers more than makes up for it. I know it is not the correct oil, but for the last 10 years i have been using the same bottle of 3in1 oil, 2 drops per use and it has been working out.

I generally do three passes on the back since it is harder to see and have had good luck so far. Good luck and asking the spouse for a hand or quick visual confirmation in the beginning is very helpful.

 

[euro]

Hi All,

I have searched for this topic, and have only found head shaving threads, so sorry if I missed this topic covered before.

I got my head bussed with a #3 comb about a month ago in solidarity with a brother in chemo. I really liked it, especially after about two weeks of growth. Guessing a #5 type length. My question is this:

I have an Oster Fast Feed and all the combs (beard), and I watched what the 80 year-old Sicilian guy who did my initial buzz was doing. He basically buzzed it all off and used a #1.5 to do the sides and back. My questions are these:

He made it look easy, right? I am guessing it’s hard to do it on one’s own? Any experiences here? I have a two sink and medicine cabinet setup which would allow me I see the Mack of my head, but I’m still chicken.

I am planning on going again to spy a bit more on the barber, but I am afraid as to what I might wind up doing to myself. Unfortunately, I have to look somewhat respectable for my work.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

Steve

What a coincidence, I'm planning to cut my own hair since the barbers here are asking way too much. I ordered everything I needed to do a fade but I'm still waiting for the fade guide. This is a fade guide:

I also got this mirror, I haven't tried it out but many people who do DIY haircuts are very positive about it:

Years ago I used to shave my own head and I used the clipper without a guard. It was easy but fading is probably much harder. I have been watching so many YouTube videos on fading and I'm confident enough to do it, if I screw up heh I'll shave everything off and wait for a while to retry.

The clipper I recently purchased was the Wahl 5 star legend with the premium guards. My old Wahl clipper came up with the regular ones which are horrible compared to the premium clippers.

 

[sk806]

Dedicated hair trimmers come with combs specially made to contour the ear. My barber never used them, but I find them essential to get a clean cut look.

As others have said, a professional level clipper can be had for less than a year’s worth of haircuts.

As mentioned in the OP, I do have a set nice clippers (Oster Fast Feed, same as my barber, in fact). I have been using them on my beard since 2018, and they are great, but I have been too chicken to try my own head hair. They did NOT come with combs, though, so I bought a set, which did NOT come with these amazing tapered dealies, though. I want some! They loo like they would make the sides so much easier. I am going to see if Invan find them for the clippers I have.

Been cutting my hair for 25 years. Pretty easy. Of late it’s a 3 on the top, and taper the back. It's gradually gotten shorter back and sides. I can't imagine how much I've saved over the years, but it's never been about that. I do love a good 'overseas' haircut and shave. Top 5. Malaysia, Costa Rica (white pricing sadly), Philippines (x2), Thailand.

I lived overseas for many years and also liked the haircuts “over there”. Very old guy in Taiwan market near my office was a favorite. Real straight razor and everything. Never occurred to me to get one while just traveling, though. I think you have started a new type of tourism for me. Now, it’s food, scuba and haircuts/shaves (and beach, sightseeing, I guess)! My wife and kids will be thrilled.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

What a coincidence, I'm planning to cut my own hair since the barbers here are asking way too much. I ordered everything I needed to do a fade but I'm still waiting for the fade guide. This is a fade guide:

View attachment 1778129

I also got this mirror, I haven't tried it out but many people who do DIY haircuts are very positive about it:

View attachment 1778133

Years ago I used to shave my own head and I used the clipper without a guard. It was easy but fading is probably much harder. I have been watching so many YouTube videos on fading and I'm confident enough to do it, if I screw up heh I'll shave everything off and wait for a while to retry.

The clipper I recently purchased was the Wahl 5 star legend with the premium guards. My old Wahl clipper came up with the regular ones which are horrible compared to the premium clippers.

I have been using the corded Wahl 5 Star Legend clippers for the last four years and they are excellent, a huge improvement on my old clippers. I have been cutting my own hair since 2016 and I keep it simple - a number 1 all the way up the sides and back and a 4/5 on top. Cutting your own hair is like anything else, you get better at it the more you do it, now I don't even use a mirror as I can go by touch. I found it very helpful at first to watch a few videos on Youtube. I have been thinning on top for years and sometimes wish my hair would completely fall out so I could rock a Bruce Willis badass look

 

[Bobovata]

Might have to check out a 3-way mirror.

 

[Fodermonk]

I lived overseas for many years and also liked the haircuts “over there”. Very old guy in Taiwan market near my office was a favorite. Real straight razor and everything. Never occurred to me to get one while just traveling, though. I think you have started a new type of tourism for me. Now, it’s food, scuba and haircuts/shaves (and beach, sightseeing, I guess)! My wife and kids will be thrilled.

Do it! They often cost less than $5!

 

[NorthernSoul]

...I know it is not the correct oil, but for the last 10 years i have been using the same bottle of 3in1 oil, 2 drops per use and it has been working out...

A 4 oz. bottle of Andis clipper oil is only around $2. Good stuff. I believe it is Chevron white oil (light mineral oil), though it might have some additives, too.

 

[NorthernSoul]

What a coincidence, I'm planning to cut my own hair since the barbers here are asking way too much. I ordered everything I needed to do a fade but I'm still waiting for the fade guide. This is a fade guide...

FWIW, I don't think you need a fade guide. You want to follow the natural hairline and the bones of the skull as guidelines. That will give you a more natural looking haircut. Wearing some kind of guide is one-size-fits-all, so your haircut may end up looking like you are wearing a helmet instead of following the natural shape of your head.

Maybe go for a simple taper until you get the hang of it. The close fade takes more skill to do.

 

[euro]

FWIW, I don't think you need a fade guide. You want to follow the natural hairline and the bones of the skull as guidelines. That will give you a more natural looking haircut. Wearing some kind of guide is one-size-fits-all, so your haircut may end up looking like you are wearing a helmet instead of following the natural shape of your head.

It was only 2 euros from Aliexpress, this is how it works:

This is what I will be attempting:

 

[NorthernSoul]

It was only 2 euros from Aliexpress, this is how it works:

This is what I will be attempting:

OK, forgive me for being skeptical.

The problem with the close fade is any mistakes will show. Things don't just blend in when the hair is cut that short. It requires skill and is easier to do on another person than on yourself.

 

[euro]

OK, forgive me for being skeptical.

The problem with the close fade is any mistakes will show. Things don't just blend in when the hair is cut that short. It requires skill and is easier to do on another person than on yourself.

There are plenty of people doing it on themselves. I honestly think it is possible with a good clipper, good mirror and technique. But of course you have to practise but that's the case with everything.

If I screw up I'll shave everything off and wait for a couple days and try it again. It looks easy but I could be completely wrong. But this is going to be a great challenge anyways. It will save me a lot of money... which I can spend on shaving supplies Sure there are still barbers who ask 10 euros for a haircut, but there is a huge chance they'll ruin your hair. If someone is going to ruin my hair then it's me, and it will be for free

 

[NorthernSoul]

...of course you have to practise but that's the case with everything.

 

[Frito Ray]

As mentioned in the OP, I do have a set nice clippers (Oster Fast Feed, same as my barber, in fact). I have been using them on my beard since 2018,

My mistake, I read “beard” and assumed they were the narrow beard or body grooming clippers.





Guys please, please, please put the “fades” and the “tapers” on the back burner for a good while. Remember that you will be working backwards, using mirror images and will be forced to use your non dominant hand…that alone takes a while to het the hang of. Just concentrate on getting an even cut for the first few times.

 

[ChriWilson]

Fortunately, SWMBO takes time for my trims.
In the rare case that she can't, I can always shimmy over to the base on Miramar for a $12 low-regulation fade.

My experience is they really take their time on us old fellas, given they have zero idea whether there's a bird or stars on the collar...

 

[skateblade]

SK806.......YOu shave with a SR and you're afraid of cutting your own hair ! .....I've been doing mine with a Norelco cordless from Costco ....works great .....you can do it ....start slow and experiment a little and you will be fine Trust your self .....I also shave with a SR .....but no blood on my scalp when cutting my hair .....trust your hands and your eyes .....good luck .....i'm with you in spirit ! Pete

 

[RRGGMM]

I have been cutting my own hair for a couple of decades. With time, I have learned how to do a more complex cut, and I am pretty efficient. When I got tangled up in the cord of my old Wahl clipper, and it hit the ground and broke, I invested in a modern barber quality setup that is night and day better than my lower-end Wahl. I am using a cordless Wahl Senior clipper and upgraded to the metal clip attachments from the all-plastic ones. I have curly hair, and leave the top long, and use a #3 on the upper sides of my head, moving the clipper up to create a taper from the side to the top. I use a #2 from above my ears and behind, moving up to taper from lower to higher. I use a #1.5 for my sideburns and above and behind my ear. I had used the ear taper attachments in the past, but I find it easier to get a good result using the #1.5 and just angling the shaver a bit. For the top, once it starts to get really long, I get my hair damp, and comb over to one side and trim with scissors, and then repeat on the other side. I also have a Wahl Retro-T zero gap trimmer to trim the back of my neck and the bottom of my hairline at my neck. I accomplish the neck and hairline trimming standing with my back to my bathroom mirror, and hold another mirror in my hand. I switch hands for each side. The mirror in one hand and trimmer in the other move took some time to figure out, but I can now do it quickly and accurately. When blending the sides from the ear to the upper edge of my head, my most significant improvement came from learning the angle to hold the shaver and going over everything in different directions to cut even. I used to cut everything one length with a #2 attachment, but I got tired of looking military and started experimenting to get the cut I wear now. I can do a much better job cutting my hair than I previously paid for, and even the higher-end Wahl clippers are very affordable. Investing in a good cordless clipper is huge. I use a spray cleaner after every use and then oil with Wahl clipper oil, and my clipper is always sharp and ready to go. I also wasn't afraid to make mistakes since if it was really bad, I would just cut everything shorter to cover it up. Now, I do a quick trim every two weeks and the cut I described above every three or four weeks. It has saved me a ton of money, and I always look trimmed and professional. Before, I hated scheduling a haircut, and there were several times a year when I looked shaggy. Tonight I gave myself a haircut, trimmed the back of my neck, and had a great shave and it was fantastic! I encourage you to dive in, and don't be afraid to try different attachments and go for a tapered cut! People always tell me my haircut looks good, and I always look consistent since I keep up on trimming and cutting. Before, I would go from shaggy to cleaned up, and people would always ask if I got a haircut. It is nice to present a more consistent look.

 

[RRGGMM]

FWIW, I don't think you need a fade guide. You want to follow the natural hairline and the bones of the skull as guidelines. That will give you a more natural looking haircut. Wearing some kind of guide is one-size-fits-all, so your haircut may end up looking like you are wearing a helmet instead of following the natural shape of your head.

Maybe go for a simple taper until you get the hang of it. The close fade takes more skill to do.

I do a taper, not a close fade, but you are 100% correct. Following the shape of your head will look more natural than wrapping an oversized rubber band around your head! I learned that going a bit longer and tapering looks way better on me than trying to do a tight taper with my scalp showing through.

 

[RRGGMM]

I have been using the corded Wahl 5 Star Legend clippers for the last four years and they are excellent, a huge improvement on my old clippers. I have been cutting my own hair since 2016 and I keep it simple - a number 1 all the way up the sides and back and a 4/5 on top. Cutting your own hair is like anything else, you get better at it the more you do it, now I don't even use a mirror as I can go by touch. I found it very helpful at first to watch a few videos on Youtube. I have been thinning on top for years and sometimes wish my hair would completely fall out so I could rock a Bruce Willis badass look

The Legend is a nice clipper, but once I went cordless, my routine leveled up significantly. I am using a Wahl Senior cordless.

 

[RRGGMM]

I did not recommend anything in the way of equipment. @DesertIguana is correct the cheap stuff is not worth using, IMHO.

I chose a Wahl Senior clipper and a Wahl Peanut trimmer. I also got a set of the premium clipper guards. Similar equipment is available from brands like Oster or Andis. Basically, you want something you would see at an actual barbershop. Check out some of the barber supply places online.

I have a Wahl Senior Cordless and a Wahl Retro-T zero gap cordless trimmer that have been fantastic!