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Getting a Haircut during this Crisis, Hmmm?

Chan Eil Whiskers

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
When I look at the before and after photos of the guy in post #147 (above) I want my hair to look kinda sort in the middle between these two looks. I don't much like the post haircut look where it looks like I just went to the barber and "got my ears lowered." The before photo looks a bit shaggy, and in need of a little work, but it's more what I want, or would be trimmed up a bit.

In other news: Today I did a little trimming. Mostly around my ears, but also a bit on the sides and back. Almost entirely with scissors and blending shears. Used the clippers a tiny amount at the bottom of the back. Cut the front just a tiny amount.

I'm not sure it's perfect but it's more to my liking - a little neater looking - and I didn't mess anything up.

Since my last effort I purchased a larger pair of cutting scissors which I like much better. The new ones are Japanese steel albeit made in China. Not expensive but easier for me to use. The first pair I bought are fine but kinda small for a man's hand.

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It's fun learning to cut my own hair. Unlike any barber or stylist I only need to acquire expertise on one head of hair. Also I care more about the results than most of them. As a bonus I give myself extra large tips even when I do a lousy job of it.

Happy haircuts,

Jim
 
Chan Eil Whiskers

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
It's been about a month since I touched my hair. This week I have a social function to attend (safely I hope) for which I need to be reasonably well groomed. Certainly not quite so shaggy as I was yesterday.

Anyway, I broke out my kit - clippers, trimmers, mirrors, scissors & shears, etc. - and went to town.

Most of the work I did employed the scissors and shears, but the Oster 76 and the trimmer were used a bit.

As I expected the most difficult areas are in the back of my head and on the back of my neck. I don't expect they're now perfect, but I believe they're considerably improved and certainly not butchered.

Still learning, I am, but improving.

If anyone's interested in doing their own haircuts I should mention how much can be accomplished with a pair of $20 - $30 (each) tools - haircutting scissors and thinning shears - and two mirrors, one being fixed or tabletop and the other handheld, a hairbrush, and a decent barber's comb (the Oster Flattop is my favorite). I also use a couple of cheap metal hairclips to hold the top hair while I do the sides. Obviously, there's a learning curve.

I'm reasonably pleased by today's effort and very pleased that I'm tackling this learning curve.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
Chan Eil Whiskers

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
_MementoMori_ said:
This quarantine has been pretty rough on my hairstyle. I had a crew cut before this started!


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I have a friend who gets a GI haircut. Then he lets it grow until it's so long he has to use his daughters' berretts. After another year or so he gets another GI. His hair always looks horrible, but he doesn't care and he's a hell of a good guy.


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Wanna chip in for his Christmas present?

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
fathandle

fathandle

Locked down again here in socal so no haircuts. Lucky I got a cut a month or so ago. Might be a few more months till I get another. I am not brave enough to cut my own hair. First world problems.
 
Parkergreen

Parkergreen

I got sick of paying for uneven haircuts and then feeling obligated to tip on top of it afterward. So, I bought my own clippers and learned how to do it myself. That was 18 years ago. People ask me where I get it done and they’re surprised when I tell them I do it myself. It takes a little practice but it’s well worth it. Take your time, do it right, avoid the health risk and save money. 😁
 
Chan Eil Whiskers

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Cut my hair again today. This was the most I've cut off in a good while, but it was still not anywhere near as much as a stylist or barber would cut. I like that I can completely control the amount I cut and the amount I leave.

It looks pretty darn good. Not necessarily 100% to the professional level, but certainly good enough to suit me and any casual observer.

Nobody would look at me and think I'd done a bad DIY haircut. I know this because I got my wife's opinion on how it looks and she gave my efforts an A-OK.

To anybody just starting it's worth the learning curve. Main advice: Do your homework. Scissors and mirrors are the #1 kit to have. Under do the cutting.

Duplicate what your stylist did on the last good haircut you had by feeling the lengths all over the place comparing sides of your head, etc.

Happy haircuts, gentlemen,

Jim
 
cryhavoc

cryhavoc

I haven't had a hair cut since February and I used to get one every 1.5 months. I commented on it to SWMBO and she said it hasn't been this long in years but she liked it. So looks like I'll let it grow till she says something negative or I can't stand it anymore.
 
Badgerstate36

Badgerstate36

I was cutting my own hair during the shutdown and depending upon your style, it can be really easy. I always just get a #2 buzzcut with a fade to a #1 on the sides; so mine it really easy and I could easily do it myself.
At first I was concerned about going back to my barber shop but its so different now than it was that Im really not that concerned about it. The shop is cleaner than its ever been and you are no longer allowed to wait inside the shop (they call or text you when your chair is ready), not to mention they have dividers between the chairs and everyone has to wear a mask. I certainly feel safer at my barber shop than I would in a bar or restaurant.
 
C

chuckd

I have been cutting my own hair since April with a Wahl, using a #6 or #7 guard. I was getting good results but thinking about returning to the recently reopened barbershop that I had patronized in the past - just when I read an article in the local paper saying that the owner was shutting down the barbershop after 60 years because the post-reopening business volume never returned to what it was and needed to be :(
 
Ravenonrock

Ravenonrock

I shaved the pig
My 16 year old son prefers me to cut his hair. I’ve gotten better at it over the years of practice. He’s still asking, so I must be doing something right.
 
hcoop112

hcoop112

I never get my hair cut...the reason....a decent hairdresser is like finding that one true woman...1 in a million ...and im not paying for a second rate haircut...to stop myself getting upset from them giving crappy haircuts..i just grow my hair and when it gets to long i shave it all off and it starts again..saves money to i guess
 
stowaway_44

stowaway_44

chuckd said:
I have been cutting my own hair since April with a Wahl, using a #6 or #7 guard. I was getting good results but thinking about returning to the recently reopened barbershop that I had patronized in the past - just when I read an article in the local paper saying that the owner was shutting down the barbershop after 60 years because the post-reopening business volume never returned to what it was and needed to be :(
Click to expand...
That's a sad tragedy, and it seems to be happening all over.
 
Chan Eil Whiskers

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
My previous haircut was August 16th. I've been noticing I was overdue for a trim. Looking a bit shaggy around the ears gets old after a while unless that's the look you want which I do not.

Used my trusty kit this morning to fix the issues.


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I'm not at what I consider to be the mastery-of-my-own-head-of-hair stage but I'm improving. It seems to me that today's DIY haircut might be the best so far, but I'm planning to reserve final judgement for my wife and others. I'm not going to mention to anyone that I cut my hair today.

My wife is not the most observant person in the world when it comes to my haircuts. I've had professional haircuts by stylists, haircuts which I considered to be too short, some of which weren't noticed by SWMBO until I pointed out that I thought them too short. Not that she never notices that I had a haircut but sometimes she hasn't.

If she doesn't notice this haircut that's good. If she notices it and expresses approval that's good. The main thing for me is my haircuts shouldn't provoke comments such as, "Either your barber was drunk or you did a bad job with your first DIY attempt!"


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My objective is to not look like I just had a haircut. I just want to look decently groomed. The pros in my experience tend to go too short such that the customer doesn't feel robbed when they need another haircut very soon. When cutting one's own hair that's not an issue.

However, there is still a tendency to go too far, cut off too much. The tendency must be curtailed or the haircuts aren't satisfactory to the nth degree.

This one's not satisfactory to the nth degree but it is satisfying to the hth degree and I don't think I went too far with the process.

In case you have a hankering to DIY here are a few tips from another newbie a few paces down the road.
  • It's a lot easier than you probably believe.
  • You must do homework first or you'll hash it up. Sources are within this thread.
  • There's a learning curve. Don't try to climb the whole curve the first outing. If you do, it will grown back. If your wife is watching and says to quit...listen.
  • You can go a long way with haircutting scissors, blending or thinning shears, a brush and comb, and two mirrors, one stationary. Decent enough scissors are not expensive (I have two. One was about $10 and is fine but small. The other was maybe $25 and is better and larger. The thinning shears were about $25 or thereabouts).
  • Clippers and trimmers are nice to have but not really necessary for my haircut which is medium long in a professional/businessman way.
  • If you really get into it and plan to do it long term buy yourself a really nice barbershop style barber cape.
  • Weather permitting an outside porch easily swept off is the place to cut your hair. Cutting your hair gets hair everywhere, especially if you cut it in the kitchen. My wife noticed that haircut for weeks even though I thought I'd thoroughly cleaned up.
Happy haircuts,

Jim
 
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