Cutting Your Own Hair: A Warning

Ok, so I know most of us girls have been there, scissors in hand, ready to ‘trim’ our hair. If you are currently in this risky situation; PUT THE SCISSORS DOWN. You should not attempt to cut any hair before reading this blog. 

So, as you may of guessed, I speak from experience. I watched a few youtube videos of how to cut your own hair, bought a cheap pair of hair scissors from the store and began to chop away. At first, I thought I was doing a good job, I was following the instructions of the trustworthy youtube girls, only taking small amounts at a time and trying not to get carried away. In fact, I was actually proud of the results I was getting, figuring myself to be the next Lee Stafford. However, in the following weeks after the trim I started to notice the not-so-good parts of the cut. But before I go into these, lets take a look at the appealing advantages to cutting your own barnet. 

• In the long run, if you manage to become a successful self-trimmer then you will no doubt save the money that you would be paying for a professional. Being a student, this advantage obviously sounded appealing, and I cannot lie and say that money was not an issue for me.

• Would possess the ability to expertly snip a piece of hair or trim a fringe when desired and not have to make appointments or even leave the house for a new look. 

• Following a bad haircut from a professional, I must admit, I had lost faith in hairdressers. This way, if I were to mess my hair up, at least I hadn’t paid someone to do it.

• Generally seemed like a good idea at the time.

Tempted at all? Well before you make the first snip, lets review the disadvantages and in my opinion, ultimately the deciding factors.

• Let’s face it, your first cut is most likely going to be your worse. Your nervous, unprepared ... Breaking out in a slight sweat? The thought of failure is causing you to doubt yourself, so you take your first snips slowly and barely even touch the length ... Then the confidence takes over and before you know it, you think your a pro. That is until that fatal snip which means your going to need to wear a hat for at least a month. That’s right, over-confidence and getting scissor happy are things to beware of. 

• Blunt Scissors and their Damaging Effects! A key lesson in all of the youtube video’s is to only use hair cutting scissors, as any other type can cause hair damage. However, what they do not tell you, is that the ‘cheap’ pair from the store are not actually proficient in doing their job. Yes, at first glance they may seem trim-worthy and cut your hair in a decent manor, but in a few weeks time you will notice the damaging effect that they have on your precious locks. You will notice that the ends of your hair feel drier, more rugged and splits sooner than expected. This is because of the scissors you are using. They are simply not sharp enough for the job, and any blunt shears can damage your hair drastically. So for anyone attempting to self-cut with cheap store bought scissors, or any other type of scissors, be warned that your hair will be severely damaged and would need a potentially expensive professional cut to correct the damage. This is the main reason as to why I will never self-cut again, even to trim individual split hairs. I found that my hair required two inches to be taken of it by a professional in order to prevent the split ends damaging the rest of my hair, which severely put me back in my quest for long hair.

• You will never be able to create the same look and style that a professional can. Only if all your hair is one length and a simple cut, will you be able to successfully trim it, and even then, getting a straight line at the back of the head will be a difficult task. Now, many of the videos available show how to create layers and how to style your hair, but from experience I have found that these methods do not work. Often, the person in the video is cutting their hair the way they like it, and sometimes their style judgement is not especially trustworthy. So, if you are looking for a hair cut that has some style to it, I whole-heartedly suggest that you consult a professional. If you are a little wary of hairdressers, find one you can trust and feel comfortable with, ask for recommendations from friends who have good haircuts and look for online reviews. Remember, even if you are in the chair about to unleash a professional onto your hair, you still have the right to change your mind and leave the salon. What is worse about hairdressers, is that you can feel intimidated by the female tribe persuading you to go for the latest celebrity trend, but remember, it is your hair and you have the right to say what does and does not happen to it. Trust me, cutting your own hair is not the answer to dealing with pushy and scissor happy hairdressers, be confident about what you want and do not accept anything other than the style you want. 

After reading this I hope that you will thoroughly consider the disadvantages to cutting your own hair, and opt for the safer although more expensive option of paying a professional to do it for you. I know I went back to the salon (with wonky layers) after my self-cutting period but I am sure for some, they never return, confident in their own trimming ability. So, to conclude, if you feel wholly comfortable in cutting your own hair, then sure, give it a try, but please take this heed of warning and consider the long term affects as well as the short term results.

Thank You For Reading =]