Shear madness: how to do a DIY trim
There have been a lot of changes that come with lockdown life. Some good, some bad.
Better skin without all the makeup? Good! Balancing work and child care at home? Not so good. Also in this camp? Hair that’s overdue for a cut!
For the latter, we’ve got your back! The haircutting kit is the perfect way to keep yourself busy, do something for you and instil a bit of normalcy into your life.
Pair it with an easy trim tutorial to get more mileage out of your haircut!
Get your tools
A good trim requires solid tools. A sharp pair of scissors and a comb are necessary–and are included in our haircutting kit. Plant yourself on a chair that you can sit in comfortably and get in front of a floor-length mirror.
Grab a detangling brush to untangle any knots and grab a few newspapers or flyers to place underneath. Or have a broom and dustpan nearby!
Check a few tutorials–or ten
If you haven’t been to hairdressing school–or have shaky hands–it can be really scary to do a trim. Luckily, you’re only a few videos away from some hair confidence.
Find a few tutorials with your hair length and how you want to do your trim. If your hair is more on the curly end, the viral unicorn trim tutorial might be up your alley. This will work for straight hair types, too, but can be more forgiving with textured hair.
For straight cuts, section hair into small ponytails. Make sure that the sections all have the elastics at the same length and start cutting!
But if you’re feeling extra anxious, you can start small with a dusting!
Start with a clean slate
Just like the salon, wash and dry your hair. Unlike the salon, don’t think about moistening your hair before you cut.
Wet hair can stretch and might cause you to cut off more than what you’re comfortable with. If this is your first time cutting your hair, it’s best to cut hair while it’s dry!
Stand tall–and straight
Before you grab the scissors, make sure your shoulders are level and your head isn’t jutting forward. Check that you’re not hunched over while you cut as that can change the length you cut–or worse, the slant. It’s the little things that can make or break a good trim.
Comb, cut, review, repeat.
Before cutting, detangle your hair with a brush. Depending on how much hair you’re cutting, you might want to separate your hair into sections with some alligator clips.
In the spirit of “measure twice, cut once”, visualize your trim before you go in with the scissors. Cut conservatively with your first pass before stepping back to assess in a mirror. Comb each section again, even if you already started trimming, so you don’t miss a strand!
When you’re happy with the length, go in with the thinning shears to make little snips into the section you trimmed to cut the bulk!
