Pseudo - not genuine; sham.
Keep that word in mind. I do cut my own hair BUT (and this is a huge but) my hair is really easy to cut, I'm not terribly picky about the results, and I have a high tolerance for imperfections. I do not take responsibility for any bad haircuts that may result from this pseudo tutorial and if you follow my instructions incorrectly and do terrible things, I will laugh at you.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get started.
Normally I cut my hair right after a shower. No real reason - it just clumps together and makes less of a mess. It's also harder to cut. Wet or dry, it needs to be brushed and pulled straight.
I don't bother with the ponytail anymore, but it's the same idea. Flip your head upside down, gather you hair into a ponytail on the very top of your head. Decide how much to cut, and snip straight across.
KEEP IN MIND: this angle means that you're cutting more from the top of your head than the back or sides, because that is the hair that has the shortest distance to go to fit into the ponytail. So base the length to cut off on how long you want your top layer to be. DO NOT: make 2 ponytails and cut the top one shorter. This WILL result in a mullet.
Ponytail at the base of your neck, right on the hairline, as centered as possible. I realize the hair has to move around to the front of your face in order to see, so, using 2 fingers, pull the hair straight out behind you. Clamp your fingers on whatever part of the hair they're on (making a straight "trim line"), and then bring it around to the front, making sure that line hasn't moved.
If you just want to make sure everything's even, you could just trim this - I typically want less distance between the short and long layers, so I'll cut off another inch here.
Guess what! It gets even less precise. For the sides I sweep all my hair forward over the left shoulder. I "ponytail" it on my neck just behind my ear, and trim off any "sticky outy" bits. Repeat this on the other side.
When I finish, I'll typically run my hands through my hair and trim anything that feels like an "edge." So basically the end result is that any configuration of ponytail should result in a rounded end, like a paintbrush, rather than jagged edges.
Totally optional - I like to mess with the front to get a more "piece-y" look, and to have something still frame my face when I put my hair up. Using a finger (or comb if you have one - I do not), create a part that isolates the hair around your face that you want to be shorter. Do something with the rest - push it back, clip it up, whatever.
I typically angle my scissors down, start at the highest point, and then slide or chop my way down until I've gotten to the end/where I want the longest hair to be. At a recent, rare paid-for haircut (I got it done right for my wedding), my stylist showed me a method that involves pulling all that hair forward and "rolling" it. Then he just did basically the same thing, but there was a lot more "shaving" since his scissors are sharp and mine are not.
I've gotten a surprising number of compliments after cutting my own hair. I'm always amazed because I only cut a couple inches off so it's not terribly obvious, and I obviously don't possess any great skill. My theory is that hair likes to be cut, and so it rewards me with extra volume and shine for a few days after a trim.
And now a story...
Once upon a time, Sister3 learned that her greatly talented oldest sister was able to cut her own hair without botching it terribly. Said talented sister shared this magical methodology and Sister3 decided to give it a go!
Unfortunately, Sister3 did not follow the method and decided that not only would she cut her own hair for the first time, but she would deviate wildly.
(You might be able to guess what's coming next.)
Sister3 decided that she wanted MORE layers, and not just the puny amount Sister1 was cutting. She decided to add a second ponytail so that the top layer could be even shorter.
She succeeded. Sister3 finished her hair cut, only to realize that long hair with very short hair on top is also referred to as a mullet, and should never be created intentionally. Sister3 then took herself to a hairy cuttery with more haste than she schedules most doctor appointments and unmulleted herself, vowing never to cut her own hair again.
That should be the end to this sad tale, but unfortunately it is not. These 2 sisters, one so talented, and one so mullet-y, had a wonderful mother. Wonderful Mother decided that she, too, would try the magical hair cutting method that was working so well for her one daughter. Wonderful Mother had heard the mullet jokes, but had been cutting her own hair for quite some time and thus thought the same mistake could never happen to her.
At the time of the cut, Wonderful Mother paused, thinking how ideal it would be to have short hair with the illusion of length. Perhaps Sister3 had simply not used the 2 ponytail method properly. Wonderful Mother double pony-tailed and went to town.
Shortly after, Wonderful Mother was on a Skype date with her 3 daughters. She was wearing a hat. No one thought to question this apparel choice, but the reason for it became apparent when she said, "So I decided to try Jenn's method of cutting hair..."
Moral of the story: Extreme layers = mullet. Short with the illusion of length = mullet. Short in front and long in back = mullet. You can always cut more, but you can't uncut. Don't mullet yourself.
Keep that word in mind. I do cut my own hair BUT (and this is a huge but) my hair is really easy to cut, I'm not terribly picky about the results, and I have a high tolerance for imperfections. I do not take responsibility for any bad haircuts that may result from this pseudo tutorial and if you follow my instructions incorrectly and do terrible things, I will laugh at you.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get started.
Step 1 - Prep
Step 2 - Top Pony (aka Layer)
I don't bother with the ponytail anymore, but it's the same idea. Flip your head upside down, gather you hair into a ponytail on the very top of your head. Decide how much to cut, and snip straight across.
KEEP IN MIND: this angle means that you're cutting more from the top of your head than the back or sides, because that is the hair that has the shortest distance to go to fit into the ponytail. So base the length to cut off on how long you want your top layer to be. DO NOT: make 2 ponytails and cut the top one shorter. This WILL result in a mullet.
Step 3 - Back
Ponytail at the base of your neck, right on the hairline, as centered as possible. I realize the hair has to move around to the front of your face in order to see, so, using 2 fingers, pull the hair straight out behind you. Clamp your fingers on whatever part of the hair they're on (making a straight "trim line"), and then bring it around to the front, making sure that line hasn't moved.
If you just want to make sure everything's even, you could just trim this - I typically want less distance between the short and long layers, so I'll cut off another inch here.
Step 4 - Sides
Guess what! It gets even less precise. For the sides I sweep all my hair forward over the left shoulder. I "ponytail" it on my neck just behind my ear, and trim off any "sticky outy" bits. Repeat this on the other side.
Step 5 - Clean Up
When I finish, I'll typically run my hands through my hair and trim anything that feels like an "edge." So basically the end result is that any configuration of ponytail should result in a rounded end, like a paintbrush, rather than jagged edges.
Step 6 - Angling
Totally optional - I like to mess with the front to get a more "piece-y" look, and to have something still frame my face when I put my hair up. Using a finger (or comb if you have one - I do not), create a part that isolates the hair around your face that you want to be shorter. Do something with the rest - push it back, clip it up, whatever.
I typically angle my scissors down, start at the highest point, and then slide or chop my way down until I've gotten to the end/where I want the longest hair to be. At a recent, rare paid-for haircut (I got it done right for my wedding), my stylist showed me a method that involves pulling all that hair forward and "rolling" it. Then he just did basically the same thing, but there was a lot more "shaving" since his scissors are sharp and mine are not.
Step 7 - Bask in Your Self Cut Glory
I've gotten a surprising number of compliments after cutting my own hair. I'm always amazed because I only cut a couple inches off so it's not terribly obvious, and I obviously don't possess any great skill. My theory is that hair likes to be cut, and so it rewards me with extra volume and shine for a few days after a trim.
And now a story...
Once upon a time, Sister3 learned that her greatly talented oldest sister was able to cut her own hair without botching it terribly. Said talented sister shared this magical methodology and Sister3 decided to give it a go!
Unfortunately, Sister3 did not follow the method and decided that not only would she cut her own hair for the first time, but she would deviate wildly.
(You might be able to guess what's coming next.)
Sister3 decided that she wanted MORE layers, and not just the puny amount Sister1 was cutting. She decided to add a second ponytail so that the top layer could be even shorter.
She succeeded. Sister3 finished her hair cut, only to realize that long hair with very short hair on top is also referred to as a mullet, and should never be created intentionally. Sister3 then took herself to a hairy cuttery with more haste than she schedules most doctor appointments and unmulleted herself, vowing never to cut her own hair again.
That should be the end to this sad tale, but unfortunately it is not. These 2 sisters, one so talented, and one so mullet-y, had a wonderful mother. Wonderful Mother decided that she, too, would try the magical hair cutting method that was working so well for her one daughter. Wonderful Mother had heard the mullet jokes, but had been cutting her own hair for quite some time and thus thought the same mistake could never happen to her.
At the time of the cut, Wonderful Mother paused, thinking how ideal it would be to have short hair with the illusion of length. Perhaps Sister3 had simply not used the 2 ponytail method properly. Wonderful Mother double pony-tailed and went to town.
Shortly after, Wonderful Mother was on a Skype date with her 3 daughters. She was wearing a hat. No one thought to question this apparel choice, but the reason for it became apparent when she said, "So I decided to try Jenn's method of cutting hair..."
Moral of the story: Extreme layers = mullet. Short with the illusion of length = mullet. Short in front and long in back = mullet. You can always cut more, but you can't uncut. Don't mullet yourself.
Have you ever cut your own hair? What's the worst mistake you've ever made? (Mine involves bangs)
