How to Give Yourself a Men's Haircut

Are you tired of spending $10 to $30 for a mediocre men's haircut--not to mention spending the hour or 2 it takes to get it? Save some time and all the money. Read on for a guide to give yourself a really good men’s haircut.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sharp pair of barber's scissors
• Mirror and hand-mirror
• Comb or brush
• Razor
• Hair clippers (optional)

1. Wash your hair and dry it. This will make your hair easier to deal with than trying to cut it with bed-head or cowlicks. Brush or comb your hair straight downward to straighten your hair as much as possible.

2. Start cutting in front where you have good vision and control. You will be doing a modified Caesar cut because it is the easiest to control and hardest to make a mistake.

3. 
   Cutting Direction for Top and Front

   Grasp a small packet of hair and pinch it between thumb and forefinger. Pull it straight forward and upward about an inch to allow the scissors to slide underneath. Align the scissors in the direction of the hair, with the scissor tips facing the hair root direction and clip the hair packet to the length you desire. This cut produces a wedge-shaped packet of hair, which is your objective.

4. Continue cutting wedge-shaped packets of hair all around the top, to the desired length. Remember to leave the hair somewhat longer on top and on the opposite side from your part, to maintain enough hair weight to keep it manageable.

5. 
   Cutting Direction for Sides and Back

   Move to the sides; but now align the scissors in the direction of hair growth with scissor tips aimed toward the tip of the hair packet. Clip a wedge-shaped packet with the scissors nearly aligned with the contour of your head. You can adjust the contour of the cut by rotating your scissors along head contours as you cut.

6. Continue cutting wedges along both side of your head, then move to the back. With practice, you will be able to judge the length of the packets as you pinch and straighten them, and you will be able to cut the most of the back of your hair without using a mirror. Keep the scissors aligned with the hair, with scissor tips facing the hair ends.

7. Finish trimming around ears, sideburns and front of hair using the mirror. Comb front down and cut wedges spaced about ½ inch apart, or cut straight across if you prefer. Use a hand mirror while you trim the back, keeping scissors nearly parallel to head contours to produce a tapered trim. Finish your haircut by shaving back of neck, using the hand mirror to guide you.

Tips & Warnings

• When straightening hair packets to clip, you can use your middle and ring fingers to help pull the hair straight and judge the length. Then use forefinger and thumb to pinch the hair straight, making the cut close to the thumb.
• If you have electric clippers, you can start by clipping your hair to a basic length before starting with scissors. You can start clipping with about a 1 to 1 ¼ inch guide all over, then trim down sides and back to a shorter length. Then complete the cut with scissors as outlined above.