Posted on 10/03/2011 7:57:09 PM PDT by Celtic Cross
Hello FRiends. Lately I've noticed that whenever I have a question about something, my first impulse is to look it up on FR. Anyway, that explains this vanity.
Do any FReepers (guys) have experience giving themselves a haircut? My hair grows faster'n a weed and I don't care to waste time and money constantly running to the barber. Plus my hair is thick, coarse, and wavy, so once it gets even moderately long I end up looking either like the 'Hall' in Hall and Oates, or else a 1950's greaser. Not pretty.
I have an electric clipper with a few attachments. I'm not shooting for anything spectacular, just looking for tips on how to get the back, avoid gouging clumps out, etc.
Thanks in advance.
Shave my head and love it. Clean, neat, etc. Will never go back.
I do the “boot camp” special about every 3 weeks....eat ice cream with the money saved...:))
I prefer to let the back-hair form into dreads... Much more modern that way...;)
Is it possible, that you know of, to accidentally cut the hair shorter than the length of the attachment? Like stick on a 3/4" attachment, push at the wrong angle and get a 1/8" patch?
NO mullets!! :p
The doctor who doctors himself has a fool for a patient. If you also spin and weave your own cloth and drive a buggy....
:)
OH, please post “AFTER” pics.
I’ve been doing my own crew cut for about 5 years now. I have a double cow lick that grows very fast and in 2 week I look like the Klingon Worf.
I use a #2 attachment and go around the ears. Next I do my neck (upwards as against the grain will be shorter). Then left to right (all the way). Then right to left. Front to back. And finally back to front. I do the outside on my back deck without a mirror. Final step needs a mirror and that requires taking off the attachment and trimming around the ears.
I finish up with a shower and a splash of homemade bay rum.
Get a trimmer with the various length combs and go buzz cut. A 1/4 inch works very well. 1/2 inch is too long. I don’t cut my own hair but that’s how I waste money at the barber keeping the economy going. They are good to bs with too. My wife could easily cut it but I don’t bother. I learned years ago in basic that a crew cut is a big time saver and a potential DIYer.
First I use #2 guide all over...front to back, then back to front, then side to side. Use two mirrors to see it all; you will probably find that you need several passes in each direction to get it all even, at least at first. Next I switch to #1 guide to get just the sides of my head, going "against the grain". Blending the edges comes with practice.
For the back of the neck I take a piece of masking tape, and put it so that the bottom edge is where I want the bottom of my hairline to be. While facing the mirror, I hold both ends so that they are level, then I tape the ends to my ears. Trim the back of the neck using just the clippers (no guide.)
Finally I use the masking tape all over my head like a tackcloth to help remove any remaining loose hair fragments that didn't get brushed off, then wash. Pretty easy once you get used to it. Hope this helps.
I gave myself haircuts for about 10 or 12 years. I quit when I moved to a warmer climate and started wearing much shorter hair. I actually had people wanting to know the name of my barber so they could use him. So I got pretty good at it. I used hair scissors (no clippers) and the trick is to start with a good haircut and then keep it trimmed by taking off only a small amount every week.
When you get your starting haircut, run your fingers through it and get to learn how long it is in different places. The next week run your fingers through your hair and pull up a bit of it between your middle and index fingers and clip off a quarter inch or so. Use your fingers to keep the cut even. I moved front to back and then did the sides and finished up at the back, which is where you want to take your time. Trim up the neckline with the scissors and a razor. If you want a taper in the back, you will probably need to use clippers and just run the clippers through it with a guard always going down. If you block the neckline, you don’t need clippers. About once a month, run thinning shears through your hair.
When you think you are done, run a comb through it and lift up or use your fingers and lift and you will find some places where you missed. You will need a hands free adjustable mirror so you can see what your doing from the back. Don’t rush. It gets easy about the third time you do it. If you wear a mullet, you don’t have to worry about the back. LOL.
My procedure is very similar, except I start with a #4 on top and taper down to a #2 on the sides/bottom back.
It’s very easy once you learn the lay of your head and where to switch or just adjust the length of the guide you’re on.
I figured out the masking tape trick on my own too (except use the blue tape, ouch!). It was only a couple of years ago I fought out other people underwent the same epiphany.
Now, I always cut my own hair with electric clippers and the best part is that you can get a haircut once a week (or more) for free. I can remember my first time and I’ll tell you the same thing my buddy told me: “It’s easier than you think. Just try it. Worst case, you go to a barber and get it fixed.” (Or don’t get it fixed! It’ll grow out! Go camping for a few days!) Well, it worked that first time and I never had to “get it fixed.” It would help to have someone who knows what he’s doing nearby the first time. As of yet, I have never cut any shoter than the attachments allowed, they work great. Go for it!
OK, how do you make homemade bay rum?
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