How to Cut Your Hair at Home
April 07, 2020
With salons closing in accordance with social distancing measures, we’re about to be faced with the choice between letting our split and frayed ends take on a life of their own or figuring out how to give ourselves a haircut that doesn’t end in disaster. Thankfully, many hairstylists are taking to Instagram to share tips and tutorials for all of us amateurs at home and we couldn’t be more appreciative.
One such hairstylist is Sunnie Brook. The Biolage brand ambassador recently posted a nine-minute video to her feed explaining in detail how to trim hair at home. After watching it once (OK, we’ve definitely watched it ten times), we’re feeling less intimidated and grateful we didn’t attempt this before getting schooled. Watch the full video below and read on as we highlight some of Brook’s best tips.
Prepare Your Work Station
For a successful trim, Brook says you’ll need scissors, a comb (a brush can put too much pressure on the hair), a clip for sectioning, a fine mist spray (you can use a face mist like the Garnier SkinActive Facial Mist Spray with Rose Water!) and a towel to collect the ends as you cut for easy clean-up.
Cut on Dry Hair
“Wet hair lies!” says Brook in her video. She explains that because hair stretches when it's wet, she prefers to cut on air-dried hair for accuracy and to get a better idea of exactly how much to take off.
Create a “Guide” in the Front
If you have layers in the front, you’re going to want to start by taking two small face-framing sections from either side of the head. Bring the pieces together, twist the part of the ends you want to take off and gently cut in a downward motion towards the floor. This will give you a tapered look instead of a blunt one. Repeat the process with small sections of hair around the face until you’ve achieved your desired look. Check in to make sure both sides are even as you go.
Don’t Cut Straight Across Ends
Once you’re done creating your front layers, take larger blunt sections from the back and cut into ends with the scissors pointing upwards (just watch your fingers!). This will get rid of split ends and take weight out of the hair.
Finish With a Mist
After she finished her trim, Brook scrunched a face mist throughout her hair. This will bring out your natural texture so you can see how your hair falls when it's got some movement to it.
Less Is More
Remember: You can always cut off more hair after a first pass. This is especially important for those with curly and wavy hair, says Brook, because strands will spring up after they’re cut.
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