Do It Yourself Haircut and Save!

I have been going to a men’s hairstylist once a month for 25 years. I paid $25 per visit or about $300/year. I’m a busy executive, and so time was more of a problem than money. By the time I needed a haircut, I was always 2-3 weeks later than I should have been. My hair became shaggy, and I was just less well groomed than I prefer.

I have an electric razor with a pop up trimmer that I would use from time to time to keep the hair from spilling over my ears, plus I use it to groom my beard. One day about 6 months ago, I happened to see a hair-cutting tool called JUST A TRIM. It’s not much bigger than an electric toothbrush, and has several comb attachments.

It was priced less than $10, so I bought it on an impulse. I thought – why not try it? Not much money to loose if it didn’t work. But my experience has been that it works as promised.

In fact, I now cut my own hair every weekend, and my hair has never looked better. Here’s how I do it:

It’s best to start fresh with a professional cut from a hairstylist. If you notice, hairstylists cut the hair in layers so it can maintain its shape. I have a sweptback style of medium length with a part on the side, and a straight blocked cut along the back of my neck.

I have an extra mirror located behind my bathroom mirror so I can see the back of my hair. I begin with using the JUST A TRIM with the shorter comb, and just comb my hair using light strokes. When I get to the bottom of my neck, I begin to slant the comb down close to my head so it cuts somewhat shorter. I keep a careful eye on each stroke to try to get an even cut.

Next, I take a small pair of scissors and cut about 1/4 inch from my bangs, and close to ears, again looking carefully with each cut. Make several short cuts rather than one long one – you can always cut off more if needed.

Then I use the pop-up trimmer on my electric razor, and I start shaping my hair, including various loose hairs that don’t lay in place. The idea is to sculpt the hair to the shape of your original hairstylist’s cut. Then I use the trimmer to clean up the hairline behind my ears and down the sides of my neck. I brush my hair several times between cuts so I can get a better shape.

Lastly, I take off the comb of the JUST A TRIM, and very carefully, just barely touch the bottom of my hair at the bottom of the neck to create a straight line. I cut the small fine hair along the back of my neck below the hairline with the trimmer on my razor. This completes the process.

I make sure I cut my hair over the bathroom sink with the stopper down. I wet some tissues and use them to remove the hair from the sink. If you’re careful, almost none of the hair goes down the drain. I also use a dust buster to clean the bathroom counter and any that drops on the floor.

It only takes about 10 minutes, and it looks like I just got a haircut every time. I get lots of compliments on my hair, and I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that I cut it myself. But then again who cares? I look good, and save time and money to boot.

It does take a steady hand, but you can easily get a good cut the very first time, and get even better after the next few cuts. Just go slow, and hold the trimmers VERY steady when you’re doing the detail trimming. If you don’t have a second mirror, this is a must. You can buy them most anywhere, but it usually has to have a slight angle to it to see the back of your hair. I like the kind that has a scissors extension and swivels. It stores almost flat on the wall when not in use.

If you don’t use an electric razor, then beard trimmers or electric grooming shears like the barbers use are another option. Most can be bought for about $10. Add a pair of reasonably sharp scissors, and you’re in business.

When you begin, just concentrate on the shape and not the length. Make short cuts and just take off a little hair with each pass. You can always cut off more, so don’t try to cut it too fast. If you end up goofing up, you can always go to a hairstylist and get it cut again, but I haven’t had to do that yet.

What would be even better is to get somebody else to cut it for you using the same technique. My wife refuses to do it because she thinks I should just go to the barber like everybody else. So I just do it myself, and find better ways to spend that $300/year I used to spend. I can buy a nice 37” flat screen TV in just 2 years with the savings, and will save literally thousands of dollars on down the road. I might one day buy that used Harley Davidson I have always wanted, all the price of haircuts!

Editor’s Note: To read about other TipHero techniques for cutting your own hair click here: Cut Your Own Hair with a Flowbee