Let’s talk about DIY haircuts, shall we?
This is one of those posts I never thought I’d write (it’s definitely not very home related) but due to a surprising amount of requests, here it is. I guess anything that has to do with saving money and doing something yourself is fair game, right? I have no idea how I got into cutting people’s hair, but throughout high school and college I just played around, cutting off a guy’s mullet here and giving my BFF a super short pixie cut there (all at my “client’s” requests, of course). Why did they trust me? I have no idea. Maybe I just have a trustworthy face? I most certainly don’t have any formal training. I just sort of treat hair like I’d imagine I’d make a butter sculpture. You just remove the extra stuff so you’re left with the shape you want. Confidence inspiring, huh? But a bunch of people actually noticed my latest work of haircut art on John’s head in party pictures yesterday, so… score! Haha.
The funny thing is that we realized I’ve been cutting John’s hair for seven whole years! And I’ve probably dished out 50+ other haircuts to other friends and family members throughout the last ten years (why yes I have cut my brother in law’s hair in the backyard of John’s parents beach house). So take this post for what it is, one not-professional gal’s take on how she grooms her man. An above the neck manscaping lesson if you will.
But since it’s extremely impossible to tell you how I cut John’s hair and a lot more descriptive to just show you, we actually made a video, thanks to the help of our handy little tripod. Look at that shaggy hair John had going on in this “setting up for the video” shot:
It’s amazing what a little at-home clippage can do. How YOU doin’ hubby?
But on with the video! Let’s get up close and personal with those light brown locks, shall we? Oh yes, and I have primer/paint all over my hands from Clara’s birthday dollhouse (more on that tomorrow). You can watch it below or here on YouTube.
For anyone who can’t watch the video with the sound on (mehaps you’re at work?) it’s actually still pretty easy to understand on mute (since you just have to see what my hands are doing to get the gist). And I’ve included a few written tips in bullet form below, just to help anyone with a sucker on standby who’s ok with you experimenting on their head. I say that in the most kind and loving way, since all of my friends and family who have let me go to town on their hair are pretty darn awesome. I actually haven’t had an oopsie since college (I went a little shorter than I meant to on a gal in dorms, but she totally had the bone structure to work it). Although now that I’ve made that claim I feel like I should knock on wood. Or John should, since he’d be the most likely person to have to walk around with a potential hair snafu if it ever were to happen. Anyway, on with the tips:
- I cut hair when it’s dry or very lightly misted with water because my experience when cutting wet hair has been that it “shrinks up” and is always shorter than I mean for it to be – which can lead to profuse apologies. Also hair that’s wet might not “lay” the way it does when it’s dry (ex: a cowlick might make itself known when hair’s dry and result in an uneven effect).
- I cut John’s hair at night after Clara’s off to bed so we can get ‘er done without distractions (no toddler running through the hair pile on the floor- which Burger thankfully avoids like the plague).
- I don’t use a buzzer and just shave John’s neck for him after the haircut with a regular shaving razor. That always makes things look nice and polished, and this way we don’t have to store a big hair buzzer (or pay for one).
- I just use hair-cutting scissors that I got for like $5 from CVS. They don’t even have a brand name on them to pass along. Sorry!
- I use my fingers to keep things even. For example, when I cut John’s hair I cut it one-finger-length from his scalp, so it all stays that length. I go a little longer on top – maybe two finger lengths (see the video for more on this).
- I always try to cut hair vertically (ex: parallel to John’s spine) – except for trimming the line around his neck – since it can look dorky and block-ish if you cut things horizontally (parallel to the shoulders). It’s really hard to explain in words, but the video makes this much more clear.
- I’m not a pro, so this isn’t real hairdresser scoop. Haha. I’m just a crazy girl with a penchant for pickles and cutting hair – so this is just what works for me (and John, my sweet hair-model hubby).
Oh and here’s an after pic from the back, since that might help you guys visualize it from that angle.
Hope that helps any DIY-haircutting-hopefuls out there! Does anyone else host haircuts at their house? The craziest thing is that I just calculated that we have probably saved at least $700 in the past seven years just by me cutting John’s hair (not counting all the times that I cut my own hair or ask John to snip a straight line in the back when I need a little trim and can’t reach – which might be an additional $500 in savings over the years). That’s a lot of cheddar ceramic animals…
Ryan says
OH wow you guys are so BRAVE. My husband would never let me cut his hair!
Lindsey K says
It looks so good! My boyfriend makes me buzz cut his hair every few weeks, which I always complain about (mostly because I feel like I need a shower when we’re done, too! All the little hairs make me itch.) but I really am grateful to save the $15 each time which, now that I do the math, saves us hundreds of dollars a year… I guess I should stop complaining… :)
Nikki Kelly says
I also cut my boyfriends hair. I’ve been doing it for 9 years, but I am a professional. His hair is pretty difficult, it’s really thick and straight. He also has a double whirl (that swirly cowlick in the crown of your head) that makes the back stick up like a peacock if I don’t cut it short enough.
I always do a shear over comb technique to get it nice and short and then one fingers length on the top while leaving one little chunk of his bangs longer on one side ( it keeps his face from looking like a long rectangle.)
2 questions, 1. Why don’t you use a comb? 2. Have you ever thought of or used thinning shears?
If you guys are ever in the Denver area I would be more than happy to give you a $1 haircut (so you can still adhere to your ‘no sway’ policy) and give you some tips too!
Nikki
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips Nikki! Never thought I was coordinated enough to work a comb into the equation but I’m going to try it and see how I fare! You’re so sweet! If we’re ever in Denver we’ll have to buy a haircut to see how it’s done!
xo,
s
Nikki Kelly says
Yay!!
Amy @ Lovely Nest says
I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair for about 7 years too! It started when we were in college and he didn’t want to pay to get it cut. He bought a trimmer kit for about $25 and after a few haircuts it had already paid for itself. Now, 7 years later we still use it and he even just cuts his own hair sometimes.
Joan | Rossendale says
I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair since the Christmas following our wedding in 1991 when I bought him a pair of clippers. He does keep it very short though, so easy job. Not sure I’d be as brave as you
Candace says
John looks like he has antlers in the “setting up for the video” pic. Hehe!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha love that!
xo,
s
amy says
My husband has never paid for a haircut in his life! His mother always took the clippers and buzzed him down to stubble (he has super curly hair), he did it himself for a while, and now I do it. I think we’re going to take a razor to it this summer to make him all Mr.Clean like! Are there any tips on this someone can give me?
YoungHouseLove says
Any Mr Clean tips for Amy?
xo,
s
Erin says
Love this! I am going to have to try on my husband. I have cut our three kids’ hair before and always get our baby’s hair too short. My oldest is 4 and was absolutely petrified of haircuts. He would literally scream bloody murder- toys, suckers, movies- he wasn’t having ANY of it. The kids’ haircut salons, etc. were the worst- he really could not take it at all. Always ended very badly. So from 17 mos to this day, he only gets haircuts about once every 5 months or so, when he has hair down past his eyes, and I do them myself now. He is getting old enough now to kind of be bribed into eating a treat and watching a movie while I do it, but still hates it and doesn’t sit still. I’ve heard parents do this at night sometimes, but my son’s hair is so thick/little curly that I can never get a good enough angle to try it in bed. Anyhow, for all the moms posting about how hard it is to cut kids’ hair, I feel your pain! I am going to try headphones during our next session because for my son, it’s the sound of the scissors snapping away that sends him into a panic attack.
Kristy says
I’m a long time reader and just recently I’ve noticed that the videos never show up anymore. I scrolled through the comments to see if anyone else remarked about the same issue, but it seems everyone else was able to see it. There’s no link to click or an image that looks like video. I’m not over-the-moon about needing to see a video of your haircutting skillz, but I’m just noticing that all videos you reference are no longer showing up. :-(
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, it sounds like you might be reading in a place where they block youtube videos (at your office?) so maybe watching them at home would work?
xo,
s
Kristy says
Unfortunately, no. I only read at home, haven’t changed computers so I know all my settings and such are still the same. It’s very weird.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, that’s really weird. Could it be some virus blocking software maybe? Have you done any updates or anything with McAffee or Norton AnitVirus? Sometimes that can make pics go away for 48 hours and then come back- no idea why it would hide youtube videos though! SO sorry we can’t help! We haven’t changed how we post them on our end for the last few years. I’m stumped. Anyone have ideas?
xo,
s
Kylie McCoy says
Love it! You are so brave to have him cut your hair, I’m totally impressed. I cut my husbands hair and it’s saved us several hundred dollars too- such a great and easy way to save.
DeeJay Conley says
John has antlers and I never knew. Superfantasticcoolio!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh yes I trimmed them too.
xo,
s
Kardma says
In about 1960 my father’s barber upped his price $.25 My father was so incensed that he bought a pair a scissors, handed them to me and said “cut”. His hair was about the texture of some kind of wild boar and would fly for 20-30 feet around the room. I finally figured out how to do it (totally used YOUR technique…dumb luck), and went on to cutting pretty much everybody’s hair over the years. (Except during the 70’s when nobody was cutting anybody’s hair.)
I have a very short pixie cut myself, and actually started doing exactly the same procedure on myself. It started because I was traveling for business so much and couldn’t nail down a salon appointment. Bought the same darn scissors (at Walgreens) and did my first self-cut in the bathroom of a hotel. Once you get the “pinch and cut” routine down, it’s pretty easy…you just do it by feel. At least once a month somebody asks me who does my hair (this could be, of course, because it looks so horrid and they want to avoid that particular salon, but I prefer to think its because it looks cute).
Love you guys.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s so funny! I’m sure it’s because it looks awesome! Love the .25 cent price hike! Haha.
xo,
s
Laura says
Great. I have five boys and my husband to trim each month. I figure I save about $800 a year by cutting their hair. They just line up and we start the shearing. My husband cut my hair. Once. Ha ha. We DIY our school also. So nice to be a little independent.
Kayla says
This is an AWESOME post! The video is so helpful. I’ve always wanted to try cutting my husband’s hair and now I’m going to this weekend! His hair is a lot like John’s and he’s super laid back about how it looks… he said he can always buzz it short if it turns out horribly :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so glad to help! Good luck!
xo,
s
Ty Lee says
I almost always cut my own hair. I have long, thick, wavy hair, and I’m always charged “extra” by the stylist, even though MY hair takes less time to cut than my husband’s hair, yet he gets charged $15, and I get charged $50. It’s sexist, I tell you!
Since my hair is long, thick, and wavy, and since I wear it in layers, cutting my hair is super easy. I just trim the bottom, then recut my layers. Random? Uneven? Just makes it look natural. Plus, that whole thick, wavy thing hides any mistakes. That, and my hair grows faster than a post-apocalyptic weed, so I actually like to err on the side of too short, because I know in a couple of weeks, it’ll be the length I want.
I save hundreds each year being my own hair butcher. I mean, stylist… *cough*
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it!
xo,
s
Kate S. says
I’ve always thought it was funny that we have this in common–you’re the only other woman I know (other than a professional hair stylist) who cuts her husband’s hair; other than me, that is. My husband’s hair grows so fast, I swear we’d be broke if we had to pay for haircuts! Much like you said, I’m not sure what convinced him to let me do it the first time, though!
Mona says
Pretty good for not using a comb.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Mona!
xo,
s
Whitney says
I needed that tutorial! My grandfather was a barber, but he passed away long before he could teach me the tricks of the trade and my dad is bald so my mom never passed them down either :) I gave an ex in high school a really BAD haircut and so when my husband asked me I was scared. A few glasses of wine and the fear was gone. The look wasn’t bad… just not great. You have helped me overcome my fear :) I have only tackled my own hair once- thankfully curly hair doesn’t show mistakes ;)
Heather says
I cut my hubbies hair too, as well as my son’s – they are both two different styles. My DH has short hair, and I use a combination of clippers for the bottoms and scissor cutting for the tops and sides. My son, has more of a Justin Bieber hair-do and that is done mostly with scissors. I too am not professionally trained and these are probably the only cuts I can do! It is such a time saver and money saver!
Moriah says
Thank you Thank you Thank you for this post. I have been cutting the hair of my two little boys (ages 2 and 4) because it was so expensive to take them to get it cut. So, I figured I could do it…why not right? Well this is super helpful! Thanks
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo
s
Marla says
my hubby cuts his own hair and our two little boys’. I cut my own hair and our two little girls’. I’m afraid to do guy haircuts bc the last time I did I made my 7 year old look like he had a mushroom cap – hubby fixed it though, much to my relief!
Did John mean to give himself antlers in the once picture of him setting up the tripod – funny!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- total accident!
xo,
s
Marlene says
I have cut my sons’ hair for years with clippers, but decided to give your method a try. I love the result!! Thanks so much for the tutorial. Now maybe my husband will let me cut his hair…
Donna says
Wow, you do great work, Sherry! I’m pretty sure my husband would rather have me poke him in the eye than cut his hair! My attempts with my childrens’ hair were not awe-inspiring, to say the least. But you go, girl!
Jennelle says
I’ve been cutting my husband’s and brother’s hair for years. The cost of a barber set w/ electric clippers was around $22 vs $7 haircuts, so the barber set has quickly paid for itself. I was kinda scared the first few times, but now I’m an old pro!
Pam says
Thanks so much for doing this! I cut my husbands hair with clippers, but have been interested in trying things with scissors. My poor husband suffered a few questionable haircuts before I got decent at it.
One question. You say you keep the cuts vertical/parallel to John’s spine, but for some reason that still has me confused. In the video your cuts on top are horizontal. Do you mean you just pull the hair forward a little and then cut it horizontally so it’s textured?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s so hard to explain, but I generally mean when cutting the sides or back I keep the blades parallel to his spine and then on top they’re horizontal, but they’re never across, like a Dumb & Dumber haircut- sort of like how I try to explain in the video. Does that make sense. You want the scissors to point at the back of his head when you’re cutting the top, never point towards the ears and cut across like you’re cutting bangs or the hair won’t be choppy and it can look like a bowl haircut, ya know?
xo,
s
Erin @ His & Hers says
I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair for about 7 years now, too, and the first time it seriously took me 2 hours because I was so nervous. Isn’t it crazy how much money you save?
Lori F says
What I’m wondering is how did you extract the antlers John was sporting in the tripod photo?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, for those I used a hack saw!
xo,
s
Krista says
I’m inspired to try to DIY my husband’s hair now! But first I have two questions:
1) How often do you cut John’s hair?
2) Does John put product (like gel, etc.) in his hair every day, or does it lay like that on its own?
YoungHouseLove says
I probably get a haircut about 5 times per year and yeah, I do use product to give my hair a little bit of “lift.” Right now I’m using a Crew brand pomade, but my favorite stuff is by Got2Be.
-John
Heidi P. says
Hahaha – ceramic animals :D
Love the antlers John’s sporting in the set-up pic. ;)
I cut hair every now and then too. And my brother used to make me get the back of his neck after a haircut. Now I cut my toddler’s hair, but he does NOT enjoy it. So it always looks pretty crazy. Ha. Good thing he doesn’t know any better! Not sure if a buzzer would be gentler or not…
Oh, and pickles – undying love.
Evee M says
I like how in the “setting up for the video” shot John has antlers coming out of his head! My mom always cut my dad’s hair and I have cut my husband’s hair ever since we have been married. This last year I started cutting my own. Any easy way to get some layers after cutting your length is to flip your head upside down and and put it into a ponytail right at your crown. Cut a bit off the ends and see how it looks. I usually cut of several inches, but my hair is longer.
Kelly says
I used to cut my hair in high school once I learned how. I have giant naturally curly hair, and at the time I wore it in long layers since that seemed to tame the beast. My hairdresser called the style “the Sauvage” (with a french accent although she wasn’t french.)
Basically, she gave me medium length bangs, then made sections going backward. Each section was brought up and over, then lined up with the bangs in front. Whatever hung below the bangs was cut off. That way each section as you moved toward the back of the head, was longer, creating a subtle layering effect. The longest layer in back would only require a tiny trim by the time it was brought forward to the bangs.
I watched her very carefully and over time, I was able to do it at home. Then again, my hair cut was only $6. Talk about thrifty!!
John was a great hair model!
Jeff Patterson says
Great job with the haircut-I was a bit afraid of what migh happen but you did a fantastic job.
Anika says
This was so helpful – I really appreciate having both your tips to read through and the video (especially the video!). I’ve been using clippers on my husband for years, but I really like the idea of changing it up. THANK YOU!
Lindsay says
Love the tutorial and I especially love that Sherry has paint on her wrists! What hardcore DIYer wouldn’t?!
I’ve only dared give my hubby buzzcuts, but I told him next time he’s my Guinea Pig and I’m trying your technique!
:)
Sandy Acree says
I did it ! I watched your video twice and then got my almost 8 year old outside and cut his hair. This is so awesome ! I can’t believe I did it. He said his teacher told him she liked his hair cut and he said , ” I told her my mom cut it.” LOL
Judith says
I think DIY haircuts are a great way to save money. I usually trim my hair myself but my boyfriend doesn’t” trust” me yet with his. Maybe after your video he’s going to change his mind and we can save even more money in the future. ;) I cut my hair in long layers a couple of weeks ago with that thing called CreaClip. It does work great and everybody thought I went to the hair salon for my new haircut. I am so cheap I know… :)
Laura says
Not sure if anyone’s mentioned this yet (I’m not willing to read 500+ comments to find out…yikes!), but John has some awesome antlers in the “setting up” shot! haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh yes, I gave them a trim too.
xo,
s
Suzi says
Hi!
I skimmed through these comments and first have to start off by saying good job!
I almost always nick my fingure during a hair cut too. It’s because you cut passed the second knuckle.Those suckers bleed like crazy!
I used to be a hair stylist before I had 3 kiddos (I still have a license). I cut my husband and 2 boys hair every 5/6 weeks or so.
The only tip I have is maybe buy a cape at Sallys, wet your hubs hair first (it makes it so much easier to find your lines and then hair doesn’t fly around as much). I missed it, how come you don’t use a comb? Does it get in the way? If so it becomes natural to hold it after a short time.
If you wanted to save some time. You could buy a $25-30 clipper set from Walmart and use a 3 or 4 shoe on the sides it would give you close to the same results in a shorter amount of time. When you got to the top sides hold them straight out (like you do) vertically and blend the sides into the top. Then you could do the top as usual.
My 3 guys have similar haircuts just a little shorter on the sides. I use clippers on the sides. For the top I start with the bang section, making a horizontal section, comb it straight up and knotch into it (point cut into it) gives it a textured look. I continue that all the way to the back. I go back through it vertically to check my work. Hard to explain. I should make a video.
Hey! I’ll trade free haircuts for you both in exchange for decorating advice! I really would!:)
Sorry for the book!
P.S.- I would have to agree with one of the comments above. You look like Rachel McAdams to me as well! Just renter her movie from red Box last weekend and thought that. Maybe you just have similar personalities? In school I always got that I looked like Sandra Bullock…
YoungHouseLove says
So funny about the Rachel McAdams thing. And thanks for the hair tips!
xo,
s
Gina says
Did you notice the antlers on his head?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh yes, I gave them a trim too.
xo
s
Shae says
As a hairstylist I find myself giving a lot of hair cuts to friends and family. And you gave some pretty pro pointers, most home hair cuts scare me, so kudos to you.
I would suggest investing in a better pair of shears though, especially if you plan on cutting your daughters hair, lower quality shears can ‘shred’ the hair cuticle, think of it like cutting with those cheapy crayola scissors.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Shae!
xo,
s
liz says
i wish i had a friend to cut my hair on the cheap. i wear my hair super short (in what i hope looks like an Emma Watson pixie cut) so i visit the salon every 4 weeks. luckily my stylist only charges me the men’s haircut rate since i don’t require any blowdrying or excessive styling, but that still adds up.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that sounds like a cute haircut though! Glad you get the men’s deal!
xo,
s
Pam says
Your post brought back memories of the time I recruited my husband to give me a perm back in the early eighties. I always cut his hair and figured that it couldn’t be that hard to roll a perm, plus we could save alot of money. BIG MISTAKE. BIG.
Nora says
Sherry: great job! I cut my own hair as well. It saves a ton of money.
Jenny says
I cut my hubby’s hair and use the same exact technique! Right down to the shower/shave part. But he likes it quite a bit longer on the top. I cut my own hair and our son’s too. Hooray for saving pennies!
Jelena says
I have a similar blonde spot on my head in about the same spot, and my younger half-brother has the same spot also! People ask me all the time if I dye it!
I used to cut my husband’s hair all the time. Sometimes it looked better than others, but his hair grows really fast, so it saved us a little here and there. I cut it once when I was pregnant with my son, and haven’t cut it since.
I forgot to put the guard on the clippers ( I blame the pregnancy brain) and cut a huge canyon looking mark on the back of his head. I immediately starting laughing, then bawling, then laughing, then bawling…
It was hilarious! I can still see the look on his face…I swear he thought I was possessed! I’ve never had a crazy hormone/pregnancy moment since…but he hasn’t let me cut his hair after that day!
Nicole says
I’ve actually been cutting my husband’s hair since we were dating, about 6 years, now. When I can afford to see my hairstylist, I get a “real” haircut for myself, but I usually trim my own. Now that we have a toddler (boy) with wild curls, I have managed to give him haircuts, too. The key is to let him play, and make one cut at a time when I can, then put the scissors where he can’t reach until he’s distracted again. Thankfully, hubby sits still. :)
Eilene says
I just wanted to say thanks for this video. My mother has been very ill, and my husband is picking up all my slack while I take care of her. The one thing he’s wanted was to get a haircut. His hair was getting out of control, but it kept on getting pushed down the priority list. I cut his hair the other night and he was shocked at how well it came out. I owe it all to you guys!!! I would have never tried it if you didn’t make it seem so easy… and fun!
Amanda K says
sorry if this has already been asked, but have you cut clara’s hair yet? if so, did you use the same method??
i have a little boy (he’s faaaar from needing his first haircut) and i’d rather cut his hair at home than pay for haircuts. i’m hoping your technique will work on him.
YoungHouseLove says
Her hair is really slow growing- haha. So we haven’t had a single real hair cut since the stuff on top doesn’t seem to come in very much – but there have been a few mullet trims using this method!
xo,
s
Jessie says
After studying the video, I gave my first haircut to my trusting boyfriend last night. It was way easier than I thought it would be and he actually loved it, saying “this is exactly how I wish they would cut my hair at Sport Clips”. Thank you for making the video…it will definitely save us $ in the future. And as a public school employee I’m trying to figure out how to make this a side job. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! So glad!
xo,
s
Wrenaria says
Nice! My mom used to cut my hair for me until I moved out and then I cut my own hair for a few years until I decided to grow it out and then the back got too long for me to do properly without fear of unevenness. I still cut my own bangs. I also dyed my own hair until I decided to go red last year, and then decided I’d rather have a pro do it since reds can be finicky. My hairdresser usually trims up my ends for free, though, so that’s a nice bonus.