It’s true that I’ve never been to beauty school. I first thought about cutting hair after going to a Relief Society activity that showed the basics. Armed with a borrowed pair of scissors and clippers, I got to work on James’s first haircut. . .
First Things First
Before you do a haircut, I recommend searching online for a couple of things.
1. Best haircut for head shape. (Google will give lots of results and picture examples.)
2. How to blend if you cut more than one length. (There are Youtube videos on how to do it.)
Like I said, I’m not an expert, but Google can be a huge help for getting started. Take this as a testimonial that you can learn to cut hair even if you start off with NO experience whatsoever.
Taking the Plunge
My husband will laugh when he tells you about the first few haircuts. I’ll freely admit that they weren’t great, but I improved a lot just from the practice. By his fourth haircut or so, I finally was able to pick up those clippers and scissors with confidence knowing that I’d be able to do a good haircut in under an hour. The first time I ever cut his hair, I was terrified. It took a long time, probably an hour and a half, and I still couldn’t get it quite right. I’ve come a long way since then! I now own my own set of clippers and scissors. I think I’m on my 3rd set now after 10 years, but I do a lot more haircuts than I used to now that we have 5 kids.
Everybody’s hair has quirks, I’ve learned. For James, it’s an unusual head shape and curly hair that grows in different directions, plus a cowlick. Now, I am learning how to cut his hair a little differently since it’s starting to thin out on the top.
The Boys’ Hair
Thanks to my 3 boys, I can give a little advice for a decent boy’s haircut.
I set my youngest boy in a high chair covered in a towel and set up a movie on the bathroom counter to try to distract him. Now that he’s almost 3, he can make it through most of a haircut without too much trouble. When he was younger, I just did the best I could and sometimes missed little spots when his patience wore out. Little people don’t sit still, and there’s nothing that can be done about that. A one-year-old is going to complain (sometimes very loudly) through a haircut no matter what you do.
Using clippers is a lot easier and quicker than scissors. I use them all over 3 times, then trim around the ears and neck. Though a buzz cut isn’t the fanciest haircut ever, that’s what my boys will both get until they can sit still enough for 2 lengths. I don’t want to cut off any ears accidentally!
The Girls’ Hair
Don’t cut bangs for your daughters. It’s a trap!
Okay, maybe bangs can be cute, but maintaining them is terrible. I don’t want to cut the girls’ hair once a month when the boys can get by with 6 weeks – 2 months. I also don’t want to keep pinning them back for the next year, but here we are. I’ve learned my lesson, so no bangs for my younger daughter.
The great thing about girls’ hair is that it doesn’t have to be cut very often. My daughters and I are going on 1 1/2 years now with no intention to cut our hair any time soon.
How much does cutting hair save me? This article outlines how much the average person spend a year on their hair. (Mind blowing!)
If you’re afraid of cutting hair, don’t be. Practice makes perfect and saves a ton of money.