I’m autistic, I’ve had one haircut since covid because I hate the sensory aspect of haircuts. I’ve been searching online of how to cut hair and it doesn’t look that hard, but a lot of people seem to advise against it. I think that if I fuck it up it’s not the end of the world, I can just go to a professional. But I have very long hair so I have a lot of opportunity for trial and error. I think that if I get some practice, it’s something I can continue to do going forward. I also don’t particularly care how it looks, I just want it to be shorter.
Well, if you have a lot of hair to play around with, you can just try it without much risk. I cut my own hair (male, short hair) but I find it really difficult to manipulate scissors or clippers while looking in the mirror. I also can’t really do the back of my head so I have to get someone to help me.
Just be ready to clean up, because hair will fly all over the place if you aren’t careful.
Thank you! I’ve bought some hairdressing scissors and will have a go tonight
There is a huge difference in proper shears and scissors.
If you’re going to try the scissor route, I recommend you aim for messed up. Like anime style, lots of different lengths going lots of directions. Then you might actually do something nifty. If you try to do anything even or any fades, you’ll have a very hard time.
I shave my head daily in the shower. It feels good, requires no mirror, and always looks consistent. Have been doing it for years.
This is the only way I’ve been able to do it. Don’t try for sleek lines, embrace the scruff. It’s not bad once you get the hang of it. The back of the head it tough, but doable. Maybe have a friend do the neckline
Yeah I think I can manage a messy look, I’ve bought some hairdressing scissors I’m going to have a go tonight
I’ve been wondering this too, but out of sheer convenience. I even already have a trimmer for my beard. I like my hair short and usually describe it as “number 3|6 trimmer on the sides and back ….” And I should be able to do that.
Why do I need to use my time to find a barbershop that hasn’t shut down, go sit in a waiting room for 30-60 minutes, have to describe to someone new how I want May hair, and end up with something inconsistent anyway. I can be inconsistent on my own, thank you
Go for it. I was very reluctant to try DIY haircuts. But once I did…I immediately wondered why I paid for it with time, money, and hassles for all those years.
Go for it!
I do something similar a couple days a week. It looks just as good as a similar cut I’d get from a barber.
Your cut sounds a lot like mine. I’ve clipped the back and sides on my own many times without problems, but if you typically like them to scissor cut the top, I HAVE messed that up doing it on my own.
Might be worth asking in !autism@lemmy.world
I do it, handheld trimmer in front of a mirror, not gonna win any awards but it works.
I’ve done it and it’s not that hard. Plenty of tutorials. It will take you a bit of practice to get the back right though, since you need to either be fine with it looking sloppy or work from a double mirror setup.
I started to go bald in my early twenties and started shaving it. I haven’t been to a barber in decades now. Even if they came up with the perfect baldness cure, I wouldn’t take it.
I always strongly encourage everyone to try shaving their head bald at least once, just to feel how it is. There’s nothing like having your scalp finally not itchy at all. No hairs pulling in any direction. Chilly in a pleasant way. It’s amazing!
The only downside for me is that I’m already visibly ill, so I look just like a cancer patient lmao
Yes, shaving one’s own head with clippers on a short setting is not hard to learn and do well. It’s incredibly convenient although it does limit what you can do with your hair. But the time saved is so wonderful.
Watch videos and practice on something that isn’t you if you can. It’s easy to goof up with long hair if you don’t use the right techniques. I have been clipper-cutting mine for over a decade now. Obviously that’s much simpler but it still took practice.
Not really.
I often buzz cut my own hair. It takes a long time as I need to go over it many times to get the straggler hairs. There are areas that I don’t dare try to straighten up. My side burns and back of my neck. Otherwise I simply use a #2 in the most of the year and a #3 in the winter.
I was a barber and yes, if your hair is long, you can trim it without training, as long as it’s not very straight it doesn’t matter if it’s precise. Short hair and straight hair are less forgiving.
Basically you just want to make sure the two sides left and right are the same length and there are no “points” - no sharp length changes.
I’d just look for videos with people who have hair similar to yours, showing how they cut their own hair. You can do it!
I started cutting it myself during Covid. Then moved to a forwign country. I have always had anxiety about the salon experience so it was a huge relief when it was just me in my bathroom with some scissors. No one to blame but me if I mess up and I don’t get poorer about it. I’ll probably never go to a salon again. I am 44 and have never loved my hair so it doesn’t matter much to me how it comes shorter. I keep it between my chin and shoulder blades, and use brad mondo tutorials.
I shave mine. Typical a 3mm guide over the blade. I’ve been doing that for about 20 years.
With long hair, you have two particular easy opportunities:
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Just trim only the temples with a trimmer, and let the rest grow as it pleases. Or cut the ends to some length that makes sense. This way you can have a ponytail, or loose hair if that’s your style, and look okay.
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Or, get a ‘long mohawk’: have a barber buzz the sides so that you have the back and top in a straight wide stripe, then tie a ponytail and shave the sides with a trimmer once every week or two. This is more fit for dudes, though there are photos of gals in image search too. The benefit of this style is that it’s more chilly than a full head of hair, while also being low-maintenance.
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I have some small experience and it did not go well
