How to trim your own long hair

If you want to save money, then you don’t need to go to a barber store and just trim your hair at home. As long as you can use the right hair cutting tools and also have enough patience, then you will definitely be able to get a decent haircut. Read this article and you will learn many ways to trim your long hair by yourself. You have to decide whether you want a flat or layered haircut, and then choose the right method of cutting your hair. Do-it-yourself hair repair at home will usually choose to create a layered hairstyle, as a delicate flush cut is difficult to accomplish at home.

Method 1 Preparing for a haircut (How to trim your own long hair)

1
Buy a high-quality hairdressing clipper, which should be available at a nearby drugstore or cosmetic store. You’d better use small scissors with blades that are 6 to 7 cm long, because the shorter the blades, the better you can handle them.

2
Determine the hairstyle you want to cut. Before you do it, determine what kind of haircut you want, so that you can reduce the probability of making mistakes.
You can start by searching the internet for pictures of celebrities to see how their hair looks. You can also look through hair magazines, which can be found in many drugstores or bookstores on the magazine racks. You can stand in front of a mirror and arrange your hair in different lengths to see how it looks, or you can print a picture of yourself and draw different hairstyles for yourself to choose the one that suits you best.
You can look for mobile applications or web pages and upload your photo to the platform to try out different hairstyles.
Don’t make a hasty decision. If you want to cut your current long hair into a short one, think about it for at least a few days before you do it. Maybe you’re just in a bad mood at the time and you’ll miss your long hair when you’re back in the mood.
If you want to make a big change in your hairstyle, it is best to consult a professional barber to make sure that the desired hairstyle really suits you. However, you can still trim your hair yourself at home.

3
Decide whether to get a dry or wet cut. Most professionals will recommend a wet cut because it gives you better control and manageability of your hair. Of course, some barbers also recommend a dry cut because you can always see the final result of your haircut and trim any curls or unruly hair in time.
If you choose to get a wet cut, then first determine the ideal length of your hair and leave a few centimeters to spare when you cut, because your hair will shrink when it dries and look shorter than wet hair. Some people even say that the length of their wet and dry hair can differ by 10 cm.
Dry shears tend to cut unevenly. Dry cutting requires very sharp scissors. A dry cut can easily dull the blade and make it impossible to get a clean cut, thus making the hair uneven.
Most professional hairdressers choose to cut hair wet and refine it after it has dried. This also gives you the opportunity to make fine adjustments and ensure that your hair is cut properly.

4
Prepare your hair for the cut. If you decide to get a wet cut, then wash and condition your hair, wrap it in a towel to absorb excess moisture, and then brush your wet hair straight. If you decide to get a dry cut, then blow dry your washed hair, comb your hair as you are used to, and try to wear your hair the way you like it.
If you usually straighten your hair, then straighten it before you cut it.
Do not use any hair care products on your hair before the dry cut, otherwise it will be more difficult to control the result of the cut.

Method 2 low ponytail method (How to trim your own long hair)

1
Wash your hair well and keep it wet. If you have just washed your hair, then you don’t need to wash it again, just spray your hair wet with water.
This will keep your hair straight and look slightly rounded from the back.

2
Part your hair. Divide your hair evenly along the hairline right in the middle of your forehead, and then straighten the hair on both sides. You want to try to part your hair evenly and evenly, and you may want to use a fine-tooth comb to comb through the sides.

3
Gather your hair well to the nape of your neck and tie a low ponytail. You can use a fine tooth comb to smooth out your hair and then tie it in a tight ponytail.
Before tying the ponytail, you have to comb your hair carefully without any unevenness on the top of your head.

4
Then tie a headband. This headband should be tied at the point where you want to cut your hair, probably a few centimeters further down than the previous headband.

5
Gently lift the ponytail upwards. Of course, the headband should be tied tightly to the hair.

6
Cut the hair under the second headband. You can cut slowly little by little, don’t try to cut it all in one cut, but make sure the end of the hair is smooth.

7
Loosen the headband and shake out the hair.

8
Check the haircut and trim further. Brush your hair straight or comb your hair forward to see if the ends are smooth. Fine tune it to your liking. If the cut is not too flush, then you can trim it again by tying it into a low ponytail. But don’t cut your hair short again, just tie a low ponytail, hold it with one hand and trim it with the other.

Method 3 Grab cut method (How to trim your own long hair)

1
Comb all the hair high up to the top of the head and hold it tightly with your hands. This method of cutting is easy to cut layers and is suitable for inverted bob hair.
Keep in mind that the hair cut in this method is not too long, but it will cut the volume and make the hair long and thin. If you have thin and fine hair, then this method may not be suitable for you.

2
Trim your hair the way you want it. You can grab your hair, hold it high above your head, and cut it with scissors.
You can pinch out a strand of hair at the front hairline, decide exactly where the shortest layer will be, and then reposition the strand so you know where to start.

3
Loosen the hair. Loosen the hair and run a comb through it.

4
Grab the hair in the opposite direction. Grab the hair again and hold it high, this time in the opposite direction.

5
Trim the stray hair. Grab the hair again and hold it high above your head, trimming excess hair at the ends.

6
Spread the hair out and run a comb through it. Smooth out the loose hair with a comb to create your desired hairstyle.

Method 4 Scratch cut method for pixie head (How to trim your own long hair)

1
Cut out the bangs. If you want long bangs, then comb some hair out from the top of your head as a bangs area before cutting it extensively. If you don’t want bangs, go straight to the next step.
You will have to determine how to cut your bangs based on your preferred pixie hair style. If you want light, angled bangs, then trim them at a 75° angle at an angle.
If you like bangs, then cut them flush along the horizontal line of both ears and partition them in order.

2
Comb all the hair towards the top of the head and hold it tightly.

3
Start cutting the hair. Pinch your fingers at the desired length and start cutting.

4
Smooth out your new short hair.

5
Stroke out a thin layer of hair vertically, then cut vertically, either up or down. It is best to cut vertically and smoothly when you are cutting. Cut your hair as long as you like.

6
Continue trimming the remaining hair. Use the previously cut area as a ruler and pick out a strand of hair to correspond to the previously cut area to complete the trim. Cut the rest of your hair in this way, following the same pattern as the previous trim. After the cut, you can refine the edges of the hair to make it smooth and even.

Method 5 high ponytail method (How to trim your own long hair)

1
Keep your hair clean and wet before you start cutting. This cut produces a more layered haircut. If you have just washed your hair, you don’t need to wash it again, just spray your hair with a spray containing clean water.

2
Bend down and let your head go down. If you don’t want to cut your hair with your head down, you can also stand up straight and wear a high ponytail cut. Gather your hair up high with one hand and refer to the following steps.

3
Brush your hair to the top of your head and put it in a high ponytail. You can tie your hair while bending down with your head down.
When tying your hair, straighten your hair and tie the ponytail right in the middle of your head. You may want to use a mirror to determine the position of the ponytail.

4
Tie your hair securely with a leather band. The first band is tied close to the scalp so that the hair does not slip off.

5
Tie the other band underneath the ponytail, slightly below the point where you want to cut.

6
Cut right above the second band. You can hold the end of the hair firmly with one hand while you use scissors to cut away the excess hair with the other hand.
You can cut through it slowly, not in one cut.

7
Loosen the hair. Untie the band, loosen the hair, and then comb it with your hands or a comb.

8
Do the final touches. If the ends are too flush or uneven, then you can again comb your hair up high and tie a high ponytail in the middle of your head, then grab the ponytail with one hand and trim any uneven strands with the other.
Be careful not to have too much side to side hair, if there is a lot, then move the ponytail from side to side until you have it all almost flat in your hands.
For a more natural look, you can trim the ponytail in small increments upwards. This way, your ends will be softer and your hairstyle will become more natural. Also, this will make your hair fluffy and the uneven areas in your hairstyle will not be visible.

Method 6 front ponytail method (How to trim your own long hair)

1
Make sure your hair is clean, smooth and dry. If you have curly hair, it’s even more important to take care of your hair before you do the cut. This method requires a dry cut, so if your hair is not dirty or oily you don’t have to wash it.
If you want to cut layers to flatter your face, then this method is perfect for you.

2
Bend down and lower your head.

3
Brush your hair into a ponytail in the middle of your forehead. With your head down at this point, you can gather your hair forward and tie a ponytail along your hairline in the middle of your forehead, tying it tightly with a leather band.
Think of the front ponytail as a unicorn’s horn.

4
Determine the length of the first layer of hair. Do you want eyebrow-length bangs, or do you want long bangs that are level with your chin? You need to have a good idea of the ideal length of the first layer of hair.
You can use a comb to measure the length.

5
Hold the ponytail tightly with one hand while holding the scissors in the other hand. Cut the excess hair with scissors according to the length measured by the comb.

6
Trim the ends of the hair flush. Now change the technique by holding the scissors vertically against the hair and trimming the ends that are too flush until it looks like a facial brush, that is, the ends should be fluffy and flat with no abrupt hard lines.
When cutting, be careful to lean forward to avoid getting stabbed in the eyes by the scissors or having bits of hair fall into your eyes.

7
Untie the leather band and shake your head to let the hair spread out.

8
Create a hairstyle of your choice.

Method 7 braid method (How to trim your own long hair)

1
Make sure your hair is clean, dry and smooth. If your hair is not straight, then it is best to straighten it first before using this method.
People with fine hair and little volume are not suitable for this cut because it will thin the hair a lot.

2
Part your hair in the middle. Use a fine-toothed comb to evenly part your hair on both sides. Look in the mirror to make sure that the hairline in the middle is not crooked and that the hair on both sides is evenly parted.

3
Tie a low braid. Tie a low ponytail, or low braid, to each side of your hair separately. You want to make sure the two pigtails hang low on the sides of your head, tied below the ears and near the nape of your neck.

4
Tie the pigtails tightly. To tie the two braids on the side of your face tightly, you can grab the hair underneath the leather band with your hands and split it in two. Then, you can pull the two strands of hair in opposite directions so that the band will move up closer to your head.

5
Pull down the braid horizontally to the desired length and stop!

6
Cut the hair directly below the band, on both sides. If you cut straight through, the hair will look disjointed and unflattering. You can trim the hair upwards at a 45° angle with scissors for a more natural cut.

7
Untie the leather band. Once both sides are cut, you can see the cut from the back.
If you like your hair layered and “V” shaped when you wear it down, then continue with the next step. If you don’t like layers, then you can tie a single ponytail at the back of your neck and cut off the uneven part.

8
Refine your hair. Trim the ends of your hair and cut away any uneven strands. When point cutting to the end of the hair, you can trim the scissors at a 45° angle.

Method 8 Flip method (How to trim your own long hair)

1
Wash your hair and dry it with a towel. There is no need to use a hair dryer, as it is best to keep your hair slightly damp when cutting with the flip method.

2
Lay a towel on the floor in front of you and let the cut hair fall on the towel.

3
Bend your head down and brush all your hair to the front.

4
Cut in small sections, following the order from left to right. Keep your hair flush with the floor while cutting and do not move your head. After each section, use a comb to smooth your hair so you can trim it as flat as possible.
Leave room when cutting your hair, as it will shorten slightly once it dries. Keep in mind that you can continue to cut it again if you cut it less, but you should be conservative and cautious when cutting your own hair.

5
Stand up straight and check the cut. After the haircut, you have to cut off the uneven parts and refine the hair.

Method 9 Cut from back to front (How to trim your own long hair)

1
Make sure your hair is clean and wet. If you just washed your hair, then you don’t have to wash it again, just spray it wet.

2
Stand in front of the mirror. If possible, you may want to stand in front of a large bathroom mirror and put another mirror behind you so you can observe the haircut from both the front and back.

3
Comb your hair along the determined hairline. Keep your head straight, not crooked to the left or right, not leaning forward or back.

4
Divide the hair into eight parts. Divide your hair into bangs, left front and right front, left back and right back, left side and right side, and back of the neck. Before cutting, wrap your fingers around the hair and run the hair out of that area. Start with the hair area at the back of the neck first, because it is easier to cut from the back to the front than from the front to the back.
If you have thick hair, then maybe go further into the hair area, especially the front of the head, back of the head and the back of the neck.

5
Be careful with the scissors. The way you hold the scissors should vary depending on the haircut.
If you want a flush cut, then hold the scissors horizontally and cut across.
If you want layers and a soft, natural look, then hold the scissors at a 45° angle and trim your hair upward at an angle.
If you want to leave bangs to flatter your face, then cut your hair to the desired length and then hold the scissors vertically upwards to quickly point cut your hair. You should not cut too many times, otherwise your hair will look fine and disheveled.

6
Start trimming your hair from the back of your neck. Pull this part of the hair out and comb it carefully. You can squeeze this hair tightly with your middle and index fingers, imagining the two fingers as a barber’s knife, and straighten this area again. Pull the hair tightly, pinch your fingers just above the desired length, and then cut right underneath your fingers.

7
Continue trimming the rest of the hair. Once the hair area at the back of your neck is smoothly cut, you can drop the right back end for trimming. Next, trim the left back end so that this area is naturally connected to the two areas already cut.
From the back to the front, trim one area at a time so that the entire haircut is smooth and natural.
Before trimming, comb through each area of hair.
If there are areas of hair that are dry, spray some water on them before combing and trimming.

8
Trim the layers. After all areas have been trimmed, your hair will be the same length and you can then work on the layers. You can trim the ends of your hair in small random increments for a more natural look.
To bring out the layers in your long hair, you need to trim the lengths of your hair to create a professional layered look.

9
Shampoo and dry hair. Take care of your hair with shampoo and conditioner, then dry your hair with a towel or hair dryer.

10
Trim uneven hair strands. After your hair is washed and dried, you can check your hair again to see if it is flat, natural and smooth.
Over time, you’ll inevitably find more stray strands, so don’t get frustrated and just trim them when you find them.
Tip
Consider your hair situation before choosing a trimming method. If you have curly hair, then scrunchies and braids are suitable. If you have straight hair, then it’s best to go with the ponytail method or try cutting from the back to the front.
Don’t be stubborn. If you don’t get a good cut yourself, then stop trimming it yourself and call a barber to the rescue!
Cut your hair with room to spare, cut less at a time to continue to trim behind.
Remember to cut slowly, little by little. You may be able to cut your own hair a few more times before trying to change your hairstyle. This way, you’ll have a good idea of your hair condition, and you’ll have a better feel for cutting it. As your haircutting skills improve, you will become more confident and experienced.
If you want to cut bangs, you can start by holding tightly to the hair in the area to be bangs and draw the parting line of the bangs with colored eye shadow.
Keep the room brightly lit. Too little light will increase the possibility of you making a mistake. If there is not enough light in the room, you may want to change the room or take a floor lamp.
If you choose to cut your hair wet, you need to keep your hair evenly moistened and use a spray often to keep it moist. You can also use a towel to wipe away any unnecessary moisture, because if the hair is dripping, it’s hard to get a smooth cut.

Warning. (How to trim your own long hair)
Be careful with scissors, especially if you cut to the back of the hair and can’t see the hands moving.
Unless you have practiced many times, don’t cut your own hair before a major event, such as a wedding or birthday, or before an important meeting, such as a job interview or presentation. That way even if you miss, you’ll have time to go to the barbershop to remedy the situation.
If you are not yet an adult and still live with your parents, talk to them before you do your own haircut. Ask their permission, and maybe even get their help.
If you have a lot of unruly hair, self-curls or a lot of hair, then it is not easy to cut your hair at home. You’d better choose a barber store or a hairdressing salon.

You need to prepare (How to trim your own long hair)
Professional grade sharp hair clippers
Hair clips
Hair bands or headbands (at least two)
Hairbrush
Fine tooth comb
Handle makeup mirror
Large mirror (at least one meter high)
Spray bottle filled with water (to moisten hair when wet cutting)
Shampoo
Hair moisturizer

(How to trim your own long hair) Reference：
http://beautylacehair.com/
https://wikihow.com/
https://www.youtube.com/