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…
sallie says
i cut my husband’s hair one time and he said he looked like pat benatar. not really the look he was going for. haha!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, nice! I hope it was around Halloween!
xo,
s
Allison says
I loved your video :) I have to admit you were making me a little nervous chopping away there, but it turns out great! Very impressive!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha thanks Allison! I thought the same thing when I watched it back! Looked like I was about to take an ear off!
xo,
s
Michelle N says
I just used your tips on my four year old. He has every curl hair and hates the barber shop. Once his hair grows out it looks like a big strawberry blonde frizz ball! I was shocked that he let me cut his hair! He looks very handsome! Thanks for the tips! Looks like DIY haircuts from here on out!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahooo! So glad it worked out!
xo,
s
lovey says
I cut my husbands hair too. I did get my beauty license and worked at JC Pennys salon. But now my husbands my only client. I just wanted to comment that if you use a comb to cut you’ll get more precise cuts, ie less time, you won’t have to go over it over and over. It takes some dextarity to work the comb and sissors but once you get used to it you’ll be done with the cut in 5 minutes
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Lovey!
xo,
s
Debbie C says
John’s hair looks great! I just asked my hub if I should try cutting his hair again and he looked over at me and smirked. Actually it was more of a cringe. Probably he was thinking of the one time I tried to cut it and it took 2-3 hours.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh yes I used to take forever!
xo,
s
Becky says
my (now) husband asked me to try cutting his hair while we were dating because he was “sick of paying for bad haircuts”. he figured i’d be free and couldn’t do any worse than his most recent cut! i’ve been cutting it ever since (the past 3 years) and probably always will! my husband has pretty much the same haircut as your man so my fingers are my measurers as well. unfortunately, this does mean that i can really only cut hair to one length!
Jenn L. says
Yay! My husband and I have grown tired of the crappy haircuts for our boys at the over-priced kids salon. A week or so ago I broke down and bought some clippers and cut my 5 year-olds hair. Turned out fine but my 2.5 year old will not go near anything that buzzes by his head. So, as soon as I watched your video this afternoon, I sat my little guy down in front of the tv, gave him some snacks and hacked away! It turned out great! Keeping the scissors parallel was the tip I had been missing…so important and easy. Thanks!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! So glad it worked!
xo,
s
Funnelcloud Rachel says
Ok, only you guys could make a video about cutting hair be that adorable! Also, I Iaughed out loud at the “protecting the orifices” comment.
Actually, my mom used to cut my dad’s hair (and my hair) when I was a kid. I specifically remember throwing the hair clippings out into the yard so the birds could use them to make their nests. I would never dare cut Larry’s hair though (and I don’t expect that he’d trust me to do it)!
YoungHouseLove says
So cute about the bird’s nests!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
Wow! Great job! Here’s what happened when my husband swore he could cut our youngest son’s hair. Warning-hard to view! http://www.lighthouseexplorations.com/2011/07/sargent-jackson.html#.T7MWEO3N4lI
YoungHouseLove says
Awww! He looks so cute in the end though! Haha.
xo,
s
Abbey says
Any suggestions or best practices for removing wallpaper—loads of wallpaper? Thx!
YoungHouseLove says
It can be tricky and different tricks can work depending on the type of glue, age, etc, but renting a steamer can usually get almost anything off!
xo,
s
Janice says
John has great hair! I’ve always cut my hubby’s hair – 37 years in June.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahooooooo! 37 years = amazing!
xo,
s
J+H @ Beyond The Stoop says
too funny! i cut my boyfriend’s hair, and i broke down and mustered the guts to let him cut mine too… it helps that he was trained in it (well, trained 10 years ago and never used it since, but still…)
we live in the NYC metro area, and believe me, a stylist isn’t worth paying if you aren’t getting at least a $60 haircut around here!! we only started cutting each other’s hair about a year ago, and i’m guessing we’ve saved HUNDREDS so far!!
(but i bet i’ve saved an equal amount on my nails, because he does them too! a lucky catch i’ve caught i’d say :P)
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- a man who does nails. You lucky lucky girl! Haha.
xo,
s
Mary says
okay…THANK YOU! My husband has been asking me to cut his hair for a week even though I suck at it and always end up having to buzz it after the disaster. Watched the video twice, cut his hair, and it looks amazing. I think I know what roommate you’re talking about in the video, Andrew told me you’ve cut his hair before. Am I right? Anyway, thanks! I’m so proud of myself, haha!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- yes! It was Andrew Breton!
xo,
s
Steph says
I’m not gonna lie, Sherry you are amazing! Is there anything you can’t do? Seriously! Lol. You make it look so easy. I cut my 19 month old daughter bangs but that’s it! I think I may try a haircut on my nephew!
You guys rock!
Ps. Your engagement ring is beautiful.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Steph! It really used to take me forever and I was so unsure, so it definitely took a few years of practice to get to a point where I only sort of know what I’m doing. Haha.
xo,
s
Claire says
I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair for years too, and using the same method as you. The only time it has gone poorly was the haircut a couple of weeks before our wedding. I guess even though I’d already been cutting his hair for 5 years, I was nervous just knowing that this was the Big Haircut that would be in the wedding photos and I cut it a little short – which looked just fine, but while finishing I made the mistake of thinking out loud “your hair grows fast doesn’t it?” and then followed with “at least you still have hair”. My husband was not amused… but still let me cut his hair after that.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, the things we say.
xo,
s
Allison says
I’ve been cutting my hubby’s hair since we got married (4 yrs ago). Usually about every 2 or 3 months. I use an electric trimmer with guards on it though. Wore out the $12 walmart one and upgraded to a $50 from sally beauty supply. Kinda pricy, but still pays for itself pretty quick. I’d be too scared to try and freehand it like you. And my hubby won’t sit still for more than about 10 minutes, and the trimmer is fast! Also, he has curly hair. Not sure if that would make it harder or easier.
Kate says
My husband is in the military and I cut his hair! He needs it cut at least every two weeks, so it’s a big money saver. We have a buzzer, and “fading” from the longer hair on top to the shorter on the sides is tricky sometimes. In the worst case though, I can buzz it all down to the lowest setting and it will grow back within a week or so. I’ve never cut anyone else’s hair though, so go Sherry!
Randa says
You guys are so fun! I cut my Jon’s hair too, but learning how was a scary process for me! His Mom always cut it when he was growing up, so she showed me her way (which is very similar to yours w/ scissors & her fingers as a guide), but I couldn’t get the hang of it for some reason… and was terrified to give him a goofy cut. With time & his encouragement, however, I did figure out the razor-with-guides system, so now we’ve gotten his haircuts down to 15 minutes. It’s a fun ritual every two to three weeks. :)
Your John seemed to enjoy his head massage, and I especially like the saucy expression he’s wearing in his “before” photo (in the side-by-side before & after).
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- he was such a reluctant “star” of this post. He was like “can’t we find another husband to demonstrate this on?” – haha. So shy.
xo,
s
Nicole R. says
I would have never thought i could have the courage to cut my boyfriends hair but after seeing how easy you made it i attempted it and it came out great! Thank you for posting and the insipration!
Kym Lynch says
THANK YOU! very appreciated. I hate the buzz cut hubby gets. This looks much better and free :D
Julia says
Holy cow, I think we are hair-cutting doppelgängers! I remember in 3rd grade, my friend’s teenage sister asked me to cut her hair. That might have been the earliest for me. I’m still shocked when I think back on that. It continued through college and the subsequent 10 years, though I mostly just cut my own and my husband’s hair (today, oddly, is our 7th anniversary). Why are these people so trusting?? It makes no sense!!! I love love love that you made a video– great post! Love the CVS shears, too. I’m so glad to see other brave souls out there. Cheers!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, cheers to being hair-cutting doppelgängers!
xo,
s
heyruthie says
i cut my boys’ hair, and i use a cheapo buzzer. i’ve discovered that the trick is to do just what you do–but “electrically”. i use a short size “comb” attachment on the nape of their neck. then, i work upwards, and i size up, and buzz the next inch. then, i size up again. and again, etc. i follow the exact same pattern you do: bands across the back, sides, and the top last, graduating size attachments as I go–with the longest attachment on the top. it works great–and I “buzz” it out in about 10 minutes–just long enough for my ADHD boys to stand still in the front yard!
my kids all have different textures/types of hair, and it works great for all of them, although my “baseline” attachment is different for each hair tupe: for the kid with the thickest, wavy dark hair, I start quite short on the back of the neck. but for the child with thin, blonde hair, i start at least 2 attachments longer to begin with. but the end result actually looks almost the same, which is interesting–the hair type makes a big difference in terms of how short you can go, without looking “bald.”
Emily says
Awesome! We’ve been doing this for six years. The first time I gave my husband a haircut it took 4 hours. hahaha. Thankfully I’ve got it down to twenty minutes. :) He cuts mine too.
Lynn @ SafeBeauty says
Nice Sherry. I am also part a card carrying member of the Cut Ya Man’s Hair Club. We save soooo much money by doing it ourselves. And now since we have a little man running around we cut his hair at home too. It really cuts out that whole sitting around all day in a barber shop where the language can get quite saucy I’ve heard. The only time we spring for a real deal Puerto Rican barber transplanted from Da Bronx cut is over the summer for our family vacations back up to visit family in NY.
My best, Lynn
*Sherry your so funny and far too nice. When are you gonna get all Jersey and regulate on all these women scopin’ out your man? ;o)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I actually don’t mind when people give John the props he deserves. He’s a hottie, what can I say? Haha.
xo,
s
Susan says
You’ve done a great job there! I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair for 18 years now, as well as the hair of my 7 (yes 7) sons who are 18, 16, 14, 11, 9, 7, and 5. My daughter and I go to a local hair dressing school and get our locks trimmed for $16 each. They do a great job and there are several instructors checking in with them each step of the way. I can’t even calculate the thousands of dollars I’ve saved by cutting the boys hair!!! Thanks for sharing your lives with us…love, love, love your blog up here in Canada!
lori says
That video was so helpful! I love how you just kinda shove his head around and he sits there and takes it :) I’ve got baby boy #4 on the way, so I need to figure out this haircutting gig! My 2-yr-old is petrified of the buzzer, so doing it with just scissors might be the ticket! I’ll first experiment on the kids, then maybe I’ll graduate to the hubs.
Diana says
I could have used the help of your video way back when the kids were little and I used to cut their hair. I used a combo of scissors and buzzer. One time I accidentally buzzed a little too close to my son’s scalp and left a nice hole. I took care of that by coloring it in with a eyebrow pencil. That worked fine… until he went to swim practice.
Heidi K says
I cut hubby’s hair EVERY WEEK for 20 years while he was in the Marine Corps. Now I cut it about every three weeks… he just can’t stand to let it grow out. Once a Marine, always a Marine. LOL
Katrina says
Thanks for posting this! I just started to cut my husbands hair, and I reeeealllyy have no idea what I’m doing. I just hack away at his hair and hope for the best haha. He has curly hair so it’s really forgiving, but still, I needed some help. :) This will help me have a game plan for next time!
April says
Love the horns coming out of his head in the third picture down, hee hee.
Also? “PROTECT THE ORIFICES!” “Gross.” Bwahahaha!
deb says
My husband and I just watched your video and he’s given me the go-ahead to cut his hair this weekend! He likes his cut just like John’s so your tips should work just perfectly! Let’s hope so… Thanks for this!
Becky says
I gotta say nice job! I’m a prof hairdresser and I was recently on maternity leave. I had a friend stop by after he got his haircut by a different salon while I was out. It was the most terrible thing I’ve seen. There were uncut chunks all over his head. So kudos to you for doing better than someone that gets paid to do it.
Andrea says
It’s amazing how you always seem to blog about things that have been floating around in my head for a while :D
I used to cut our dog’s hair (a Yorkshire Terrier with crazay middle-length fur that used to completely cover his eyes and snout and butt haha) but I never dared to cut someone else’s hair. However, just yesterday I got me a pair of scissors since a new hairdresser I went to didn’t cut my bangs short enough, they get all tangled up in my eyelashes and now I’m having an irritated eye. No idea that was possible.
So, now I’ll try and cut my own hair (and then the boy’s :D)
PS: Love the short hair on John!
Bec says
Had to laugh at high school pixie cuts. One ‘free period’ (think you would call it study hall) in about 8th or 9th grade one of my friends decided she needed a trim. Over the course of the hour her hair went from the bottom of her shoulder blades to near chin length as wage group of us tried to keep it tidy and all straight with layers put in. Needless to say her mother was NOT impressed when she got home and we decided we didn’t really have futures in the hairdressing industry. I haven’t gone near anyone’s head with a pair of scissors since, so you have my respect for the great job you do!
Megan says
Your video inspired me to give cutting my 18 month old sons hair a go! I wouldn’t say it’s perfect (his hair hasn’t grown in properly yet anyway) but it’s definitely better than before :)
Now to convince my husband to let me cut his!
Georgia says
When my boys were little, I got sick of paying to get their hair cut, plus number 2 used to scream blue murder during the whole proceedure. I was lucky enough to have a nice guy show me what he did while he was cutting, and ever since I’ve cut their hair myself. i use a buzzer sometimes, or really good hair cutting scissors the rest (depending on how my kids want it). Buzzers are cheap, and make it quicker and easier for doing kids, an d that hairdresser showed me how to use them. And I prefer to do it with the hair damp. To be honest I now do my husband, 3 teenage boys, my daughter and (huhum) myself. Yes. I have cut my own hair for years. I started because I got sick of paying $100 for someone to do a crap job. i’m happy to pay the money if I know someone will do an amazing job (I had the best hairdresser in australia), but after having it done once when we moved to the us and coming home and fixing it myself, I thought why bother. I’ve actually got pretty good at it, so why pay? I figure that I have saved us thousands of dollars ove the years. Not sure I’d want to do other people (although I have done my dad, brother and brother in laws), but I know my family’s hair and how best to deal with it….I suspect my kids will be coming home from college and asking for hair cuts!
Amber says
I’ve also been cutting my husband’s hair for a few years now. The last time he got a “professional” cut, he came home so aggravated that the girl who cut his hair did not seem to know what she was doing. He actually bought a pair of clippers on his way home and told me that he was confident that I could do a better job than the “pro.” I’ve been cutting his hair ever since. We’ve since had two little boys and I’m the only person who’s ever cut their hair. We usually do everyone at once for easier clean up! We have fun on hair cut day! I even bought myself a nice apron and a big one for my husband and sons to wear during their cut.
amanda says
Husband has always cut his own hair…before we were married and the 14 years since then! But not a scissor cut;)
Now we have 2 boys and he always cut their hair (for 8 years we were doing 2 boy cuts in the kitchen a month.)….Until they wanted to grow it out a bit this past year. my oldest wanted to be Harry Potter last Halloween and that spurred the growing out….Well since then they both need scissor cuts…so we have been doing Sportclips. But I loved all the years of not paying a thing. Thank you for this tutorial! I might beg my oldest son to let me try it on him this summer! If I ruin it at least he won’t be in school;) Oh and we have a cape for the boys (HELPS so much!) And husband cuts his in the garage and has installed a big wall mirror for that purpose;) Easy clean up!
Elle sees says
I was completely fascinated by this! And John looks hot! Which is weird to say only because I think of you both as Friends in My Head.
Excellent job, sherry, and a wolf whistle for John!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! I love the communal wolf whistle!
xo,
s
Karen L. says
My daughter-in-law cuts all the guys’ hair in their family: my son, four boys and the newest, little Claire, 28 months old. She does it all in the same time frame, just to get it over with in one fell swoop. She does use a clipper which, for them, is the best way. The boys are 9,7,5,and almost 4.
Gretchen is an amazing mom, a homeschooler to the oldest three and does many things DIY, of course. They’re a busy, happy family living south of the James River! (Thanks for sharing your video, too, btw.)
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- she sounds amazing!
xo,
s
Hilary says
This is so weird its like you reading my mind! I am totally planning a Boyfriend Haircut session! great Tutorial! Younghouselove saves the day again!
Andria says
My husband cuts his own hair. Of course, he uses clippers. But that’s a good thing, in his case, because his hair literally sticks up straight out from his head in all directions…no matter the length! His nickname was “White Afro” in high school! But I have a pixie, so I hoped he’d watch this and save me tons of money, since mine isn’t a whole lot longer than John’s. No dice. Worth a shot, though!
Jasna says
Haha, John looks like he has antlers in the tripod pic :)
Laura says
good job sherry- but you have opened the gauntlet now! i cut my hubby’s hair- we shave his head (his hairline is retreating) and he wants his hair cut every other week! now that the stylist is in the house, those dudes become divas. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s true! John usually has to beg me for a haircut for a few days before I give in. My excuse: you get to sit there and do nothing at 10pm after a long day – and I’m standing up around you focusing on your follicles. Haha.
xo,
s
Katie says
This was a very timely post for me and my family. I have 5 kids, who will still let me cut their hair (the oldest is 11…so my years are limited I’m sure), but it’s just so darn expensive. I also cut my husband’s hair regularly. But I can’t get him to cut my hair, and I know I couldn’t do it myself. As such, I end up getting a hair cut about once a year (I’m just too cheap and lazy…)…but, last night I needed a hair cut. (I can’t believe I’m going to admit this…) but about 2 weeks ago, 2 of my daughters brought lice home from school…well, that’s when we discovered it, but they had also given it to the baby, who sometimes sleeps in my bed. My husband and i thought we were okay because the baby hardly had anything in her hair when we checked, but yesterday we discovered that both my husband and I had lice too. I didn’t want to have to deal with such long hair and lice treatment, so I made my husband cut my hair. IT’s much shorter than I usually do, and I’m not sure how good it looks, I’m giving it a few days to really be sure, but it’s good enough considering the circumstances…so i’d love to see how you cut your hair, because I’m sure my husband will never do it again.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! I’ll have to see if I can get it on video. It’s not nearly as methodical as John’s haircuts. It’s either me trying to pull it all forward or up over my head just to trim off an inch all around or brushing it all back over my shoulders behind me and begging John to just cut in a straight line to trim off an inch or two.
xo,
s
jazmin says
Ohh!!! I want to try this on my kid! He’s 7, and I think I might do it for the summer, so in the case of a mishap, he still has time to grow it back out before school! This made it look super easy! You guys have the best tutorials! I loved the cabinet/furniture painting tutorial too! Very easy!
Jazmin
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Jazmin! Good luck!
xo,
s
lisa says
i have also cut my husband’s hair for about 9 years now….a good tip–get a big lawn and leaf bag…cut a hole on top of it…that fits the head through it…duct tape the hole after it’s on so that it is close to the neck…no hair will get on the shirt…or neck since it will slide right off of the bag…also…cheap shower curtains that you buy at the dollar store…use them under the chair…all you need to do at the end is just roll it up and throw it away witha ll the ahir pieces inside.:)
lisa says
i meant to say duct tape any excess opening from the bag when it’s on the shoulders…sometimes i cut the hole too big, and if i didn’t duct tape it, all of the hair would slide through the hole onto his shirt/neck…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Jacque says
My husband LOVES to save money and so finally about 9 months ago he convinced me that I could cut his hair. The week before I had our baby my husband’s 83 year-old-still-cutting-hair-professionally-grandma was here visiting and she gave me a quick lesson. It turned out great and I’ve been cutting his hair ever since!
I cut it outside because it’s so easy to clean after and the baby just hangs out and watches nature. She just started crawling so I may need to switch to night sessions like ya’ll. I use a combo of sissors and the razor. I probably don’t need to but I like the buzz, it makes me feel professional, haha!
Mandy says
Thank you for this, seriously! I feel like I can do that kind of cut, and plan to try the next time I cut my husband’s hair. I have been using buzzers on it for years (usually a 1 and a 3 on top, but sometimes longer in the winter) but you really make it look easy with scissors.Bonus, because I always end up saying how much I hate doing it, cuz its sooo thin and just submits to the clippers, so then I have to buzz the same spot from 4 different angles just to get it to cut. Drives me crazy, but hopefully this type of cut would actually help me out, since I can control the hair