Thursday, October 20, 2011

Frugal Fridays: How to Give a Haircut


frugalfriday

I posted this "how-to" article on my other blog a few years ago. I was going through some old blog posts when I ran across this one. Since it received a lot of 'hits' I thought it might be a good resource for this blog.

I've been cutting my families hair for over 30 years. I first taught myself to cut hair with my youngest son when he was just a baby. I had a friend teach me a few more techniques when my children were older so I was then able to cut my husband's hair. I've saved us a ton of money. I  will oftentimes trim my own hair inbetween hair appointments just to extend my haircut a couple of weeks.

Meet my handsome assistant.... Mr K.

Step One: I started at the back of the neck. I combed most of the hair up so that there was just a thin layer of hair at the base of the neck. I made a cut for my guideline and then used that guideline to cut the hair up to the crown.

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Step Two: Pull the hair straight out and cut using the baseline cut on the back of the neck as your guide.

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Step 3: Make your first cut at the front. Use this cut as your guideline. Pull up a thin layer of hair behind the guideline and cut to match the guideline cut.  Continue this technique until you hit the crown.
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Step 4: Decide where you want the hair over the ears and make your guideline cut. Use this as your guide and work up to the crown pulling the hair out to the side.

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Step 5: Comb the hair over the ears towards the eyes and cut as shown.
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Step 6: Shave the neck

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Doesn't he look nice?

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It helps if you can practice on a young child first. I also found instructional videos on U Tube which looked  helpful.

I hope I explained this clearly.

12 comments:

  1. Say, that looks great. Looks your guy doesn't mind sitting still for a bit!

    We do our cuts at home, too. The guys got tired of trims, so we finally agreed just to shave it all off in a short burr and let it grow out just a bit, then shave it all off and start again. Fine by me.

    Good to hear from you!

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  2. I too have been giving all my boys/men haircuts for years. It is amazing how much money can be saved this way. Thank you for showing some techniques. I am also self taught, I will try to use some of your ideas next cut and see if there is a real difference. Thank you for sharing, thank your husband for modeling he did a great job.
    Blessings Nell.

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  3. I always did the haircuts in our home, I purchased a pair of clippers for the boys and the girls wore their hair long, I always scissor cut my husband's hair. My sister-in-law used to bring her boys over for haircuts, it was fun, all the kids had a great time together, everyone would take turns on the kitchen chair for their haircut and to be center of attention. One summer, mid nineties, it was popular to cut lightning bolts, lines, or team logos into buzz cuts, my sons and nephews all wanted different designs, my sister-in-law and myself had a lot of fun figuring out how to do what each boy requested and the boys loved their "cool" cuts. Now our older daughter is a hair dresser, and she cuts the family's hair :)

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  4. Great job!! I cut my hubby's hair, but he just shaves it all off! lol! I cut my bangs & my girls bangs. My teenager won't et me near him so goes to a hairdresser... lol!

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  5. I also cut our boys hair til they decided to spend their own money; and have always but my husband's. He did go to the barber twice since we've been married--once because he got tired of waiting to get an appt. with busy me, and once when we decided to see if I was doing it correctly. (and I was). So much money saved. And the older these men get, (in our case) the less time it takes to cut the thinning hair. Great post and good tutorial!

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  6. Such a good idea. I may need to do that one day when my husband can't leave the home due to his Alzheimer's. Right now going to the barber is part of his "normal" life. Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Wow you did a great job! I cut my hair, and my daughters hair sometimes but my hubbys is off limits to me since he is terrified I will mess it up! Well, its possible I might, LOL I mess mine up all the time, but its curly-ish so doesn't show. :-)

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  8. You make it look so easy but I give up already. I just send him to the barber.

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  9. @innacanoe: I first practiced cutting hair (not including my own) on my oldest son nearly 30 years ago. I attended 3 months of beauty school.. enough to learn a bit more about cutting hair.. plus I had a friend who was a hair dresser and she taught me a bit. Don't give up. Keep trying. :-)

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  10. You did a great job and yes, he does look nice! I have to tell you, I cut my husband's hair but I use a vacume cleaner--use the hose to raise the hair and cut the same length all over the head--it works! I started cutting his hair because when he went to the hair stylist, he'd ask her to leave him some hair and she would scalp him in a matter of seconds and then he'd have to pay. I never thought of shaving the neck with a razor, I'll do that next time! Thanks!

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  11. @Joy Really? You use a vacuum cleaner? That is so creative! Good for you!: :-)

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  12. I have done this several times over the last 8 years. I do it the same way.
    I also cut my own hair about the same way. I just do not do the back as well. After about a year I have to go get a good hair cut to get the form back to it.

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