Self Trimming

[GreenFairy]

I've done self trims many times in the past. However, They never feel or look as good as having a professional cut my ends. Do you have any tips for self trimming?


* I am a licensed cosmetologist in the state of Louisiana and have cut thousands of heads of hair. I have a pair of scissors that cost almost $200. So, in some regard I do know what I'm doing and have quality shears. Perhaps achieving a professional trim is out of reach when performing the trim yourself.


Thoughts? Tips?

[Madora]

Feye's self trim has been used here with great success. Try Googling it. Very easy to do, with great results. I believe she had two versions..blunt straight across, and a v or u shape hemline.

Here's a link: http://feyeselftrim.livejournal.com/2389.html

[MINAKO]

honestly, althought i follow the feye method and it has been successful i, the past on more severe trims, i hardly pay attention to what im doing these days. i microtrim sometimes while i detangle and just snip of the bits that look too whispy or uneven. looks the same everytime, i would like to deepen my v shape to kore of a fairytale look but it keeps growing kinda solid.

[lapushka]

I am a big fan of the compact cut method. There are two techniques in the method. One is putting the ponytail on the top of your head and cutting a bit off (longer layers), second putting the ponytail on the top of your forehead and cutting a bit off (shorter layers). I've been using both techniques for years now and prefer the one for shorter layers on me. It gives a sharp V. My hair is TBL+ now and my shortest layer is BSL+. Love this! Would *not* recommend it for hair shorter than BSL, though, as the layers might turn out to be *very* short!

[MINAKO]

i actually love your cut lapushka. i did compact cut inthe past a few times and it turned out nice, then i was crazy about super blunt around midback and now im too chicken to cut so much hair. i dont want to loose length in the front but rather add some in the back which probably means i need to grow beyond my goal and then gradually start to cut a deeper V again.

[lapushka]

Thank you, Minako, that means a lot to me! :D

[Sharysa]

Seconding Feye's method! I use it to get a U-hem with great results!

Plus I'm not too picky on getting things exactly right and I love my fairy-tale ends, so as long as it's roughly symmetrical, I'm fine.

[Amapola]

GreenFairy, is it possibly that because you know that YOU did it yourself, you are being unnecessarily harsh on yourself?

I've been cutting my hair myself for years. Like, about 12 years. And I am not trained at all. I simply live on a farm and very far away from a place that cuts hair, and then it's tough to make an appointment because with livestock you never know what's going to happen next. For years, I felt that my hair must look really bad because I was doing it myself. One day I asked a professional to do it for me... and she refused, saying there was no way she could get my bangs as nice as the way I do them myself. !!! I was astonished!

But when I started to think about it, I realized that there is nothing really magical about cutting hair. You just cut it. You try and get it even. You try and do it the same every time. You use the best equipment that you can. That's about it.

I've never been to school about this, so I guess I could be wrong... but I don't think so. Cutting hair is just cutting hair. I bet the way you do it is absolutely perfect. Just my two cents. :flower:

[LauraLongLocks]

Greenfairy,
If you are trying to do anything fancy on your own head, it might be a bit challenging, but I've been pleased enough with my self-trim results using Feye's blunt technique. I do it facing my head down so that I might get a slight undercut and maybe a teeny bit of a U-shape hem.

[Anje]

Like the others, I tend to use compact cutting methods for my own hair. Does it achieve some of the subtleties of having a pro trim it? No. But it achieves me trimming the amount I want, no more and no less. It also nicely caters to my "can't be bothered" feelings about making appointments at a salon.

[GreenFairy]

I want as close to perfect as i can get... I guess this is my problem. 9 times out of ten I could tell if someone cut their hair themselves. I'm not saying it looked bad... but to a trained eye, it was noticeable. I should relax and learn to deal haha.

[AlexDig]

I've only had 1 professional haircut that I've liked more than I usually do myself. I just love that I can mess with the cut myself and make it look exactly how I want, even if it's not perfectly even. But curls are very forgiving and need texture so that might be a big part of that.

[Laurenji]

It might also depend on how long your hair is, how much layering you want, how much you're trying to trim, etc. The Feye's self-trim method didn't start working for me until my hair got to about BSL. Also if you want subtle layers (as opposed to the big layers you get from the compact cut) or thinning (like with a razor), that's probably not going to be as easy to do on yourself.

[Chromis]

It might also depend on how long your hair is, how much layering you want, how much you're trying to trim, etc. The Feye's self-trim method didn't start working for me until my hair got to about BSL. Also if you want subtle layers (as opposed to the big layers you get from the compact cut) or thinning (like with a razor), that's probably not going to be as easy to do on yourself.

I was just about to say something similar. It is much, much easier to self trim as you get longer. More margin for error I think. Also, since I love to wear my hair up (cool buns and shiny hairtoys, yes please!), again getting the cut absolutely perfect does not really matter so much.

[Anje]

Also, since I love to wear my hair up (cool buns and shiny hairtoys, yes please!), again getting the cut absolutely perfect does not really matter so much.

This was a point I wanted to make, too. So many of us here wear our hair up or braided the majority of the time that not having perfectly angled ends isn't really an issue. Updos and braids are usually made easier with a simple blunt cut or with ends that have been allowed to taper, rather than with layered hair, so self-trimming gives excellent results for those purposes.

[Amapola]

I want as close to perfect as i can get... I guess this is my problem. 9 times out of ten I could tell if someone cut their hair themselves. I'm not saying it looked bad... but to a trained eye, it was noticeable. I should relax and learn to deal haha.

I totally get this as I am always striving for perfection in my work. But just remember this, and I was floored when I realized it: no one else can tell but you. That made me realize I didn't need to kill myself getting things perfectly lined up: I was the only person on the planet who would be able to notice anyway. And there are the times when I am thinking to myself, "There's a big problem with this on one side, I need to fix it" and I can't find it... even under magnification... :rolleyes: So this is clearly me, being silly, and not me putting out a bad product.

I say, stop worrying about it, you look fantastic in your avatar, and just try and be happy with what you do. :flower:

[MINAKO]

from my own expirience i find that the longer it gets, the easier it is to make even cuts. when i was at bsl or midback it looked nice but not perfect at all. now i feel that the length is much simpler to bring to a point, given that hair is perfectly straight dry but oiled i have all the control i need, dont even know how there would be a way for me to mess it up. i was probably very unlucky with hairdressers in the past, but NONE of the cuts i payed for was ever any better than what i come up with myself.