A few weeks ago, when my hair was of medium-length, I mentioned about not being able to go to barbershops due to the measures adopted all over the world to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Since then, I have procured myself a set of clipper, combs, and scissors for my very first self-haircut.

I do not intend to post my photos here. But I want to talk about the preparation and resources I relied on.

First thing first, I had to have an idea of how I want my hair to look like. My hair is best described as a long faded cut. Short but tapered at the sides, longer at the top. So I could not just have the clipper, I would also need a set of ‘trimming guides’, the plastic tops of different lengths to put on the trimmer. And thinning scissors (which I found to be most valuable). Another thing that you should never forget is the hand-held mirror so you can look at the back of your head. I cannot stress how important this is.

Then I studied Youtube videos. There is quite a lot of videos out there teaching how to cut your own hair. A word of advice here, watch a lot of videos and you will be able to decide which technique suits you best. In the end, I only used about half of the instructions from Youtube. The rest, I learned when I was actually cutting my hair.

So here are some of the things I learned.

• On Youtube, some say you should dampen your hair a bit. I’d say there is no need especially if this is the first time. Doing the cut while my hair was dry allowed me to see how much I cut and whether the cut was equal on both sides of the head.
• You may also hear that you need to part your hair and put on some hair clips to keep your hair at the top in place, thus making it easier to cut your sides. In reality, my hair was not that long and wouldn’t hold. I even tried rubber band but still, it would work if my top was longer. So I’d say, don’t worry too much about this.
• Look carefully at how the Youtubers use clippers especially the angles, the finishing and how they blend different layers of hair together. That proved really useful for a fade or an undercut.
• The back is almost always the hardest. Use the hand-held mirror to guide. If that is too hard, then use your other hand to mark the point where the clipper should stop. This will prevent you getting a buzz cut unintentionally.
• Thinning scissors are really versatile. Basically, they allow you to just go around the top cutting until you reach the desired length without feeling embarrassed.
• Have a vacuum cleaner nearby.

Having done it once, I guess I won’t mind doing it again! Good luck!