Back on March 27, I remember looking up at my eyebrows and thinking, “Gosh, I should get a haircut soon.”
That was, of course, the same day that the province ordered all barber shops and salons closed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Ever since, I’ve been watching my hair droop closer and closer to my eyeballs and thinking, “How can I cut my own hair?”
Before I broke out the chainsaw, I decided to consult with some St. Albert stylists for tips.
Rose & Onyx Hair Company stylist Mya Kurpjuweit said she’s been getting questions on how to cut hair from a number of her clients recently. Her response was simple: don’t.
“I don’t think people should try haircuts at home, and if they do it, don’t expect it to go well,” Kurpjuweit said.
Most people don’t have the ultra-sharp shears you need to cut hair properly, she explained. Regular scissors will fold hair instead of providing a straight cut, resulting in a blunt, uneven edge. Even if you do have the right shears and have a bunch of mirrors to see the back of your head, you probably won’t be able to cut in a straight line.
While she’s trimmed a few layers in her ‘do before, St. Albert Catholic High Cosmetology teacher Assunta Runco said she’d never try to give herself a full haircut.
“I would think it would be hard to do,” she said, adding you’d have to be pretty flexible to trim the back of your head.
Studio 107 Hair owner Diane Chong also said 'no way' to cutting your own hair. Instead, she recommends pinning, clipping or binding it back, or changing your hairstyle to keep it out of your eyes.
“Just hang in there and let it go.”
But I wanna cut it!
If you’re still determined to cut your own hair (or a relative’s, as Kurpjuweit has done with her siblings), start with the right tools, said Kurpjuweit and Runco. That means professional hair shears, which you can order online or get from Sally Beauty Supply in St. Albert. Electric clippers can also work, as they come with guards that limit how much they cut.
A buzz cut is simple to do with clippers and might be the best option for men, Kurpjuweit said. She recommends using a No. 4 guard around your whole head.
Otherwise, she recommends trimming just the bangs and around the ears with shears. Your ring finger should be in the top hole and your thumb in the bottom so you cut straight. Cut into the hair instead of straight across for a more blended look, and do only a small section at a time.
Hair is elastic, so avoid pulling it while cutting, Runco said. Err on the side of too long rather than too short, as you can always cut more later. Use a bed-sheet to keep hair out of your clothes, and cut on a hard floor surface so you can sweep up the mess.
Consider styling your hair instead of cutting it, Chong said. You can change how your hair hangs with spray and a blow-dryer, and shape it with various gels. Ask your peers or your stylist for recommendations if you’re not sure which hair products to use.
Hairstyles are also cyclical, and longer hair was in back in the 1980s, Chong said. Pull your hair back into a ponytail, or “embrace the mullet.”
Kurpjuweit said most of her clients get that it’s okay to let their hair grow out during these times.
“They’re not going out anyway, so they don’t really care about how their hair looks.”
Maybe I should use an axe instead ...
