Sod the Hairdressers!

Mrs.W_2

Last year I was miffed off with a hairdressers' charge for cutting my DD's hair when she came away looking lop-sided. They blamed her for wriggling. She was nine years old, and knew how to sit still for twenty minutes when someone with sharp scissors was snipping at her head!

The girl who cut my DD's hair had other customers waiting and used them as her excuse for not correcting the damage. I was astounded. The manager still insisted I pay the full price. So I complained loudly, hoping those waiting might hear. I know that was childish, but my DD was upset and I was fuming at the time.

On the drive home I was thinking about learning to cut hair myself.

I googled, and, (not sure if I'm allowed to mention the name of the site, but it rhymes with 'BlueNoob') the basic lessons were there to be had. And many techniques were simple to copy.

Buying a pair of professional scissors helped to improve my cutting. I'm now the 'stylist' (lol) for five members of family. It's been a saving for me regards the DD's haircuts, the only problem is I can't cut my own hair!

ETA: Forgot to ask, has anyone else made such a saving from looking up a 'How to..' on the net?

bestpud

I've shaved my husbands hair with clippers for years but the rest of my family would run a mile if I offered them a haircut!

I do know of 2 people who cut their own hair though. They both have thick, wavy hair in a shortish layered style, which probably helps hide dodgy bits.

They have different techniques - one stands in front of a mirror and lifts sections, making sure to cut the same from each section and the other bends over and cuts hers upside down somehow.

They both look fine and you wouldn't know unless they told you, but it's not for me - I go to the hairdresser about every 18 months. I have it cut to bob length and then return when it's between my shoulder blades.

Sooetie

I use the clippers on both my sons hair - different lengths

Ladyhawk

My mum used to cut all our hair when we were kids... She still does my dads. We were poorer than church mice when I was very small so she had no choice but to learn by trial and error

dibuzz

My mum used to cut mine and always cut my fringe so short that it looked ridiculous. She cut my daughter's hair just before her 1st birthday whilst I was out and did the same, I was furious and told her never to touch my kids' hair again.
I've used clippers on the boys' hair when they wanted it that way, you can't really go wrong unless you forget the comb bit which my ex did, leaving a long bald stripe on the back of my poor sons head

nonnatus

I got a hairdressing kit from boots (clippers, scissors, brushes etc - it even had the cloak to put round the "customer" so they don't get covered in hair!). It was about £25 and WELL worth the money.
I studied hairdressing on Youtube and bought a "How to..." Book.

It's saved me a FORTUNE over the years, I do all my family as well as the odd friend that asks. I can't do anything complicated and I stay away from colouring but I reckon I do a better job than most basic hairdressers, some of who are straight out of college and have only ever cut a dolls hair!

LandyAndy

I do MrsLA's hair with clippers . I do my own too.

Must have saved thousands over the last ten years.

browneyedbazzi

YouTube can be a brilliant place to learn how to do new things. I haven't ventured into hair cutting but I have learned how to change a bulb on my car, cooking/cake decorating techniques, lots of laptop maintenance/repairs (taking apart and cleaning the keyboard, putting in extra memory, cleaning the fan...all of which has helped my laptop to keep going when I would have otherwise replaced it)....I haven't kept track of how much I've saved but I expect it's quite a lot

mrcow

There are several videos on youtube depending on what type of finish you want.

I cut all of my children's hair and they look fine. I'm a bit too chicken to cut my own. Mainly because I can't see what I'm doing athe back!

kathrynha

I cut my own and my 6 year old daughters hair.

Daughters I'm more adventurous with than my own. Shoulder length bob with fringe.

My own is totally straight and about waist length. After I cut it I wear it up for a week or 2 to allow the just cut look to grow out and hide any wonky bits.

I started doing it when I was a student, I object to hairdressers charging extra to cut long hair, when all I want is a straight line across the bottom.
Also just started in the last year colouring it to cover up the increasing amount of grey hairs.

Quick calculation tells me I've saved £1700 in the last 15 years!

Goldiegirl

I've clipped my husband's hair for years.

I made a boo-boo yesterday, when I accidentally chopped a section right in the middle of his head! Ah well, it'll grow back.

I wouldn't allow my husband to cut my hair. I've been going to my hairdresser for 30 years, and she is now a friend, and I trust her.

I think that's the key, build a relationship with your hairdresser, then you are less likely to have problems.