Trim Your Own Hair For Total Control

I've mentioned before that I like to have 1/2 inch trimmed off of my hair every 3 to 4 months.  While not everyone agrees with trimming while growing their hair, for me, it's a must. Without trims, my ends become very shaggy looking within just a few months. In part that's due to the uneven growth rate of each individual hair. With my fine, pin-straight hair, it's very noticeable.

I like to keep my ends looking as thick as possible while still growing.  Yes, cutting off 1/2 inch 3 or 4 times a year inevitably slows my progress to my ultimate goal, but I'm more concerned with the journey than the destination at this point.  

I've seen what my hair looks like without a trim for a year, and it isn't at all the way I want my hair to look.

A small trim now and then could mean not having to have a big chop because I suddenly notice that the bottom inches of my hair are transparent, as has happened to me in the past.

If you are someone who likes to have regular trims, it can be difficult to find a hair stylist who really understand that when you say 1/2 inch, you really mean 1/2 inch.  Sometimes people don't even realize just how small 1/2 inch is.  For me, it's merely the width of the tip of my pinkie finger.

A lot of stylists will not work well with trims that small.  Of course there are many who do, but how do you find one? Believe me, it can be hard.

That's why a lot of long-haired people have taken matters into their own hands and self-trim.

I've mentioned before that I'm all thumbs, and I'm honestly not kidding.  I can't draw a straight line to save my life and my handwriting is horrendous, even when I'm trying to be neat.

Yet I can trim my own hair!  I never thought I'd be able to do it, but I can.  It's so easy and just about anyone can do it. On the long hair forums, I discovered  Feye's Self-Trim Method. What a revelation!  It's a very easy way to trim your hair in tiny amounts.  You can also vary between a straight across hemline, a v-shape or a u-shape.

I will suggest that if your hair is only just past your shoulders, it may be helpful to have a friend do the cutting, especially if you're not self-confident, but once your hair is below the under-arm line, you should have no trouble at all doing it yourself.

My second suggestion would be to try cutting off less than you plan to have cut off in total the first or second time you self-trim.  You can always cut off a bit more if necessary.

Lastly, make sure you are using very sharp barber shears.  These days, you can find good quality barber shears at reasonable prices on Ebay. If you really want to go all out, by all means, go to a professional store to buy your shears.  Sharp scissors are essential, not just for a good cut, but also to keep your hair in the best condition.  Dull scissors can lead to split ends.

It's a really fine achievement to be independent of having to go to a salon, but to still be able to maintain your own hair.  It saves money, and you are also in complete control of your own length.

Here is the link to Feye's Self-Trim Method.  If I can do it, believe me, anyone can.

Good luck with it!

How to Trim Your Own Bangs--It's Easy!

If you wear bangs or a fringe, you'll find that you'll need to trim them fairly often.  Many hair salons will trim your bangs for free between regular cuts.  However, if you're growing out your hair, you may not be going to a salon regularly anymore. 

If you already have straight-across bangs, here are some tips for trimming your bangs yourself.

You don't need much in the way of supplies for this.  A mirror, clips or a headband, scissors (preferably barber's shears) and a fine tooth comb are the only tools you need

First of all, make sure your hair is dry when you trim.  Wet hair will shrink as it dries, and your bangs may well end up being too short.

Now, clip all hair back, leaving only your bangs exposed.  Comb them straight down with a fine-toothed comb.

With the fingers of your dominant hand, pinch the bangs together and place them right at the bridge of your nose below the brow line.

Take your non-dominant hand and grasp the bangs horizontally against your forehead between the index and middle finger. This frees your dominant hand to hold the scissors.  Slide your fingers down to the length you want your bangs to be.    Make sure that your fingers are truly horizontal and not tilting to one side or the other.  The fingers will serve as your guideline.  However short you think you want your bangs to be, lower your fingers by about 1/4 of an inch, to prevent accidentally cutting too much off.  You can always trim more later.

Now take your scissors.  Hold the scissors almost vertically and make repeated vertical snips until your bangs are at your finger line (the guideline).

Comb bangs straight down with your fine-toothed comb.  Look for any errant hairs that may have escaped your scissors during the trim and snip them off.

Now, check the length.  If you're happy with the new length, you're done.  If you need a bit more cut off, repeat the process with a slightly higher guideline.

You're done!  You've cut your own bangs.  With the almost-vertical cutting method you'll not have the straight as an edge home-made look, and by having pulled the hair to the center of your forehead, to the bridge of your nose, you'll have a nice natural line.

For those of you more visually oriented, I'll make a video the next time I trim.

I'll give instructions for cutting bangs for the first time in a future entry.

Remember cut less to start with.  You can always cut more.  Good luck!

Beautiful Quiet Spring Sunday

Well, it was pretty quiet until a black squirrel started making all kinds of noise on the deck. I thought it was a crow, it was so loud.

Anyway, lots of sunshine and it finally feels as though spring is really here.

I did do my deep moisture treatment with 1 part honey and 2 parts conditioner today. My hair isn't completely dry yet, but I can really feel the difference. Nice and silky smooth again.

As a timesaver, instead of rinsing my hair prior to applying the moisture treatment, I thoroughly dampened my hair with a spray bottle of distilled water. When I got into the shower I added a bit of water, worked the conditioner with my fingertips and then put my hair up in a clip while I did my remaining showerly duties. I then rinsed my hair for about 3 minutes and finished of with a mild apple cider vinegar rinse. I use just a few tablespoons of ACV in a pitcher of water. It not only gets rid of the excess conditioner, but restores the natural acid mantle of the scalp. It also tends to close the cuticle of the hair, thus creating more shine.

I also cut my bangs. I think that I may have cut off about 1/8 of an inch too much, but that will take care of itself in about a week.

I think tomorrow I'll post a hairstyle photo here and add it to my website. I don't know yet what style I'm going to do, but I think I'll do a half-updo. Half-ups are a great way to protect the top layers of the hair (or the canopy) from damage. They're also a great way to do updos that your hair is too short for.

For example, at the moment I can't do a Figure 8 bun at my current length, but I can do a figure 8 half-up style. I love going through the various phases of growth and seeing what hairstyles do and don't work.

Well, it Sunday, it's a beautiful day, all is right with the world and that's about all I have to say for today.

Bangs, Fringe--It's All The Same

I've had bangs all of my life, with the exception of about 2 years from 2006-2008 when I grew them out. I loved the way they look grown out, but with my fine, straight hair, they were always in my face, and I had to clip them back, even when they were well grown out. I finally caved and cut bangs again.

Not everyone is a fan of the fringe, but I guess it's just part of my identity. I'm including a photo of me at the age of 10. Basically, I have the same hair style now as I had then. After years of perms, curling irons and even crimpers (yipes) in an effort to have bigger, wavier hair, I've finally come to love my straight hair, and I find it ironic that I wear my hair the way I did when I was 10. It's all come full circle.

My hair grows fairly quickly, so I need to trim my bangs every 2-3 weeks. Fortunately, I have a good pair of scissors and I've learned to trim them myself. It's quite easy. In fact I cut the bangs I have now from the grown out bangs myself. I am quite pleased that I don't have to worry about going to salons for those trims anymore.

So, today, the bangs are falling in my eyes, and I guess it's time for a trim. Again.


The clarifying yesterday went well. I didn't end up having time to do the hour-long deep conditioning, so I loaded my hair with a ton of conditioner in the shower and left it for about 5 minutes. I'll have to do the deep conditioning tomorrow.

Nonetheless, my velcro ends are gone, and my hair feels less tangly. So if you ever find that your ends are tangling, don't forget; clarify before doing anything else, like getting a trim.

I can't say that my hair looks any different after clarifying, but it feels different and is better behaved. So much about hair is not visible to the eye but is visible to the touch.


After a gloomy week of rain here in Southern Ontario, I'm delighted that the sun is out again. It looks to be a promising week of Spring weather. I hope that everyone is having a great weekend.

Off to trim the bangs.