How to Cut Your Own Hair (If You Absolutely Must)

Stylists undergo years of training and use professional-grade tools. Without those things, your home haircut likely won’t come close to salon results, but if you insist on cutting your hair, at least make sure you have the equipment to do a decent job. To learn which tools you’ll need, we asked four stylists, some of whom cut Wirecutter staffers’ hair: Patty Mocarski, stylist and owner of New York City’s Little Space Salon (my stylist); Tim Patrick, a hair specialist in Los Angeles (and who styles editor Jennifer Hunter’s hair); Candace Witherspoon, a natural hair specialist and owner of Candace Witherspoon Salon in New York City; and Tammy Avalos, a hair stylist in Corpus Christi, Texas (who is a family friend of staff writer Kaitlyn Wells and has offered her hair-styling advice for over a decade).

All-purpose hair scissors

Craft X Series 5.5″ Shear ($50 at the time of publication)
Javenproliu Haircutting Shears ($20 at the time of publication)

Professional shears usually cost several hundred dollars, so buying a pair doesn’t make sense for a layperson. But your hair deserves an upgrade from kitchen scissors, which, our experts said, should never be used for hair. Regardless of hair type, a basic pair of sharp shears will do the trick. Mocarski recommends the Craft X Series 5.5″ Shear for trimming bangs or skimming off split ends. These shears are sharp, made from durable stainless steel, and lightweight to hold, and they have a comfortable design—the built-in finger rest keeps your hand from getting tired halfway through the job. The Craft X pair includes a lifetime warranty, so if you think you may keep up your at-home trims, it’s a good investment. If you’d rather save some money, this Javenproliu pair also features a finger rest, a lifetime warranty, and stainless steel blades, so it should perform similarly, though we haven’t tried it.

Small scissors for trimming your own bangs

Erbe Matte Finish Inox Stainless Steel Nail Scissors ($25 at the time of publication)
3 Swords Germany Curved Nail Scissors ($14 at the time of publication)

Mocarski also suggests that newbies consider cutting bangs with nail scissors—she recommends this sharp, sturdy pair by Erbe. The smaller blades make it so that you “can’t chop off a bunch at once.��� There are many cheap and highly rated nail scissors you could buy, but Mocarski likes the Erbe scissors because they’re made from stainless steel so you can rinse them without worrying about rust, and they come with a lifetime warranty. If those are out of stock due to demand, try this stainless steel pair from 3 Swords Germany, which currently has a 4.4-star rating across more than 800 Amazon reviews. And as Mocarski points out, “Double bonus, you can do your nails after.”

A wide-tooth comb

Sam Villa Signature Series Short Cutting Comb ($7 at the time of publication)
Cricket Carbon Combs C20 ($8 at the time of publication)
Hyoujin Cutting Comb ($4 at the time of publication)

To trim split ends or take off a little length, Patrick recommends using a comb as a cutting guide. He recommends these combs by Sam Villa and Cricket, which are sturdier than other plastic combs and deep enough to use with thin or thick hair. If they’re both unavailable, this comb from Hyoujin features a similar build and high customer reviews. A comb will help you maintain a straight line (and avoid the need to fix wonky ends, which can force you to cut more than you intended). “Make sure you’re using the wide-tooth side because that creates less tension,�� Patrick suggests. “Fine teeth stretch and pull the hair and it’s going to bounce up after.”

Hair clippers

Oster Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper ($110 at the time of publication, may have stock issues)
Wahl Peanut White Clipper & Trimmer ($50 at the time of publication)
Braun MGK3220 ($25 at the time of publication)

Using a clipper is a nearly foolproof way to maintain short hair; if you use the right guide comb, you’ll get the right length. Due to surging demand, many of the best hair clippers we recommend are out of stock, but our upgrade pick, the Oster Fast Feed, has had more intermittent availability than others and it's worth the price if you plan to use it long-term. It’s a pro-grade clipper built to withstand years of use. Its motor is extremely powerful yet pleasingly quiet, and its casing is lightweight but durable. In a pinch, Wahl’s Peanut Clipper & Trimmer is another good choice. Though we tested it for our beard trimming guide, it should work just fine for the hair on your head, as well. In testing, we were consistently impressed by its durability and power.

We don’t recommend cheaper battery-operated models in our guide because we’ve found that the batteries tend to quickly degrade, but these are unprecedented times, and you may just need a cheap clipper to use right now. If so, look for clippers made by well-known brands like Wahl, Remington, or Braun—in our experience, they tend to be better performers and worth a few extra bucks compared with copycat brands. One potentially good option is Braun’s MGK3220, which comes with 13 length settings and even nose-hair trimmers. We’ve never tested it, but in a pinch it’s a low-investment risk.

Blow dryer

Rusk W8less ($80 at the time of publication)
Rusk CTC Lite ($95 at the time of publication)

According to the stylists we consulted, cutting dry hair leaves less room for error (save wet cuts for the experts). To take hair from the shower to the chopping block, use a hair dryer like our favorite, the lightweight Rusk W8less. It’s more comfortable to use than many more expensive models we tested, and it was among the hottest and fastest dryers we tried. The company offers a limited two-year warranty. The W8less is also easier to use in a bathroom without convenient outlets, since its 8-foot cord makes it usable farther away. If you have curly hair, opt for the Rusk CTC Lite, which offers the same performance and warranty as the W8less and comes with a diffuser to help define curls.

Hair clips

Conair Secure Hold ($4 for 12 at the time of publication)

To hold back sections of hair you don’t want to cut, Patrick recommends these simple clips from Conair. They’re “cheap, timeless, and won’t dent the hair,” he says. They come in a pack of 12, so even if you (inevitably) lose a few, you’ll have plenty of backups.

For cleanup

Black+Decker 20V Max Lithium Pivot BDH2000PL ($80 at the time of publication)

You can suck up hair trimmings with any vacuum, but if you’re trimming in the bathroom and want a more portable, handheld model, try our favorite from Black+Decker, which offered more powerful suction than any other handheld we tested. (And with no detachable parts on this model, there’s no risk you’ll lose an important component.) At a salon you’re usually tucked under a cape, but for a few little home haircuts, Patrick says, think outside the box: “You can even use a shower curtain or trash bag, or just wear clothes that you can toss in the washing machine afterwards.” (We have a few trash bag recommendations.)

To keep children from fidgeting mid-cut, says Patrick, “you want to give them a digital something, a video game or an iPad.” Since you’ll likely be cutting their hair in the bathroom or the kitchen, a handheld distraction method is the best option (as opposed to planting your kid in front of a television). Stream a video on your cell phone or an iPad or, for something even more attention grabbing, try a portable game console like our pick, the Nintendo Switch.

R+Co Palm Springs Pre-Shampoo Treatment Mask (about $30 at the time of publication)
Aveda Dry Remedy Moisturizing Masque ($40 at the time of publication)
Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Moist ($3 at the time of publication)

To make split ends a little softer and prevent new ones from forming while you wait for a salon visit, our stylists recommend a deep-conditioning mask. “If you haven’t had a haircut in a year and a half, that’s not going to be a cure-all, but it might help put off the need for hacking away at your split ends,” Mocarski explains. And there’s no better time to do treatments: “Unless you’re doing a video call, you can put conditioner in your hair and put it in a bun or a braid and leave it for hours,” she says.

To nourish split ends on fine hair, Mocarski recommends the R+Co Palm Springs mask: “Palm Springs is great for people who are wary of their hair getting too weighed down or greasy, because it’s done before you shampoo and you can apply a little more after you rinse.” The formula is packed with oils and amino acids that revive dull ends, and it’s vegan and “cruelty-free” (not tested on animals).

To revive curly hair, Witherspoon recommends Aveda’s Dry Remedy Moisturizing Masque, which, customer reviews say, does a great job of diminishing frizz. The formula contains fruit oils, lavender, bergamot, and flower essences, so it smells great, too. For a similar mask at a fraction of the price, Mocarski suggests Aussie’s 3-Minute Miracle Moist to smooth split ends. It’s currently rated 4.6 stars (out of five) across more than 1,500 Target reviews. It also smells terrific, and it has won product awards from magazines including Allure and Glamour.

First of all, think hard about whether you really want to do this. Mocarski points out, “What’s worse? A messed-up haircut, or some dead ends?” And of course, hair is everything (video). So unless your hair is truly driving you buggy, our experts recommend waiting until you can get a professional cut. (If you need more convincing, take a scroll through examples of quarantine haircuts on Reddit.) This is a great opportunity to play with accessories like hats, headbands, and scrunchies, or to try new styles like braids and buns.

If you decide to try a trim, start with some guidance. Many stylists are now offering virtual haircuts, using video calls to guide clients through a cut. If you want to go it alone, numerous free videos may help your technique. Here are three basic haircuts you may want to try.

How to cut your own bangs

Ashley Streicher, stylist and co-owner of Los Angeles’s Striiike beauty studio, recently posted this helpful, step-by-step guide to trimming bangs. (Yes, cut them dry.) Notice that Streicher also recommends using nail scissors for DIY bang trims.

Best way to trim your own hair

Try to put off your trim until you can see your stylist, Mocarski says, but if you truly cannot wait, she thinks this video by New York stylist Brad Mondo isn’t as “terrible” as many other online tutorials. The cut requires basic tools, can be done alone, and works well on long, straight hair.

For those with curls, Witherspoon says, it’s important to cut the hair with its natural texture (so, don’t use a straightener) and, as with all solo cuts, to keep your hair dry so there’s “less room for drastic mistakes.” Curly hair, especially, can shrink dramatically as it dries, so cutting while wet could cause you to chop too much length. Witherspoon pointed us to this video with good advice for curly home haircuts using just scissors and a comb. Note that the professional stylist there is cutting wet hair, but you can use the same technique on dry hair.

How to cut short hair

It’s hard to use clippers on short hair when you can’t see the back of your own head. If you can, ask someone else to help out (as long as you don’t start resenting them if they mess it up). If you’re working solo, Wirecutter editor Jon Chase, who cut his own hair for our electric clipper guide, recommends starting with the longest attachment first (you can always take more off, but you can’t put more on). Try to guide the trimmer in multiple directions so you avoid any lawn-style tracks. You can see a similar technique in action in this video.