Easy Way to Cut Your Own Hair in a Curly Bob
I’ve been cutting my own hair for years, with varying success. It started as a way to save money, and then became something I just wanted to learn how to do – seemed like I should be able to do. It usually ended up an all-day project. But I found a new method, and this morning I was able to cut my hair into a medium length, gently layered bob in just five minutes. Here’s a pic – I think it came out well! Here’s how you do it.
My 5-minute, do-it-yourself haircut
Note that you must use professional haircutting scissors (very sharp) that you use for no other purpose. Otherwise it will look like a rat gnawed off your hair.
First I washed my hair, put conditioner in it, and left it on (to maximally straighten my curls during the cut). I combed my hair into a pony tail at the nape of my neck (as evenly as possible – side hair on side, back on back, top on top), and tied it with an elastic – not hard up against the nape of my neck, maybe an inch away. And then I cut off the pony tail. I tried to make a fairly even cut, but I didn’t spend a lot of time obsessing on it – total time, 1-2 minutes.
Next I took off the elastic, turned my head upside down, combed my hair up into a pony tail on the very top of my head as evenly as possible (side hair on the side, back hair on back, etc.) and tied that with an elastic. Then I combed the pony tail straight up from the top of my head and blunt-cut it straight across – just a little (about 2 inches) for long layers. Total time for this, maybe 2-3 minutes.
Then I jumped back in the shower to rinse out the conditioner. Done!
Now I have a perfect bob, a bit shorter in the back (as is the current style), and slightly layered so my curls curl. It’s my best haircut in years – in or out of a salon – and I can’t believe how quick and easy it was.
My big mistake in the past was to try to cut my own hair using the techniques that a salon stylist would use. You just can’t do a good job of that on your own head – there is always the problem of the back. There are tricks to cutting your own hair, and they are different from what you do if you’re cutting someone else’s hair!
As you can see, my hair is naturally curly. Judging from my internet research, this technique will work equally well on straight hair, but of course I don’t have straight hair to test it on. If you do, please post your results!
Marissa:
I think you did a fantastic job. Cutting curly hair can be quite tricky since it is very different to cut over straight hair. If you are not careful when cutting the hair with wet locks, you can end up with a hair style several inches shorter. lol
November 16, 2009, 4:04 pmSheryl Canter:
Why thank you! I know all about cutting curly hair too short by accident – been there, done that.
It’s funny you should post a comment today because I just cut my hair again, using the same technique. I can report that it was not a fluke – it came out well just like before.
November 16, 2009, 5:24 pmtroglo:
I have to try this….
Just to make it clearer: when you say you make a ponytail at the very top of your head do you mean at the centerpoint of your cranium exactly or do you mean its highest point which is the crown?
And when you say you blunt-cut 2″ do you mean 2″ cut off from the end of the ponytail or you left 2″ og hair on the ponytail?
thanks, your hair looks great…
November 23, 2009, 8:03 amSheryl Canter:
First, I should mention that this second time when I cut it, I trimmed around the front a little after what I described in the article. I didn’t need to do that – the shape was fine – but if my hair is longer than a certain length it stops curling (may not apply to others). I didn’t have to do this the first time because the front started off a little shorter the first time I cut it.
As for your questions… I don’t really know what you mean by “centerpoint of cranium” versus “highest point of crown”. I mean the middle of the top of my head. If you were hanging by your hair (like in the circus), that’s where the ponytail would be. Lean over and comb the hair up to the top of your head and put an elastic around it.
Re your second question… I cut off 2″ of hair, not left 2″ of hair – longer than 2″ was left. Looking in the mirror, I flattened the pony tail and cut straight across. The sides are already a little shorter from cutting off the pony tail at the nape, so it’s just the center of the flattened ponytail on the top of your head that gets cut.
Hope that helps. If you try it, post back how it worked!
Here’s haircut #2 (took this just now):
November 24, 2009, 11:43 amMarissa:
Sheryl, you did another great job! I am amazed that you can cut it so evenly. I am just too afraid to cut my own hair. My younger sister is a licensed hair stylist and I don’t even let her cut my hair. lol I have my hair cut in layers for the days that I wish to straighten it. but pretty much I wear it curly for the months of October-march since it will be a complete waste to straighten it only to step foot outside and have it frizz up in less than a minute.
December 2, 2009, 3:52 pmSheryl Canter:
It’s just hair – if you mess up, it grows back.
That said, it really is hard to screw it up if you do it the way I describe, and it’s easy. My hair looks even because the technique I’m using makes it even. It takes 5 minutes for the basic cut, then another 5-10 minutes to trim the front a little bit. Piece of cake!
The last time I tried to straighten my hair was in high school. The processing caused my hair to break off to about 1″ long on the top of my head like I had a brush cut. It was a nightmare. Never again! People with straight hair want curly hair and people with curly hair want straight hair. Life is so much easier when you just accept what you have.
December 2, 2009, 6:42 pmWisdomandtruth:
This will only work if you are not particular about your style. I cut my own, but using a much more complicated method. I don’t think I can explain it here. Diagrams would be needed.
January 10, 2010, 5:57 pmBravo to those who are not so particular for saving yourself some money and being self-sufficient. IF you learn to do this you can advance slowly. I started using this method.
Sheryl Canter:
You don’t like my hair style?
Seriously, I’d like to know how you do it. I used to cut my hair in the way that someone else would cut my hair, but doing the back was just too hard. It took me hours and most of the time I could not get it right. What do you do (short version)?
January 10, 2010, 6:17 pmren:
sheryl, your cut looks great! i have been cutting my own curly hair for about 15 years, after wasting money at salons and consistently ending up with “triangle head”. I even hunted down curly-haired stylists hoping they had a clue, but had no luck. having curly hair is traumatic enough (i don’t like the attention), but paying to have my hair abused felt like a double violation.
my most-used method is to first part my hair down the middle. then i start at the front, taking a section on both sides (ear to center), gathering each toward the center part, and twisting. i then hold the end of the twist and cut. repeat in 3-4 sections on each side, minding the symmetry. i guess it took a little practice to get the layers even, but this is fun and quick. i often wake in the morning and decide i need a trim, and do this before heading to work.
i have also tried something similar to what you did, but i take two sections, front and back, pull into a ponytail, and cut. gave me a sexy punk look with my shoulder-length locks.
January 24, 2010, 9:49 pmKaren:
Thanks, Sheryl; Your hair looks great! I’ve been experimenting with cutting my own curly hair (though not quite as curly as yours).
I’ve read “Curly Girl: The Handbook” by Lorraine Massey, and was thereby recommitted to honoring and respecting what nature gave me, instead of trying to fit into the conventional, majority, controlled, (and dare I say “non-ethnic”) “corporate” look of straight, “perfectly tamed” hair styles.
I’ve found some help in a few pages from “Haircutting for Dummies” by J. Elaine Spear, that discuss “compact haircuts,” which are very simple and quick to do by yourself. These may be mostly suited to longer hair, but I think your approach (using more than one “cut”) fits in well with the “compact haircutting” category.
I also found several helpful videos on self-cut layered hairstyles at Carolyn Dickerson’s website (http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/layer-haircut.html).
It feels great to be saving some money during this economic downturn! I don’t want to put hairstylists out of business, but it’s great to know that there are cheaper alternatives, if you’re in a financial pinch. And the results are predictable, if you use the same technique each time, unlike trying to explain to a new hairstylist what look you want, and hoping you end up with it, after paying more than you can afford! : \
Anyway, I was in the experimental process of growing all my hair out to reach a “ponytail” cut off at the bridge of my nose (which creates great bangs!), when I came across your web page, and decided to try bobbing off the back, using your ponytail technique. I cut two or three inches down and away from the nape of my neck. Then, over the next couple of days, I followed up with two more compact cuts, gathering all my hair into two more ponytails, equally spaced between the bottom ponytail, and the one at the crown of my head. I was careful not to cut too deeply (just an inch or so), and the result looks quite similar to some of the professionally cut styles I had back in the ’70s and ’80s. It’s long enough that I can still put it up with a clip, barrette, or some side combs, for a little variety in styles.
I’m still going to grow my hair longer, as I’m curious to see how it will look if I grow all my hair out to a ponytail cut at the tip of my nose, followed by growing it out to a ponytail cut at my chin (maybe keeping the bangs cut to the bridge of my nose). But in the meantime, I think the “bob” makes for a good transition, not to mention that bobs are fashionable right now.
Here’s to all the self-empowered women with the courage to be different, and the daring to cut their own hair! : )
February 1, 2010, 12:10 amKaren:
Addendum:
I’ve been gradually shortening the bob (by an inch the other day, and another inch today) and am very happy with how it’s looking! I think I’ll stick with this style for a while, instead of trying to grow it longer in back, as was my original plan. I gives my fine, thin curly hair more body, and more fullness at the crown, which is what I’ve always wanted! And to avoid the “triangle-head” hazard, I’m careful not to comb out or over-fluff the curls after they’ve dried.
Also, I’m going to try growing out the hair in front of my ears to a longer length than I have now, creating what I’ve seen online described (synonomously) as an “inverted bob,” “concave bob,” “stacked bob,” and “A-line bob.” Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find many photos of curly bobs online. There is definitely a bias toward straight hair! : (
February 8, 2010, 12:14 am