Sheryl's Blog

29 Comments

1. 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 pm

2. Sheryl 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 pm

3. troglo:

   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 am

4. Sheryl 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 am

5. Marissa:

   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 pm

6. Sheryl 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 pm

7. Wisdomandtruth:

   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.
   Bravo 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.

   January 10, 2010, 5:57 pm

8. 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 pm

9. ren:

   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 pm

10. Karen:

    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 am

11. Karen:

    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

12. SF_Gal:

    Wow! I am so stoked. This totally worked. Yay!

    Thank you for the clear & easy-to-read instructions, plus the follow-up in the comments.

    I just knew that going to a salon, in my case, was a waste of time & money. It’s extra awesome when you’re right AND you get a kick ass haircut!

    February 10, 2010, 8:24 pm

13. Sheryl Canter:

    SF_Gal – That is great! I’m happy to hear it. Do you have a picture you can post? There are a lot of sites that will host pictures for you, and then you could can use HTML to post it here. If you don’t know how, post a link to the picture and I’ll convert it so it displays.

    Karen – can you post a picture, too? And also could you explain your technique in a little more detail? I didn’t get that part about two more pony tails. Where did you make the additional pony tails and where did you cut them off?

    I’m due for another haircut myself. Last one was late November, as I posted. It’s grown a lot in two months.

    February 10, 2010, 8:43 pm

14. Karen:

    Hi Sheryl,

    I’m sorry to say I can’t post a picture yet, since I’m not up to speed on that aspect of modern technology. My adult daughter gave me a digital camera a while back, but I’ve had so many other things on my “priority list” that I haven’t even looked at the instructions for it. There’s a built-in camera on my iMac, but I haven’t messed with that yet either. Call me a Luddite, but l’ve been feeling overwhelmed the past few years (helping my elderly mother, among other things), and have been rationing my time and energy. I do plan to get “with it” eventually, maybe by the end of this year? : \

    As far as the extra ponytails go, when I cut the initial ponytail at the nape of my neck, it ended up looking a bit too angular in back after my hair dried, because of the way the curls stacked up, resulting in what I assume people mean by the “triangle-head” look. This despite the fact that I already had some long layers at the crown of my head from before. I decided to trim a bit of hair (about 1/2 to 1 inch) off at the point where the hair was forming an angle (about two or three inches above where I cut the ponytail at the nape).

    I combed my wet hair carefully (as you described) and pulled it all into a rubber band (fastened as tightly as possible, close to my head), to form and center the ponytail (using the bathroom mirror along with a hand-held mirror to make sure it was not off-center). Then, slowly, with the first three fingernails of both hands, I pulled the band horizontally (parallel to the floor) away from my head while facing the bathroom mirror to make sure my arms were pulling the band straight back. I stopped a few times to check on the location of the rubber band, using the hand-held mirror to be sure it was still centered.

    When the rubber band was about one to one-and-a-half inches from the end of the ponytail, I carefully made small snips close to the band until it was evenly cut (being careful not to cut the band). If the rubber band is tight, you can be confident that the hair won’t slip out while you’re cutting it, especially if you do tiny snips, and keep your fingers on the outer edge of the rubber band, so you can “feel” what you’re doing without having to use the eyes in the back of your head. : )

    I then repeated this whole procedure about two inches above the second ponytail, again gathering ALL the hair into a tight ponytail, then sliding the rubber band back, horizontally until about an inch or two from the end. I should have taken notes, since I’m already forgetting how much hair I took off. I was conservative though, knowing it would be quick and easy to take more off later.

    The results were pretty good, but still not “perfect,” so yesterday, I did one last cut, this time pulling all the hair into a ponytail at the very top and back of my head, and again pulling the rubber band horizontally back until it was about two inches from the end of the ponytail. This was where my longest layers were, and where the “angle” was most obvious at that time, so I wasn’t afraid to cut a little more length off here.

    This area might be considered “the crown” of the head (I’m still a little confused about exactly where the crown is), but when I cut layers at the crown for previous haircuts, I had always held the hair straight up (perpendicular to the floor). This time, I pulled the hair towards the back of the head (parallel to the floor, as with all the other cuts except for the one at the nape, which I had done more-or-less flat against my neck).

    I think pulling the top (crown) ponytail toward the back of the head is important if you want to get the “inverted bob” look, with shorter layers up the back of the head, and longer layers near the face. If you don’t want that look, then pulling the ponytail more toward a point above the head would probably be better (isn’t that what you did?).

    Since I’m transitioning from one style to another, I’ll be working toward an inverted bob (growing out my “sideburns”) for several months before I’ll know if that look works well for me. Right now, my hair looks great, AND it looks a lot like yours! : )

    I hope this clears things up a little. Let me know if you still have difficulty visualizing it. I am, at this point, VERY PLEASED with the hairstyle, and last night I was experimenting with different ways to style it, getting out some old barrettes, clips, and headbands I hadn’t used for a while. I’m even inspired to try playing with some scarves or bandanas, and maybe a narrow-brimmed hat or knit cap, none of which worked very well with my hair the way it was cut before.

    It’s AMAZING how versatile the bob cut is! Because it preserves length in the top layers, you can still pull the hair back into a barrette or clip or bun at the crown if you’re having a bad hair day. Since I live in the high desert, I need to be able to do that when the dry air leaves my natural curls looking lifeless. Right now though, with all the winter rain we’ve been getting, my curls look great — almost as lively as the ones in your photo!

    As a thank-you for your tips, and for everyone’s possible amusement, here’s a “bob haircut worship page” I came across during my internet search:

    http://www.bobhaircuts.com/worship_bobs.php

    Most of the curly bobs depicted, which are too few, seem to be from the flapper era. : \

    February 11, 2010, 1:37 am

15. Sheryl Canter:

    I’d never heard the terms you used. I googled “inverted bob”. That just means longer in front and shorter in back? That’s what the technique described in my post gives you. I trimmed the front afterwards so the difference wasn’t so dramatic.

    When you make a ponytail above the nape and then blunt cut it, what you’re doing is creating layers. The location of the ponytail and the direction in which you pull it determines the location and length of the layers.

    The only “layering” cut I make is the ponytail I gather on the top of my head. That creates long layers that allow the hair to curl and be shaped right (rounded edges rather than a triangle). When you layer multiple times in multiple ways, don’t you erase the last layering every time you make a new layering cut?

    I’ll be cutting my hair again in the morning. If I learn anything new, I’ll post it.

    February 11, 2010, 3:26 am

16. Karen:

    Yeah, I guess what I did was more like a hybrid between an inverted bob and a layered cut, but the top layers are still quite long, so I like the fact that it looks good down or up. I’m also excited to try something new after all these years (at the risk of looking ridiculously retro [circa 1920]).

    I used to always get a short or medium layered cut, which looked great when there was some moisture in the air, but did nothing for me when desert winds stole the curl from my hair. The back of my head is rather flat, so I really need the extra bulk in back, especially on dry days. That’s why I rarely wore hats, even on cold days, unless I could put my hair up in a bun, to keep the back from getting squished down flat.

    This new cut seems to look OK even when the curls disappear. With the shorter layers I used to have, I didn’t have many options on a bad-hair day, since the layers were too short to put up in a clip or barrette at the crown of my head. : (

    Your method (only two cuts) is certainly simpler, and I may end up going back to that method. What length is the shortest layer on top of your head? It looks like it’s probably long enough to put into a barrette or a bun.

    February 11, 2010, 1:19 pm

17. Sheryl Canter:

    I just cut my hair again. It’s still wrapped in a towel at the moment. If I have time after it dries, I’ll take another picture.

    This time I cut the nape-of-neck ponytail while still in the shower. Then I gathered the top-of-head ponytail while in the shower, stepped out for just a minute to snip it off in front of the mirror, and got back in the shower to rinse off the conditioner.

    After the ponytail snips, the front definitely needs trimming. I don’t like really long front and really short back. I like it more even. The first time I cut it I didn’t have to trim the front because it was already a little shorter. But going forward, I do.

    Trimming the front took just a few minutes. I just corrected the line from the side to the front. It’s easy to trim the front. It’s the back and the layering that’s so hard, and the ponytails take care of that.

    After trimming the front, I jumped back into the shower to rinse off the clipped hair, and now I’m done. I have to be somewhere, but if I have time after it dries I’ll post another picture.

    ---

    Okay, quick pic. My hair is still very slightly damp, but mostly dry. I was playing with the settings on my camera so the color would be corrected for indoor light, and in the process I set it to low-res by mistake. But it’s big enough to see.

    

    February 11, 2010, 1:53 pm

18. Sheryl Canter:

    Karen, my hair looks better shorter. When it’s longer, the weight pulls out the curl and it doesn’t look as good. It gets kind of straggly. Also, I don’t look good with my hair up – I need the volume around my face. So I don’t try to keep it long enough to put up – it’s not a priority for me. It would be easy enough to do, though – just cut the ponytails further down and leave it longer.

    February 11, 2010, 2:43 pm

19. Sheryl Canter:

    My hair was still slightly wet when I took the picture above. It looks even better fully dry. I must say, I am very pleased with my haircut! It’s as good or better than any salon cut I’ve ever gotten, and I’ve gone to some expensive salons. Plus it was free and took less than 15 minutes – 5 minutes for the ponytail chopping, 10 for trimming the front. And I can do it reliably. When I look back at the three haircut pictures I took, they are all very similar. I am very happy I found this technique!

    February 12, 2010, 2:19 pm

20. Karen:

    Looks great! I love the simplicity of it. My self-cut looks a little different, since I let the bangs fall down to my eyebrows (trying to hide a few wrinkles, but also, I like the way the bangs look). I also do an off-center part to cover a cowlick and make the bangs poof out more.

    The bangs are super-easy to cut using the “compact” method, where you gather the hair you want to cut, comb it out, center it, twist it, and cut off the length you want (I usually use a rubber band to secure it before or after twisting, especially if I’m cutting more volume for a “heavy bang”). Then you comb it out again, twist it in the opposite direction and nab any stragglers or uneven bits you may have missed. I pull the gathered bang hair straight down (tightly) to a point just below the bridge of my nose, and when the curls shrink, they end up just above my eyebrows. This method makes bangs that gradually lengthen toward the side of the face. There’s a different technique I found online for cutting a sideswept bang, but I haven’t tried that method yet, since it seems better suited to straight hair.

    Before I decided to grow my sideburns out, I used to blend the bangs with the hair behind my ears by cutting out the longer bits in between. I agree that it’s pretty easy to cut the hair on the front of your head (around the face). I had to be careful though, because the hair above the outer part of my eyebrows likes to curl up tight, (and my hairline is receding a bit there also), so when it dries it doesn’t look like I blended it. Trimming the hair when it was dry seemed to fix that problem.

    That’s another advantage to self-cut hair. You know the quirks of your own hair better than most hairstylists can!

    Since my hair is so thin and fine, growing out the sideburns may not result in the best look for me, but I’m going to give it a go for now. I’ll put it back with clips or barrettes through any awkward stages until I get it to the desired length, then make a decision. I suspect that I may, at that point, reject the “inverted bob” look, but it’s fun to experiment (cheaply!).

    Thanks again for the tips and photos!
    : )

    February 14, 2010, 11:09 am

21. Jane P:

    Hi from Australia! Thank you so much for sharing your haircutting method! Your hair looks GREAT! I don’t have curly hair, it’s in between, but your method has worked really well for me also. Even though you take photos in to show hairdressers how you would like your hair cut, they just seem to do their own thing, and totally different to what you’ve requested, and then it takes ages to grow out! I’ve been going around in circles for years. It is so frustrating because my hair goes really puffy on the side. HOORAY! I am so delighted to be able to cut it myself now. And think of the savings, which will be over $200 a year for me! Sheryl, THANK YOU SO MUCH! God bless you!

    June 2, 2010, 4:22 pm

22. Sheryl Canter:

    Thanks for posting, Jane. I’m really happy it worked for you.

    June 2, 2010, 5:14 pm

23. Rena:

    What a find! I was searching for sample haircuts to bring to the hairdresser, saw your perfect cut and followed your instructions. Not only did I save a bundle, I saved time and effort and I LOVE MY HAIRCUT! Thank you! (I don’t know how to attach a pix or I’d send one.)

    July 7, 2010, 7:46 pm

24. Sheryl Canter:

    I’d love to see your pic. Maybe you can upload it to one of those free upload sites like photobucket and post a link to it.

    July 7, 2010, 8:52 pm

25. Debbie:

    Hi Sheryl,

    I LOVE your hair. I have board straight hair that I perm with large rods so that it will look naturally curly. Yes, you are right…….those with straight hair want curly hair ……..

    I definitely NEED a hair cut and was totally thrilled to find yours!! I need a new perm to make it look full and wonderful but need it cut worse. The split ends and all that nasty stuff you know.

    Last time I cut my layered bob off in the traditional bob cut. It allowed my layers on top to get long and put the fullness at the sides of my face where I need it as I have a rectangular shaped face. Now I am needing to shorten the top some to make more fullness around my face, not my neck, and you have just described how to do that. I am SO EXCITED!!!!

    Tomorrow morning, after my shower, I am going to cut my hair. It will be just a little bit off the bottom and a little more off the top and I know it will look wonderful because this is exactly what I have been looking for.

    Would you believe I have searched the internet for probably 20 hours, maybe more?? I was compiling pictures to take to the hairdresser, knowing that she would still give me short layers on top and make my face look even longer than it already does. Now I don’t need to go!!! I can get what I really want and with a method that is absolutely perfect.

    Thank you so much!! I will let you know how it comes out.

    July 15, 2010, 1:35 am

26. Sheryl Canter:

    I look forward to seeing the result. Post pictures! Upload them to any of the free picture servers (e.g. PhotoBucket), then put the link in your blog comment.

    July 15, 2010, 1:33 pm

27. Debbie:

    Here is an example of board straight hair that is in need of a new perm. Last perm was about 4 months ago. The rod size is about the same diameter as your thumb. It makes a nice soft curl to which I use moose for more definition and blow dry with a diffuser.

    I think this haircut is going to be the ONLY one I ever try on my hair.

    July 16, 2010, 5:34 pm

28. Debbie:

    Ok…….lets try the picture again……

    
    

    July 16, 2010, 5:42 pm

29. Sheryl Canter:

    Looks great! Thanks for posting pictures.

    July 18, 2010, 10:37 am

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