Men’s Haircuts at Home

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Men’s Haircuts at Home

So somewhere in the bottom of my photo boxes I have several pictures of a rather long haired hubby when we were first married. I love you more than anything honey, but it wasn’t cute. Not that you wanted it to be that way!

When we first married, my hubby was super picky about getting his hair cut. It needed to be a particular style and length and totally, totally perfect. I grew up in a household where a family friend cut our hair. I didn’t particularly know anything about hair cutting and styling.

So, after we married I would just send my hubby off to the nearest salon to get a trim when he needed a haircut. But of course, being pretty much dirt poor, even though the salon I sent him too was fairly cheap (and we always used a coupon!) many months we had to pick between the haircut and something else. And something else usually won out, so my hubby’s hair would get shaggier and shaggier until we finally found another coupon and coughed up the money for another cut. About a year and a half into our marriage I’d had enough. I went out and bought a cheap razor and told hubby I was going to cut his hair myself; the razor was the same price as a single haircut, not expensive at all!

Of course this was not ok with him, being such a picky guy, but he finally gave in and you know what? I’ve been cutting his hair ever since!

What I learned right away is that it’s so easy to give your man or little boy a haircut at home! Now, I’m no professional and I don’t know how to do all the fancy styles, but I do know how to give a good buzz haircut and I’m going to teach you how to do the same today.

I have a Wahl razor that seems to be quite a workhorse. Make sure you get a razor with different attachable lengths. Also make sure that you buy a good pair of hair cutting scissors. They will last you forever if you keep them nice!

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Hair too long. This is our before shot!

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If you aren’t sure what length he would like it, start with a longer attachment for your razor first like 5/8 in or 3/4 in. You can always make it shorter, but you can’t make it longer! Buzz the entire head. You will have to go over it a couple times to make sure you got all the strays. You might need to trim these individually too if you can’t get them all. If you are wanting to try different styles you might want to consider leaving it slightly longer on the top of the head or leaving longer bangs.

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After the buzzing of the whole head. Looking much better already! Now time for some trim work.

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See those little long hairs around the ear? Trim those with a good pair of scissors to be the same length as the rest of the buzzed hair (or a little shorter, you don’t want them going over the ear). Trim around the entire ear. (Both ears of course!)

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Now move to the back of the head, the neck. It seem like this area always has some strays that don’t make it into the razor. Pull the longer hairs up between your fingers and trim to be the same length as the rest of the hair.

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Then trim the rest of the back of the neck. (I didn’t actually make it crooked, he must have been standing funny for this shot!) Trim off the “rat tail” in the middle of the neck and shave the neck a bit to make the skin smooth and remove any strays. I trim the back of the neck in a slightly shaped way (up a little higher on the sides) instead of trimming it straight across. After you are done, have your hubby or son wash his hair so you can get the rest of the strays out of the way and make sure you didn’t miss any spots.

It’s very easy and takes only 15 minutes tops! I recommend either doing this outside or in a bathroom where the hairs can be easily contained and cleaned up when you are done. Practice makes perfect. You might not have the best haircut ever the first time you try it, but you will get much better over time and hair will always grow back!

Have you ever tried to give a men’s haircut at home? How about any haircut?

merissabio

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27 Comments

  1. My 5 year old has never had anyone else cut his hair but me. Getting him to sit still can be a struggle at times but we manage to get it cut. I have never went to school for this. Learn by doing 🙂

  2. I used to cut my three boys hair when they were growing up for the same reasons. I went to our local library and borrowed some books on basic haircuts and it helped a lot. During the summer I’d take them outside to do it because of the mess and the neighbors would send their kids over too. LOL

  3. Yes, I cut my husband’s hair. He cuts mine too! I wear my hair short and spiky so it’s pretty easy to cut but we cut it once a week. He was a lot more nervous than I was the first time he cut mine! I told him not to worry it would grow back!

  4. I give my husband and son crew cuts. The Wahl razor makes it so quick and easy! Good advice to start with the longer length attachments!

  5. I’ve had a set of clippers for years and used to cut my own hair. I stopped doing it myself because its hard to get a straight line in the back. The wife is too chicken to do it for me even though I’ve told her many times I’m ex-military. If she screws it up she can take it all off and it will grow back in a couple of weeks. Its not like she hasn’t seen me bald before. 🙂 She’d rather I pay to have one of the young girls at the local “sports” hair place cut it.

  6. My husband did his own for years (just got out of the military after 16 years) since he didn’t like the way I did the back. 😛 Now he’s out and wanting it a bit longer and we’re not sure exactly what to do but need to conserve money. I’ve cut my girls’ both by trimming ends and bangs and by doing the stacked bob trick from online. I find my little boys’ hair harder if we don’t want it buzzed. In the summer, my hubby buzzes theirs, though.

    1. I have cut my hubby’s hair for over 40 years. We are still using the same Wahl and it still works fine. He cuts mine for me. Sometimes I will go to a salon but usually I am dissapointed with their work as compared to his.

  7. The last time anyone besides me cut my hair was Aug of 2001. I remember because it was just a week before my wedding. lol
    I’ve been cutting my husbands hair for about 5 years, I think. My daughter just turned 11 and I’m the only one who has ever cut her hair. I do it for lots of reasons. Frugality is a big one, but also because I’m never happy with how stylists do my hair. I figure if I mess up…well, I won’t be too mad at myself and at least I won’t have paid good money to be unhappy. My daughter is interesting, I took her to a salon for her first haircut and she was *so* afraid that we just went home and I did it myself. To this day she doesn’t want anyone else to do it. I also do my own dog grooming. lol

  8. I cut my boys’ hair until they were teenagers. My husband had me start cutting his hair once he realized his hair would officially be a “combover” if he kept it longer. Now he cuts it himself with a hand mirror and I just do the cleanup and the back of his neck. Wahl makes guide combs specifically for the ears so you don’t have to use the scissors. They are called “left ear angle guide comb” and “right ear angle guide comb” on the Wahl website.

  9. I’ve been cutting my husband and boys hair for years. One son is at college in ROTC and he needs to keep it regulation now… he ends up paying $20 at a salon to keep it short…. when he is on breaks.. that is the last thing I do before sending him back. It is nerve wracking at first…. my other son cuts his own hair … a little bit every week, about twice a year he has me trim the whole thing so it is even

  10. I’ve learned to cut my fiance’s hair too! I was terrified at first but a single-length cut is really easy. Now we are working on feathering the length. I got my last haircut in a salon (he’s not so good with keeping my long hair cut evenly). While I was there I studied the girls doing some other men’s haircuts so I have a better idea of how to feather the back of the head (with scissors) so it fades from longer on top to short at the neck. I’m excited to try it – he needs a haircut again soon!

  11. I keep looking for various ways of learning to cut my boy friend’s hair. Thanks, I liked your article. I’m interested in hair styling in general ! Great -!

  12. I have been cutting my husband’s hair for more than 25 years. When my sons were younger (they are young men now), I used to cut their hair too. I find it rather easy when you like short hairs. And you don’t waste money and you can cut the hairs whenever you want ! I find it a good solution !

  13. I have been cutting my husbands hair since 2008. Here in the city, it was costing close to $25 with tip! So, that is a $300 per year savings with only one haircut per month. The trimmer was almost paid for with the first haircut. And, I think his hair looks better than ever.

  14. Hi Merrisa, Well done, I was trained in hairdressing at age 42,
    out of a 2 year course we spent just 6 weeks learning barbering, not too hard.
    I live in the U K,
    I cut my own hair always. as regards hubbys hair, it is fine. but you could refine
    by using a 3 or comb on sideburns and gradually slant comb towards you as you
    reach top of sideburn,
    better still on youtube there is demonstrations on every conceivable haircut.
    Men women and childrens also styling tips also there maybe books
    on the subject. hope this has helped Susan

  15. With a husband and five sons, yes, cutting their hair at home is the only way to go. A while back I hurt my shoulder and was out of commission for a few months. The fellas had to buy haircuts, the boys had never had anyone else cut their hair in their entire lifetime. Ever. And ya know what? They did not like it. Also, I have one son who has Tourette’s syndrome and one of his biggest symptoms is Chronic Motor Tics. I don’t know if any one else would be patient enough to deal with him. During my shoulder problem we just let his hair grow. Nothing is worth a scissors in the eye.

  16. My grandmother, my mother, and I have always been known to give a good haircut for the guys of our family – my first husband was military and my son LOVES it when I give him a high & tight. 🙂
    I’m currently friends / dating a man that’s growing his hair out, has a beard, and looks rather shaggy. I love it! The other night I contemplated offering my handiwork but I just don’t have the heart to do it.

  17. I did all 3 of my boys from the age of like 3 years and I do my boyfriends hair now. Very seldom do any o them go to a salon and even me ( I have short hir) I give myself trim sometimes althou this last time I got it a bit too short,,,oh well , it grows back,lol.

  18. I cut my husband’s too, three on top and one on the bottom. It’s actually really easy to do a fade, I use the top of his ears as a guide and just slowly pull up as I reach the invisible line. If you over think it you end up with a shelf (that’s what happened to me the first few times) just relax and it will come out great. Now I put the fade in his hair no problem. Our little guy will probably get his first clippers experience this summer, for now he just gets a trim with scissors.

  19. When I first met my husband my aunt said I need to learn to cut his hair. It took over 2 hours for me to cut his hair. He was such a trooper to sit there and let me for the first time ever cut his hair. We have been married for over 33 years and have had 4 boys and 3 girls. I have always cut their hair, thanks to my aunt who showed me how. My last boy just left and had to have a barber cut his hair for the first time. He made me feel so good by saying he missed his haircuts by his mother.

  20. I think it is really cool you do your guy’s hair. I didn’t see any mention of him cutting your hair though. I have been getting mine cut at home by my boyfriend. He does a fabulous job, the convenience and price cannot be beat. I have easily save several hundred dollars since I stopped going to the salon and entrusted him to keep my tresses neatly trimmed. He uses professional grade hair shears, hair clips and does the clean up afterwards. I can not remember ever get as good a haircut in the salon, but do remember many bad ones. This last three years is the longest stretch I can remember of really good haircuts. And I like free 🙂

    1. I actually cut my own hair 🙂 I started doing it about 2 years ago and I’m so happy with the results! I need to make a video on how to do it, it’s pretty simple but hard to explain.

  21. Well I did it! This last weekend I gave both of my boys a haircut. Last time I took them to the barber I was not happy with the results. The hair was not cut evenly and I asked my boyfriend who cuts my hair to fix them. So earlier this week I looked at the boys and said, “This week you are getting haircuts”. I wanted to wait until they were out of school before I tried doing it myself. My youngest went first. I was a little nervous as I put the 1/2″ attachment on the clippers and turned them on. My boyfriend coached me on technique and supervised, giving me tips along the way. Well it was not hard. I wanted the younger one to have it shorter for the summer, so it was pretty much same length all over. Afterwards I took the attachment off and trimmed the sideburns and neckline. Scissors around the ears. It looked great. Then the older one, he wanted to keep it longer on top, so I clippered the sides, and then did scissor over comb cutting on top. My boyfriend did most of that. I did the sideburns and the neckline like my younger. OK, both were done. Brushed each off and then into the showers to rinse off the loose hair. After their hair dried I followed up to inspect my work. A few stray hairs needed attention, but I was extremely pleased with the result. My older son’s hair looked great, better than what he got at the barber shop. My younger one kept looking in the mirror and saying he looked handsome 🙂 I did it, no mess ups and I saved $30 for the two haircuts, plus time and travel. The results were great and I figure at roughly 10 haircuts each a year, I will save over $450 a year plus my time. Afterwards my mother saw the boys and complimented how nice their haircuts looked. She was surprised when I told her I (with a little help) did them. Needless to say I will not be taking them back to the barber anytime soon when I can get better results at home.

  22. I started cutting hubby’s hair for the same reasons way back whenand after having 3 sons we have saved so much. Even my newly married daughter now cuts her hubby’s hair.

  23. My 3-5-7 self cut. #7 clipper/comb on top, #3 on the sides and back (as high as you like) then the #5 around the crown to blend the top and sides. To do your own neck-line, hold a string behind your head, one end behind each ear. bring it forward, under your ears, and hold the ends in your teeth. you can then feel the string as you follow it with the bare clipper (no clipper/comb). just take it slow and easy and stay below the string.