You don't need me to tell you that split ends can totally ruin your look. You know that when it comes to self-care, a regular trim is right up there with a visit to the dentist. You may be either too busy or too broke to visit the salon, but there's no reason you have to let anything keep you from having beautiful, well-maintained locks. Luckily, you live in the information age, which means you can learn how to give yourself a trim, saving you time and money.
Whether your locks are curly, straight, or somewhere in between, there are easy techniques you can use in the comfort of your own bathroom to put your damaged ends out of their misery, and leave behind a full head of healthy-looking hair. Although you might not want to give yourself a completely new look, you can get by with great hair until your next trip to the salon. All you need is a sharp pair of haircutting shears, a little patience, and a friend to watch your back.
So let down that bun and try these techniques to give yourself a great looking trim. After a while, you may find yourself spending a lot less time with your stylist. Don't worry, you can blame it on me.
1Start With Damp Hair
Refinery29 recommends starting your trim with damp hair. Either spray it down with a water, or gently towel dry after a shampoo.
2Make A High Ponytail
Once you have detangled your damp hair, brush it up into a high ponytail at the top of your head and secure with a hair elastic, Refinery29 suggests.
3Use A Good Pair Of Scissors
Put down the kitchen scissors. Makeup artist Kandee Johnson told Elle magazine that the best DIY haircuts are done with a good pair of sharp haircutting shears. Which means the pair in your kid's backpack is off limits.
4Don't Cut What You Can't See
The folks at Essence suggest you don't cut the back of your hair without help. If you aren't experienced using a mirror, ask a friend to watch your back.
5Cut Bangs When Hair Is Dry
Cosmopolitan recommends cutting bangs when the hair is dry, to avoid cutting them too short. Comb your dry bangs so that they lay flat and you know exactly where you need to cut.
6Use A Comb As Your Guide
When cutting bangs, place a comb underneath and pull it down to the point where you want your bangs to fall on your forehead. Then cut directly below the comb, starting from the middle and working your way to the outer edges, Cosmopolitan advises.
7Straighten Curly Hair Before Trimming
If you have curly hair, straighten it with a blow dryer to make it easier to see your damaged ends, suggests natural hair website Curly Nikki. Once the hair is straight, divide it in sections and trim the ends in a downward motion.
8Use Your Ears
According to InStyle, your ears should be your guide when you are trimming layers. Anything in front of your ears should be considered the front of your hair. Anything behind your ears should be considered the back of your hair, and shouldn't be trimmed without help.
9Don't Get Carried Away
Be careful not to get scissor happy when trimming your ends, if you want to maintain your length. According to Essence, you only need to trim 1/4" of your hair to keep the ends looking healthy.
10Do The Twist
Beauty site, XO Vain suggests twisting the hair in sections, trimming away any stray hairs you find in your twists. Once you are done, trim any split ends found at the end of the twist.
