DIY home haircuts are simple, and you’ll save money.

You can save about $500-900 a year cutting your hair at home.

Now you can use those savings to upgrade your cat’s food!

All styles are easy and can be done in about 15 minutes.

diy home haircut layered cut before and after

Test these methods out today or save THIS PIN to your Cat Mom board on Pinterest.

Disclaimer: I earn a commission through affiliate links below. No additional cost to you.

All haircutting photos are of me.

Home Haircut FAQs

What tools do I need for home haircuts?

Do not use kitchen, utility, or craft scissors.

A thinning shear will feather the ends to make them smoother.

If you do not have a cape, place a small garbage bin near you to drop cut hair.

I cut my hair in the bathroom and place a small garbage bin in the sink.

Then I cut my hair over the garbage bin to prevent hairs from getting all over the place.

diy home haircut three ponytails in front of face
My cat Jericho makes sure I cut my hair correctly

Haircare products I use:

Their products are made from food.

Many commercial haircare products have chemicals, fragrances, and other nasty ingredients that damage hair.

But natural ingredients will help your hair stay healthy.

How often should I trim my hair?

This depends on your preference. I try to trim my hair at least once a month.

Try trimming your hair more frequently if you notice a lot of split ends.

Does trimming split ends make hair grow faster?

No. Trimming your hair does not make it grow faster. However, split ends are damaged hair.

If you do not trim regularly, the split ends will just get worse. On your next cut, you will have to trim more hair off.

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Is it unhealthy to have split ends?

It is not unhealthy to have split ends. However, the longer you wait, the more hair you will have to cut off. Split ends are split hairs so you might notice that your hair gets thinner toward the bottom with split ends.

It’s also more difficult to blow out and style hair with a lot of split ends.

How much hair should I cut off for a trim?

The amount that you cut off is up to you. Aim to cut off less than you think because you can always cut off more.

Should hair be wet, damp, or dry for a cut?

You can cut hair dry or wet. Keep in mind that hair appears longer when wet because it lies more flatly. As your hair dries, it will appear to shrink in size.

It is recommended to shower and wash your hair after a cut to prevent itchiness from small hairs.

What tips do you have for keeping hair cut symmetrical/straight/even/etc?

Section your hair and use the first cut section as your guide for the rest of the sections. You could also bring all of your hair forward over your head and cut that way.

What is point cutting?

Point cutting is a method that smooths the ends and gets rid of the straight, blunt cut. It helps create movement in the hair.

Point the ends of the scissor perpendicular to the cut ends. Snip the ends lightly and a bit randomly. Hold your hair a few inches above where you point cut to avoid snipping your fingers.

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Long hair straight cut

  • Comb out all knots and tangles
  • Section hair from ear to ear horizontally
  • Clip or use a hair tie for the top half so it is out of the way
diy home haircut straight cut section hair with bun
  • Pull the bottom half of hair to your chest
  • Using your index and middle finger, slide down your hair tightly, as close to your neck as possible
  • Slide down hair until you’ve reached where dead ends start
diy home haircut use fingers as a guide
  • Take off less than you think, you can always take off more
  • Pull the same section straight again to cut any missed strands
  • Point cut to soften the ‘straight’ cut
  • Use the section you just cut as a guide for the other sections
diy home haircut use already cut hair as a guide
  • Repeat on the other side
  • Take down another section of hair
  • Use the cut ends on both sides as a guide
  • A V point at the end of your hair is normal when looking at the back of your hair
diy home haircut straight cut v shape in back of hair
  • Take another snip around to make sure all hairs are straight
  • Around the upper perimeter of your hair, you can pull it out to a 45-degree angle and point cut
  • Take the back section of your hair and pull it out straight over the top of your head and point cut.
  • This gives you a bit of movement vs a flat straight cut.
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Check the video.

Long hair layered cut

  • Comb out all knots and tangles
  • For shorter layers in the front, pull your hair over your head to your forehead. You may also put the ponytail in the center of the head for medium layers, and in the back of the neck for longer layers in the front. I used the first method for shorter layers in the front.
  • Put in a ponytail with your hair covering your face
  • Tie a second hair tie near your chin to help hold the hair in place
diy home haircut pull hair to front of face with ponytail
  • Tie a third hair tie at the bottom of your hair where you want to cut
  • Save an extra inch for point cutting and feathering
diy home haircut section hair with ponytail for cutting
  • Cut third ponytail off
diy home haircut cut third ponytail off
  • Remove second hair tie near the chin
  • Divide hair into three or four sections with hair ties. If your hair is thicker, you may want to do four sections. I probably should have done four sections, but it still worked with three. It was a tougher cut since my hair is thicker.
  • Soften each end’s bluntness with point cutting
diy home haircut split into three sections and point cut
  • Remove hair ties to see if it’s even
  • Remove excess with point cutting

Check the video.

Short haircut

My partner buzzes his head to the skin, so I cannot provide a personal experience with step-by-step guides.

However, you may check this video. Check out this video for cutting children’s hair.

Cutting and trimming your hair at home is a big money and time saver.

You don’t have to spend time going to the salon or waiting for your appointment.

Use the time and money you save and spend it on better quality cat food.

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