What to do when you can't get to the hairdresser?

 

What to do when you can't get to the hairdresser?

If your caring situation makes it difficult for you or your caree to go to the hairdressers, how about developing your hairdressing skills at home? We've some great hairdressing tips and videos to help you.

Before you reach for the scissors, considering the following four questions will increase the success of your hairdressing adventures: 

1) What exactly needs to be done to the hair?

Whether you’re cutting your own or someone else’s hair, start by checking that you're clear in your mind exactly what's required. For example: How much hair will be cut off? When will you wash it? And if you intend to change the hairstyle in any way, how realistic is this? 

This gives you the opportunity to check that doing a home haircut is not just a reaction to a bad hair day! And if you’re doing someone else’s hair, describing what you’re planning will help build trust and eliminate misunderstandings. 

Also, if this is your first attempt at cutting hair, it’s advisable to start with a small trim as this can help build confidence. The following YouTube links provide useful starting points:

a) How to trim men’s hair

This video shows you how to use clippers for a DIY haircut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrTC5D-zYBs

Watching this shows you what to do to trim hair with scissors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yot1UiZ33R4

This is a longer video for people who choose to invest in a selection of good clippers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oi6-AnolEw

b) How to cut women’s straight hair

This video shows how to trim layers in long hair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EoxszKaLiI

For those who have built up confidence and are wanting to be adventurous, watching this shows how to cut your own hair into a short, angled bob: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkGCgg_kzcE

This shows you how to trim a long fringe (bangs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML_JW3wu7KE

c) How to trim naturally curly hair

Watching this shows how to trim naturally curly hair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq4UODOJAiA

d) How to use curlers

This video shows you how to quickly put in curlers when using setting lotion or hairspray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YHWlqo6oik

Watching this provides an overview of what’s involved in a perm process. Great care needs to be taken to closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using perm products: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwjoHrzIwgk

Here’s a guide to the many different types of curlers/ rollers, showing how they are used to achieve different results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUnFQsUbO3w

e) How to redo your roots

This video shows how to apply product to re-do your roots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVAKwyKICag

2) What equipment do you need to cut hair, or to do other hair treatments?

Though it might cause a delay whilst waiting to get the right type of scissors, combs, clips, water sprayer, rollers, setting lotion, hair spray etc, it’s better to wait than have a go with the kitchen scissors … and regret it afterwards. Having two mirrors is vital if you’re cutting the back of your own hair. If one mirror is bigger than the other, a tip here is to look into the smaller one so that the back of your head is displayed in the bigger mirror. Also, if you’re cutting someone else’s hair, using two mirrors (with the larger in front of them) to show them your progress from time to time can be reassuring.

3) What time of day will best suit setting up your home hair salon?

Choose a time when you (or the person whose hair you’re doing) are not likely to be feeling in a hurry, and allow at least twice as long as you expect it to take you. Also decide ahead whether the hair will already be washed or whether you’ll be spraying it with warm water. 

4) What else would you like to do to make your home hair session a pleasant experience? 

Think back to what happens at hair salons and copy as many of the things they do as is practical. For example:
  • Using an old sheet or something similar to fix around the shoulders makes it easy to remove the cut hair. 
  • Having all your hair tools and products on a convenient moveable surface will ensure you have everything you need to hand as you move around the person. 
  • Coffee, biscuits and pleasant music playing can make the experience more enjoyable but, if (not being a professional) you need to concentrate and want to avoid too much talking, say so ahead to avoid complicated conversations!

My hair-raising experience

During the first Covid lockdown I started cutting my husband’s hair. I think I was more apprehensive about it than he was! But armed with my dressmaking scissors, comb and water-sprayer we survived and a while later he emerged with both ears intact and fairly even hairlines! So if you’ve never cut hair before, this is a chance to add one more skill to your repertoire, and watching this short video* after you’ve finished, will probably make you happy you didn’t cut hair that way 😀

Photo Accreditations 

Unsplash (clockwise, starting top right-hand):

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* ‘Cut My Hair That Way’ video by Shirley Șerban at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RTPTjPjbZM