Why you shouldn’t cut your own hair
In this time of uncertainty, people are beginning to get desperate. Yes, personal appearance is no longer important, but that doesn’t mean men want to grow their hair down to their shoulders. Women, too, are fretting about their split ends, and wondering whether missing a trim might mean their hair gradually worsens in quality over time.
In spite of all of this, though, we’re here to tell you what you probably already know deep down: it doesn’t matter. Nobody is judging you on the state of your hair right now. As long as you keep it clean, shiny and as healthy as possible, it doesn’t matter whether it has a bit of extra length or a few more split ends than you’d usually allow.
Of course, when boredom kicks in, you may find yourself standing in front of the mirror with a pair of scissors or clippers, thinking, what would happen if I just gave it a little go? You know what would happen – or what would most likely happen. You’d end up as just another statistic in the haircut fails category, and the photo you shared to your mates of your dodgy bowl cut would mysteriously make it onto LadBible.
But if you need any more assurance that cutting your hair is very much the wrong thing to do, here are some valid points to back us up:
1. The wrong tools can give you split ends
If you’re not a hairdresser or a barber – which we’re going to assume is the case in this situation – it’s very unlikely that you’ll casually have a pair of pro-level tools just lying around at home (unless, of course, you managed to snag something decent online before everything sold out).
It’s never okay to reach for the kitchen scissors in times of desperation. Their blades are dull and blunt, which is exactly what you need to create split ends. Your hair will stay healthier, with fewer split ends, if you just leave it be.
2. You’re going to feel disappointed… or worse
If you plan to cut your hair to resemble that of a famous man or woman whose locks always seem to be impeccable, lower your expectations immediately. Even if you’ve amassed a bizarre sort of confidence in what you're doing, it’s most likely not going to turn out as you’d hope.
Hairdressers and barbers don’t get enough recognition for just how difficult it is to achieve an even cut. It takes a lot of training to become a pro stylist, not to mention the creativity to visualise the desired outcome during the cutting process. Even if you manage to get your hands on the best tools for the job, you’re still missing the skills and experience to master something decent. Unless you want your ends zigzagging all over the place, just don’t do it.
3. You’ll end up in more trouble than you started out
If you’re cutting your hair because you can’t get to a stylist, nine times out of ten, you’re going to end up needing to see a stylist even more desperately once you’ve checked out the outcome in a mirror… which is a bit of an issue right now, when all hair salons are closed.
If you want to avoid ringing up your hairdresser in a panic because you look like you’ve gone at your hair with a kitchen knife (one woman genuinely did this the other week, for reasons unknown), just don’t cut it at all. Growing your hair long, whether you’re a man or a woman, really isn’t anything to be scared about.
To Round Up…
Like baking bread and hoarding toilet roll, cutting your own hair has suddenly become the new “in” thing. But, really, there are better things you could be doing with your time.
No matter how bored you are, stay away from those kitchen scissors. Your professional stylist is patiently waiting for quarantine to run its course, so the best thing you can do is re-book your appointment for the near future and see this thing out with everyone else. Giving your hair a DIY cut is essentially guaranteed to end in tears – and, if your friends are particularly savage, an ugly photo on LadBible for life.