Cutting Your Own Hair Part 1

I usually go to my local Barber’s every four weeks or so. It’s about fifteen minutes walk from my home and I’ve been going there since 1970. I like to keep my hair short and I enjoy the therapeutic benefits of relaxing and have someone cut my hair. The staff are great and there is a curious sense of continuity that comes from going to the same establishment for 50 years. The original Barber has retired and his son now runs the premises. In my youth I used to favour certain styles and was especially fond of a well cut flattop (Kurt Russel sported an absolute beauty in the 1994 movie Stargate). Sadly such a style is very labour intensive and time consuming. Hence many stylists don’t care to undertake such a cut and it’s a bitch to manitain. Hence in more recent years, I’ve favoured a straightforward clipper cut. This consists of Number 1 (one-eighth of an inch/3mm) around the back and side and Number 2 (one-quarter of an inch/6mm) on top. However, the Barber shop is currently closed and I’ve not had a hair cut for nearly 5 weeks.

Now although by other people’s standards my hair is still relatively short, it currently looks a mess (well I think so anyway). If I gel it up, it has reached the point of looking like a dilapidated paintbrush. And if I leave it naturally after washing, all the white shows at the sides (it seems to grow at a different pace to other hair) and I end up looking like a Badger. Neither of these are good looks. Hence I have concluded that it is time to grasp the nettle and attempt to cut my own hair. Oh what times we live in. Will I be removing my own appendix next? Now in theory, this shouldn’t be too difficult. Firstly, all I need to undertake this task is a decent cordless hair/beard trimmer. There are plenty to choose from on Amazon. Secondly, rather than try and cut my hair to two separate lengths and “fade” them in, it would be far more practical to cut my hair to one overall length. However, reality often proves to be a radically different experience. I suspect that lighting, space and copious use of mirrors are going to play a major part in this “project”.

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So I’ve spent some time researching what make and model of clippers would be appropriate for the task in hand, along with watching copious amounts of YouTube videos as to how to cut your own hair. Some of the advice available is practical, whereas other videos seem to vastly oversimplify the practicalities of contemporary hair styling. I’ve managed to get a good deal on a Panasonic wet and dry hair and beard trimmer which can cut to 20 different lengths (allegedly). This model usually retails at £65 but I’ve bought it for £32. I already have a small beard trimmer but I don’t think it’s up to the job of cutting my entire head of hair, so I thought it best to buy the right tool for the job. If I fully recover from my current bout of COVID-19, I am hoping to attempt to cut my hair next Thursday or Friday. I have a suspicion that I may have to involve Mrs P, although she is far from enamoured by the prospect. Look out for a follow up post next week, where I discuss the results, be they good or bad.