I cut my own hair for two years during the pandemic. The first try was bad — uneven in the back, one side slightly shorter than the other, and I had to wear a hat for a week. But by the third or fourth attempt I got decent at it, and now I trim between salon visits to stretch the time between appointments. Here is what I learned about making DIY cuts look like a real haircut.

Buy the right clippers (this matters more than skill)

Cheap clippers pull hair instead of cutting it. They snag, they are loud, and the guards pop off mid-cut. You do not need professional $200 clippers, but you do need something with self-sharpening stainless steel blades and a corded option. I use the Wahl Color Pro — about $30 — and it has lasted three years with zero issues. The color-coded guards make it hard to grab the wrong length, which reduces mistakes.

For scissors: do not use kitchen scissors. Buy actual hair-cutting scissors for about $10. They are sharper and the blades are beveled differently. Kitchen scissors crush the hair shaft and create split ends.

Basic technique: the simple trim

1. Start with clean, dry hair. Wet hair looks longer, so if you cut it wet you will end up shorter than you intended.
2. Section your hair into four parts: top, left side, right side, back. Clip three sections up and work one at a time.
3. For the back: use a hand mirror facing your bathroom mirror so you can see behind you. Go slow. Take off less than you think you need — you can always cut more.
4. For the sides and top: cut in small sections, holding the hair between your index and middle fingers and cutting above your fingers. Point-cutting — angling the scissors vertically and snipping into the ends — creates a softer line than cutting straight across.
5. Blend the transitions between clipper lengths by using a higher guard number around the edges where two lengths meet.

What to absolutely not do

Do not use kitchen scissors. Do not cut bangs straight across when they are wet — they will spring up and be too short. Do not try anything complicated like layers or undercuts on your first attempt. Keep it to a simple trim until you have done it several times. And if you mess up, remember: hair grows back, and hats exist for a reason.