To decide on a style, browse celebrity pictures online; flip through hairstyle magazines (available in magazine racks at most drugstores and bookshops); play with your hair in the mirror to see what it looks like at different lengths; print out photos of yourself and sketch different hairstyles on to your face. There are some phone apps and websites that will let you try on different hairstyles over a photograph of yourself. It’s important not to be rash with your decision. If you decide that you want to go from very long to very short hair, give yourself at least a few days to think about it before you decide to do it. You may find that you’re just feeling unhappy, and once that passes, you might miss your long hair. If you’re planning on making a significant change to your hairstyle, you might want to consult a professional to make sure that it goes exactly right. You can always trim your hair at home.
If you cut your hair while it’s wet, cut it at least a few inches longer than you want it, as it will shrink up and look shorter once it is dry. (Some people have reported that their hair shrinks up to 4 inches from wet to dry. ) Dry cuts are more likely to produce uneven hair. [3] X Research source Cutting hair dry requires very sharp sheers. Cutting dry hair will dull the blade edge very quickly, which pushes ends instead of cutting them, leading to uneven lines. Most professionals cut the hair while it is wet and refine it once the hair is dry. Doing this will let you produce better looking results while giving you a chance to fix minor errors.
If you normally straighten your hair, straighten it before cutting. Avoid putting any products into your dry hair before cutting it, as these could make it more difficult to properly evaluate your cut.
This look will give you a straight hairstyle that may appear to be slightly rounded from the back.
Comb your hair all over to ensure that there are no bumps before you pull it into the ponytail. Ensure that the ponytail is directly in the middle of the back of your head, and that it sits very low at the nape of your neck.
Keep in mind that this method will not remove much length from your hair, but cutting a lot of hair can result in heavy layering as well as significant weight removal from your hair, which may not make it ideal for fine or thin hair.
You can determine where the shortest layer will fall by pinching a piece of hair from the front hairline where you want the shortest layer to fall. Pull it back to where you will twist. This can act as a guide for where to cut.
How you cut your bangs will depend on the style of your pixie cut. For wispy bangs that blend with your pixie cut, cut into your fringe at a 75-degree angle while moving diagonally across your face. For more blunt bangs, cut straight across from ear to ear, moving across your hair in small sections as you go.
To ensure that your hair is as even as possible, aim for a ponytail that is right at the centre and top of your head. Use a mirror to help you determine the position of the ponytail.
Do not try to cut through the entire ponytail of hair all at once. Make small snips until you are all the way through the ponytail.
There shouldn’t be many stray hairs. If you see a lot of them, move the ponytail around on your head until the hair is mostly even when you grasp it in your hand. For a more natural look, you can make some small, upward cuts into the ponytail. This will soften the ends of your hair so that the cut looks less blunt. It will also give it more of a shaggy look, incorporating any unevenness into the style.
This cut is good if you want more layers framing your face.
Think unicorn horn.
You can measure this distance with a comb.
Take care to lean forward as you do this so you don’t jab the scissors towards your eyes or get bits of chopped hair falling into your eyes.
This haircut may not be suitable for people with fine or thin hair as it will remove quite a bit of weight from the bottom of your hair.
If you like the V-shape at the back of your hair, move on to the next step. If you don’t like it, you can remove the point by tying your hair into a single ponytail at the nape of your neck, and then clipping off the point. [8] X Research source
Always take off less than you’d like, as your hair will be slightly shorter when it’s dry. Remember, you can always take off more hair; go slow and be conservative in your cuts.
If you have thick hair, you may need to further divide these sections, particularly at the top-front and top-back of your head, and the nape of your neck.
If you want a blunt (straight across) cut, you’ll need to hold your scissors horizontally as you cut straight across your hair. If you want a softer, more natural and layered look, you’ll need to turn your scissors at a 45-degree angle and cut upward into your hair, making small diagonal cuts. For a more wispy edge (like for bangs), first cut your hair to the desired length, then, making an almost vertical angle with your scissors, cut upward in one quick motion into your hair. Only do a few of these per section of hair, otherwise it will look too wispy and sparse.
Work from back to front, section to section, until all of your hair is even. Don’t forget to comb out each section before you cut it. If your sections begin to dry out before you get to them, give them a quick spritz of water before combing them out and cutting.
When creating layers on longer hair, it is important to create varying mid-length layers for a professional, graduated look.
You might find more uneven bits as time goes on. Don’t get upset — just fix them as you find them.
