Anyone cut their own dh and ds hair? Need advice!

[Jenny-momof3]

My dh figured out how much he's spending on haircuts each year for himself and DS1. It's well over $600 a year. And with a 2nd ds now that's going to go up significantally soon ( he's only 4 months old and already needs a haircut!).

He wants me to just do it instead! He told me to go out today and get some clippers and have at it.

So any suggestions on a good set to get...that doesn't break the bank. And any advice on how to make them not look like skinheads would be great too. Fortunately their hair styles are pretty easy...of course I say this since I have never cut it. But they get it buzzed on a 1 setting in the back and sides. And then finger tip length on top so they can still spike it up a bit...that's the part that I think is going to be hard.

The girls and I however are NOT giving up our salon!

 

[Bren's Mom]

This is what we have:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Wahl-Corded-Chrome-Pro-24-Piece-Haircut-Kit/10965216

Dh does his own, he shaves what's left of his hair.

I do ds's most of the time. It seems to be just as good or better than when I have the kiddie salon do it...and it's much cheaper!

I know that in the summer I use the #2 guide all over ds's head, followed by the #1 guide just from the ears down. I remove the guide to 'clean up' around his ears and the very botton of his hairline. (Be careful with no guide on!!)

In the winter I leave it a little longer on top for ds. The higher the #, the longer then hair. So you can start with the highest #, then gradually go down until the clippers make the top of their hair the length you want it. You can always trim a bit with scissors as well.

 

[Oz!]

MY DW cuts my and our DS's (11,7) hair...for me and the oldest son, she uses a 1 on the sides and back and a 2 on top with the front a little longer so we can spike it up as well...with the Casanova DS (7), she trims his hair and we take him to a hair stylist once every six to eight weeks..

saves a ton of money!
she is a good spirit and does not mind...it also allows her to pamper herself....

 

[NaplesRI]

I have been cutting DH's hair for years.
He likes it really short and all you do is follow the head!
He does like it on #1...which is REALLY really short. I prefer it on 2 but it's his head.
I think any clippers you buy will be fine- read the box and buy what seems appropriate for you. I know we got ours at Walmart. fairly inexpensive as I recall.
Good luck- it really is not difficult at all.

 

[Oz!]

REMEMBER!!!

if you mess up

it is only hair and it will grow back!

 

[labdogs42]

I used to cut DH's hair all the time. I need to start doing it again. It is such a waste of money to have someone else do it. I use the #1 on the sides and #2 on the top for his hair. I haven't tried DS's hair yet, but he's on my list, too! It is really easy once you get the hang of it. Once thing I do is make sure I go in different directions on the top of DH's head, so he doesn't end up with clipper tracks. You'll know what i mean when you see them!

 

[Jenny-momof3]

I figure I'll do ds's hair first. If I butcher his hair it won't matter. I just don't want them to look look like they have complete buzz cuts.

Thanks for the advice so far.

 

[3boymthr]

I use a Wahl set too. I got mine at Sears and I think I paid $24.99 for it.

I cut DH, and all three DSs and have been doing so for about 6 years now - about the time the youngest two started needing haircuts regularly (my kids took a long time to start growing hair ) and it was going to cost me $75/mo for cuts (almost $1,000/yr).

It does take some practice, but once you get going it's pretty easy. Summer is a great time to get started as if you make a mistake no one's going to notice or care if you take it all down to a really short length.

Each set is different but with my set I use a number 6 or 8 on the top then gradually decrease the size down the head and use the bare blade to trim and clean up. I do trim around the ears with scissors. as I find the tapered "ear" blades cut the hair shorter than I want.

There are a couple of drawbacks.

Now maybe it's just my kids, but IMO the hair does tend to get in every nook and cranny and to get it all up takes about half an hour to an hour depending upon where I cut their hair. Just because it really gets everywhere, I do it in my bathroom as it's a small space and so I can get everything out of the way that isn't nailed down quickly and easily so I don't have to clean it off (I've even found hair inside my closed medicine cabinet ). I recommend you do your DH and DS at the same time then clean up. Even with the cover-up they still end up with hair down their clothes and clinging to their necks, etc. I also have to change my clothes when I'm done as it's always down inside my clothes. So to avoid extra laundry I try to do it at bed/bath time. I have the kids strip down to their shorts, then go right from the cutting chair to the tub. It does save me a ton of money so the time and hassle of the clean-up after is worth it.

The only financial drawback I've found is that it costs more than the cost of a new set of clippers to replace the cutting blade (they wanted $15 for the blade and $15 for shipping ), which gets dull after a while and results in tugging, pulling, etc. and they don't sell the blades in stores, so plan on a new set of clippers every couple of years. I'm on my second set of clippers and plan on buying a new set soon which kills me because it seems like such a waste.

ETA - I won't give up my salon visits either - DH wanted me too and I told him what are you nuts - I'M not going around with a Buzz cut, which is about the only way he could cut my hair.

 

[labdogs42]

I cut DH's hair out on the deck or in the basement, where cleanup is pretty easy.

 

[3boymthr]

I cut DH's hair out on the deck or in the basement, where cleanup is pretty easy.

Oh, I wish.

I did try the deck in the summer, but find, unfortunately, it takes me longer to do it outside as I have to run about 40 ft of extension cords, then sweep up - because much as I'd love to let the hair balls blow into my neighbors yard I think she'd call the cops on me for littering .

I have to admit the basement sounds like a good idea, but my basement jam packed with "stuff" plus I have to run extension cords. Oh, well, if I ever get ambitious and clean it out.

 

[The Moonk's Mom]

I cut DH and both of my DS's hair. They are simple...#1 on DH for what is left and #2 on the boys. My biggest advice is to remember to oil the blades...they will last much longer that way. I have had the same blades for almost 6 years without any problems. Also, to make life easier, I have one of those small clippers that they advertise on TV...I think it is called the Finishing Touch. I picked it up at Wal-Mart too and it is GREAT for around little ears and for touch ups on necks between cuts.

Oh...I like to cut on our deck outside....easy to get rid of the hair...I sweep it into my flower bed and that also helps keep the deer out of my flowers!

Good Luck!

 

[tndislvr]

Cut DH's hair with a Wahl set we bought at Kohl's for around $50. It has every attachement imaginable (even an eyebrow trimmer) as well as a small clipper for cleaning up the hairline on the neck. I just started cutting his but we calculated that after one more cut we have recouped our money since each haircut was minimum $18 with tip. My husband just has me do #3 all over so his is pretty easy. I still think after a few times you'd be a pro!

 

[thebeesknees]

Yep, I cut DH and both DS' hair and it is really very easy. You can go to YouTube and find videos of how to cut hair. I did that when I first started and it made me a lot more confident. I also started with the boys' hair in the summer, so if I messed up, I could just buzz it all over and no one would be the wiser. Their hair grows insanely fast (they all need haircuts every 3 weeks or they look like ragamuffins), so for the cost of the clippers, we broke even after 1 cut for each of them. I give the baby a lollipop while I cut his hair, and he sits in his high chair with nothing on but a diaper. The others strip down to just pants. It DOES make a mess, but it's an easy clean-up, as they go directly to the shower when they are done and I vacuum everything up.

But DD and I will still be going to the salon! I figure that since we are saving so much on the boys, we can afford to get ours done professionally.

 

[Fall1]

I cut DH's hair with a Conair set we bought at Macy's for about $25. DH likes his hair super short, usually #1 setting, sometimes the top on #2. I find it very easy, like PP said, just follow his head.

It does save money!

 

[MEM]

I cut DH and DS15 hair and have done so for the past 13 years. DH refuses to pay someone else for a style I can easily take care of for him. DS is on the autism spectrum and when he was younger would freak out at the barber's so I learned to cut his myself. I use #2 or #3 attachment in the winter and #1 in the summer. I cut the hair the same length all over since I don't see well enough to cut the top a different length than the back and sides.

 

[bumbershoot]

It's taken me quite a bit of practice to be relatively good at it. It's mainly trial and error.

ONe big of advice. If DH changes jobs and wants a haircut for his first day of his new job, do NOT cut it yourself unless you already have lots of practice. Bcause you don't want his picture on his badge (if your DH works at places where they have plastic cards that admit them to the building etc) to have a reall yreally really unfortunate haircut thanks to YOU.

 

[Shleedogg]

DH just bought his own at Target, I think it was about $20. I refuse to do his hair in case I make a mistake. He buzzes it and then takes the safety clipper thing (that's the technical term, btw ) off and I just clean up his neck/ears area for him.

 

[Soben]

You guys are making me nostalgic for when my boys would let me cut thier hair. They're tweens now and won't let me near it.

 

[Disney845]

SO does his own. He has clippers (I think the brand is Wahl) with color coded sized clip attachments. It is really simple and pretty hard to make a mistake if you are just cutting (not trying to do a "style"). He just uses two mirrors (to see the back of his head too) and cuts it in the shower (so the hair isn't all over the bathroom floor). He will sometimes ask me to take a look to make sure he didn't miss a spot or to help with the really short areas near the back of the neck/around ear that are just hard see himself.

 

[disneysteve]

I started cutting my own hair over 5 years ago. We were at the outlets and the ConAir outlet had a clipper set for $15, exactly what I used to pay for a haircut. I figured it was worth risking the price of one haircut to see if I could do it myself. That clipper worked great and just died about 2 months ago, so my total hair cutting expense for 5 years was $15.

I replaced it with a Wahl that I bought on Amazon for about $30. It is better quality than the ConAir and does an even better job, and will probably last more than 5 years.

It is incredibly simple to use and so much more convenient than when I used to go to Hair Cuttery. I can cut my hair any day, any time. Couldn't be easier.