I plan to learn how to cut hair. Can you recommend me beginner hair shears/scissors?

October 23, 2010 9:32 AM

I want to learn how to cut hair. Can you recommend me beginner hair shears/scissors?

I want to purchase hair shears/scissors so that I can cut my hair. I live in a rural area where there aren't many options when it comes to getting a haircut, so I usually just use hair clippers to shave my head. I'm sick of the shaved look and want to learn how to cut my hair the "proper" way.

Since I've no experience with cutting hair (other than trimming it), it would be sensible of me to purchase a beginner pair of shears/scissors. However, I don't want to get something of low quality. Anything in the price range of $40-$100 should do. If I become competent at cutting hair, I'll get something better, but for now, fairly cheap shears/scissors should do.

If anyone has hair cutting tips to share, by all means, share them; I'd highly appreciate it. I also want to note that I'm male. I don't know if gender matters when considering which type of hair shears/scissors to use, but you never know...

Thanks.

posted by GlassHeart to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

My shears are nice but relatively inexpensive Suvornas. I've never really noticed that much of a difference between them and the really spendy ones I got when I enrolled in cosmetology school.

But I'll let someone who isn't a beauty school drop-out recommend the type and size you might need.
posted by elsietheeel at 10:22 AM on October 23, 2010

I've cut my own hair for years (with increasingly better results--ha!), but I've always used totally generic scissors, like the kind you might buy for $10-15 at Kmart. As long as they're sharp and have a consistent edge, and small/pointy enough to go where you want, it'll be fine. Which is to say, I'm sure a pair of fancy scissors would be fun and useful to have, but they're by no means a necessity.
posted by soviet sleepover at 11:12 AM on October 23, 2010

There is yet a third alternative, which is to use those electric hair clippers with clip-on combs that give you a consistent cut-length of your choice. So instead of ending up looking shaved, your hair could have a consistent length. I've done this for years, with the encouragement of other males who do the same.
posted by exphysicist345 at 6:07 PM on October 25, 2010

Question for those who cut their own hair with scissors: How do you see, comb, and scissor the back of your head? Is there a secret?
posted by exphysicist345 at 6:09 PM on October 25, 2010