Doohickey for creating an even hairline on the neck: what's it called?
March 28, 2011 11:18 AM Subscribe
I used to see advertisements for a plastic guard/doohickey to allow one to trim one's own hairline in the back (with electric clippers) and create a straight, even line. It was basically a piece of plastic you place against your hair/head, and then you'd clip hair on your neck up until that piece of plastic. It was *not* something that attaches to clippers in any way. What are these called, and where can I buy one?
Googling has been totally fruitless.
This was a QVC or Fingerhut catalog type product, and I always laughed at it, but now that I'm cutting my own hair very short on the regular, it seems like it would be useful.
Feedback from anyone who's used one (successfully or not) is welcome too - I'm not sure if they'd even work. Other tips for how to manage the hairline-trim thing on my own are also welcome.
Googling has been totally fruitless.
This was a QVC or Fingerhut catalog type product, and I always laughed at it, but now that I'm cutting my own hair very short on the regular, it seems like it would be useful.
Feedback from anyone who's used one (successfully or not) is welcome too - I'm not sure if they'd even work. Other tips for how to manage the hairline-trim thing on my own are also welcome.
When cutting the back of my head with trimmers, I feel for the natural edge of my hair with my hand pressed flat against the back of my head. I try to align the edge of my hand/thumb against this natural line, and then cut up to it with a grade 1 guard on the trimmers. I run my thumb up against the underneath of the hairline, and then stop.
posted by Solomon at 11:32 AM on March 28, 2011
posted by Solomon at 11:32 AM on March 28, 2011
Other tips for how to manage the hairline-trim thing on my own are also welcome.
I've been cutting my own hair for years - when I'm doing the back and need to graduate down the shortness to the neck) I just look straight ahead in the mirror and point my left hand across the back of my head from ear tip to ear tip (thumb down my ear, hand and finger making a straight edge across the back of my head), then shave with my right hand to the side of my finger. Then repeat with the other hand to do the other half you can't initially reach. Being as it is an arbitrary point, you don't need to be precise about where you shave to. I just shave until the cutters hit my fingers, then go down a size, move my finger to mid-ear and repeat.
If you're fussier about your appearance than me, it helps to cut your hair more often as any slight variation averages out and becomes less obvious. Remember that you don't really need to be precise to any particular point as long as it is a straight/consistent point on your head. Don't get caught up in being too precise and any change of length should be graduated as much as you can.
posted by Brockles at 11:34 AM on March 28, 2011
I've been cutting my own hair for years - when I'm doing the back and need to graduate down the shortness to the neck) I just look straight ahead in the mirror and point my left hand across the back of my head from ear tip to ear tip (thumb down my ear, hand and finger making a straight edge across the back of my head), then shave with my right hand to the side of my finger. Then repeat with the other hand to do the other half you can't initially reach. Being as it is an arbitrary point, you don't need to be precise about where you shave to. I just shave until the cutters hit my fingers, then go down a size, move my finger to mid-ear and repeat.
If you're fussier about your appearance than me, it helps to cut your hair more often as any slight variation averages out and becomes less obvious. Remember that you don't really need to be precise to any particular point as long as it is a straight/consistent point on your head. Don't get caught up in being too precise and any change of length should be graduated as much as you can.
posted by Brockles at 11:34 AM on March 28, 2011
Response by poster: I should have specified: I'm kind of trying to get a sharp line rather than a "natural" hairline. Natural is OK but I want to play around with a sharp line for the moment.
The Hairline is basically what I'm looking for, but it doesn't look like it'd stay in place all that well or be that good to shave up to. My ideal would be to find something more sturdy like this ("the neckliner") which I just found a picture of, but it's only sold with specific poorly-rated Remington trimmers. I'd love to buy just the plastic piece.
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:42 AM on March 28, 2011
The Hairline is basically what I'm looking for, but it doesn't look like it'd stay in place all that well or be that good to shave up to. My ideal would be to find something more sturdy like this ("the neckliner") which I just found a picture of, but it's only sold with specific poorly-rated Remington trimmers. I'd love to buy just the plastic piece.
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:42 AM on March 28, 2011
I'd try cutting one out of a 2 liter bottle, it already has the curve right there for you.
posted by lemniskate at 12:15 PM on March 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by lemniskate at 12:15 PM on March 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Amish use one of all the time....it's called "The Bowl"......;-)
posted by Lone_Wolf at 12:40 PM on March 28, 2011
posted by Lone_Wolf at 12:40 PM on March 28, 2011
I have that poorly-rated Remington trimmer. It's awful and is going in a yard sale next summer. You can have the "neckliner" -- MeMail me your address and I'll send it off.
posted by mendel at 6:37 PM on March 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by mendel at 6:37 PM on March 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
I used to use a strip of packing tape. The brown stuff like painter's tape, whatever that's called.
posted by puddinghead at 8:18 PM on March 28, 2011
posted by puddinghead at 8:18 PM on March 28, 2011
I remember seeing a photo of somebody using the bill of a baseball cap to do this. Failing miserably at Googling it, of course.
posted by Lexica at 10:03 AM on April 1, 2011
posted by Lexica at 10:03 AM on April 1, 2011
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posted by illenion at 11:25 AM on March 28, 2011 [1 favorite]