The coronavirus pandemic has forced everyone to isolate themselves in their own homes. With lockdown restrictions and stay-at-home orders, parents are forced to do things they’ve never done before. This includes cooking every meal, tutoring their kids for online classes, and now, they even have to cut their own children’s hair.
You may have noticed your family looking more than a little scruffy. Your daughter’s bangs get in her eyes and your son’s hair is now way past his ears. It’s time to break out the haircutting shears and comb and start trimming.
Below are some expert tips from hairstylists to make sure your child doesn’t sport a mortifying bowl-shaped haircut.
For Straight Hair
Straight hair is the easiest to work with. Shampoo and condition your daughter’s hair before cutting to remove the tangles. Use a wide-toothed comb to straighten the hair all the way to the tips.
Divide the hair by pinning the top portion to the head. Work on the bottom section first then gradually peel back the pinned hair to make sure all the layers are even. ; Trim the length your child wants while her hair is still wet. This makes it easier for you to check if the tips are even.
If your daughter has long hair, have her tilt her head down so you can properly see and trim the ends.
Once you have the length you want, blow-dry her hair smooth and straight. Fix the ends using the “point cut technique”, which snips into the hair vertically instead of horizontally. Afterward, you can style your daughter’s hair using a straightening round hairbrush.
For Curly Hair
Brush curly hair while wet to get rid of the tangles and prevent fizz. Then, have your daughter air dry her hair so you can see the natural shape of the curls. Don’t blow-dry the curls because this will give the hair more volume.
Divide the hair into sections and work on the bottom layers first. When cutting curly hair, you want to follow the S shape of each ringlet. Cut as close to the end of the C shape or right in the middle of the S. Trim the curl in a downward motion to prevent flyaway ends.
For Boys
Use a clipper with longer guards. A guard of two or higher is best for DIY haircut beginners.
For the top parts, take a very thin section and comb it up before cutting it at a 90-degree angle. Repeat this until you’ve trimmed the entire upper section. Make sure you cut at even lengths.
Use the top section as a length guide when cutting the hair at the back. Lift, comb, then trim separate sections until you get the length you want. Repeat this for the hair at the side.
Finish off combing the front hairline section forward and trimming it to your desired length.
As a rule, don’t try to give your kid a new look. Stick to a simple trim to minimize the risk of a failed haircut. Start with short snips first rather than chopping off large blocks of hair to make sure your child doesn’t accidentally end up with too short a cut. Watch video tutorials to learn proper cutting techniques and specific hairstyles.
