Cut Children's Hair
With all of the hassle and expense of taking your child to a salon or barbershop for haircuts, why not learn to do-it-yourself? If you are even moderately "crafty" you can cut your boy or girl's hair and keep them looking good all year long. Saving some money is nice too.Since there are lots of different hairstyles for boys and girls, this article focuses on the basics of haircutting. For detailed instructions on a specific hairstyle you will need to find one of the many books on this topic.
Steps
- Gather the basic tools you will need: haircutting scissors with 4.5"-5.5" blades (depending on the size of your hands); a haircutting comb with both large and small teeth, hair clips- large butterfly clips for longer hair or smaller "alligator" style clips for shorter hair; haircutting cape or sheet to cover your child while cutting (sorry, a bath towel just doesn't work well); a water sprayer or water gun to wet the hair; electric clippers or trimmers for very short haircuts and trimming around the edges.
- Create a functional workspace. Have your child seated in a chair that is high enough for you to work at eye level, but without a high back that will get in the way of your cutting. Don't sit them in front of the television or computer. You will need for them to keep their head down some of the time and the temptation to look up is too tempting. Instead, position them in front of a mirror if possible. It will help you keep a visual reference to other areas you have already cut and gives small children something to shoot at with the water sprayer or water gun. Choose a well lit area, but I don't recommend working in bright sunlight as the hair will dry out too quickly.
- Give your child a chance to run around, play or just act like a nut to release some energy before you begin.You might want to participate yourself.
- De-tangle and lightly dampen the hair before beginning your hair cut. If the hair is overly dirty or coated with gel, hairspray or cookies (they are kids, right), shampoo and condition the hair.
- Set up any photos or other reference material nearby.
- Part the hair into four sections and sub-divide those so that you have a manageable amount of hair from each area of the hairline laying in it's natural position, ready to cut. You can skip this step if you are working with very short hair.
- Cut the perimeter (hairline) into the desired length and shape. Try not to stretch the hair while cutting. If possible, cut the hair lying against the skin without holding it as this is the best way to prevent cutting cowlicks too short and creating uneven lines.
- Check the lines you have just cut visually (observing them in the mirror is the best way to spot problems) and make small corrections if needed. Remember that the visual evenness and balance are more important than holding the hair and searching for small technical deviations.
- Release the remaining hair from the clips in manageable amounts and cut to blend with your previously cut hair (your guideline). Be careful not to cut into your guideline.
- Once the perimeter is complete you can now create layers in the hair if desired. Layering is simply a way of blending from one area of the perimeter outline to the other by elevating the hair up and away from the scalp and cutting away bulk and volume. This is a very simplified explanation and it's worth your while to refer to a book or article with more detailed information.
- When the layering is complete, you can use the tips of your scissors or thinning shears to remove excess bulk or to create a softer, more textured result. Proceed with caution, especially on curly hair.
- Wipe away the hair trimmings from your now squirming child, give them a sugary reward and watch them bounce off the walls to release that pent up energy.
- Feel pride in how great your child looks and relief that it's over.
Tips
- Make sure to keep the hair damp throughout the haircut. It's easier to judge how balanced your cut is if the hair is evenly damp. Dry hair shrinks and will look shorter than the damp hair.
- Do not stretch the hair while cutting as this will result in hair that is too short and unevenly cut
- If your child is having a tantrum, give up and try again tomorrow.
- Always use the wide spaced teeth on the comb when cutting hair. The fine teeth stretch the damp hair too much.
Things You'll Need
- Haircutting scissors with 4.5"-5.5" blades (depending on the size of your hands)
- A haircutting comb with both large and small teeth
- hair clips- large butterfly clips for longer hair or smaller "alligator" style clips for shorter hair
- Haircutting cape or sheet to cover your child while cutting
- A water sprayer or water gun to wet the hair
- Electric clippers or trimmers for very short haircuts and trimming around the edges
Related Articles
- Make Bow Hair Clips for Kids
- Cut Kids' Hair
- Remove and Prevent Split Ends
Sources and Citations
- All drawings are from the book, "How to Cut Children's Hair", copyright Larry Dunlap 1995. Articles further explaining this lesson are available at:
