written 12/29/25, updated 4/12/26
What
DIY haircut. I am a female who likes super short hair
Why
Saving money and time, getting the cut I want not what the hair person thinks
Time & Effort
Time: 1-1.5 hours
Effort: Easy-Moderate
Directory
Click to Navigate!
Materials & Cost
Bought Supplies
Wahl Prof Magic Clip V9000 Corded
Philips Norelco 3000 Multi-Groom*
The 360 Mirror
Alligator Hair Clips
Total
$82.99
$29.99
$39.99
$5.99
$158.96
Highly Recommended: Hair Scissors
*Note: I don’t recommend this trimmer. The button is difficult to slide. Should’ve sprung for a more expensive one
Owned Supplies
Hair Cutting Cape
Comb (clippers come with one)
Water Spray Bottle
Broom and/or Vacuum Cleaner
Process
What follows is the original, very first haircut I did myself December 2025 where I was really nervous. Skip to the bottom for Notes and my subsequent cuts
Prepping
- Gather supplies and clear any rugs or anything else in the cutting area. Little hairs will fly! Keep everything within easy reach
- Secure the cape
- Follow manufacturer’s instructions on oiling the clipper. The thing I read beforehand said to put one drop on either side of the blades and then back
- Grab the spray bottle and comb, then mist the hair so that it’s mildly damp but not sopping wet
I couldn’t find a spray bottle, so I used a wet comb and that does not work very well
- Then comb straight so that all the hair lays flat
- Know the gameplan. Apparently, the rule of thumb for close cuts is to do the sides then the back first. Because I wanted to keep the top a bit longer, I needed to alligator clip the hair there out of the way so I could deal with it later
The problem with such large clips is that they get in the way of the clipper
Cutting!!
- Starting time!! The recommendation is to use the clipper guards and to go more conservative first. You can take away hair but not put it back.
To start, I used a #4 guard to address the sides. The technique is cut straight into the air and to NOT follow the curve of the head just yet.
Deep Breath! LET’S DO THIS!
Right Side
Hmm… Didn’t wet the hair enough, so it was really difficult to cut the strands
Left Side
Wet it more this time and it was easier. The only hard part was using my left hand instead of my right
- Now for the trimmer! Using the trimmer and/or the corner edge of the clipper (no guard), fold the ear and trim around the contour
This trimmer was TERRIBLE. The on/off switch was literally impossible to flip and for the number of times you need to do that, it was super obnoxious and hurt my fingers. That’s what happens when I decide to go cheap
Interestingly, my hair is different on both sides. In the end, I knew I’d need the help of scissors to polish it off
- Now for the back. I stuck with the #4 guard to take the bulk off. Utilizing the side mirrors by turning either left or right to see more (you have to use the mirror in the mirror effect), I was able to take off the bulk of the length. The straight back, I used a two-handed motion similar to that dumbbell exercise
- Now there are those little strands in the back. I decided to use the trimmer again. This part was super hard because I couldn’t see anything and no amount of phone or mirror could help me. In the end, I just used the comb as a straight edge. I knew I’d want another person to help me out later.
They sell these back of head guides that you can secure around your forehead
- And for the riskiest part: Fine tuning. With the bulk gone, it was time to do detail work. If the length was good for a trim, I would’ve been fine, but I didn’t want that. I want shorter!
Stupidly, I went straight from the #4 to a #1 for whatever dumb reason. If I was seasoned, it’d be fine, but I was brand new to this!! So, of course, I made a mistake.
Whoops. Too much, too fast
- After laughing nervously, I decided to fix it. Slowly this time. I went from a #3, to a #2, then a #1. Each guard number I went all over with until I got used to wielding the clipper.
I actually wasn’t intending to ever go back to the #1, but I did in the end because it was the only way to get the bottom of the back to hug the skin and look more natural.
Helpful: Just because you use a guard doesn’t mean you’re limited to it. On the side of the clipper is a lever that further controls the length. So, using a #3 plus the lever effectively gives you #3.1 – 3.9. This allows more control to fine tune and is how I ended up fixing the hair and feeling comfortable with the rest of the fine-tuning process. It ends up being a trial-and-error/practice thing.
- After fixing everything, I felt much better and things were looking good as a whole. Now for the mid-tier! I swapped to the #6 to do the curve of my head, then the #4, and eventually #3 (only a little)
- For the other side of my head, I removed the clips, combed, then added the clips the other way this time. Time to cut!
- More fine tuning all the way around. This is where I finally figured out how to properly use the tri-fold mirror.
The female head has a much more pronounced dip/roundness in the back than a typical male head, so I had to take that into account
- Happy with the sides and back, normally, this is where Hair Scissors come into play. Alas, I did NOT have any. I also knew better than to use regular scissors or the clippers. I would have thinned and layered the top using a 2-finger hold and cut method, then fine-tuned the contours of the ears.
And DONE!
Go clean up and take a shower!
Before and After Pictures
Notes:
1st Cut 12/27/25
Very freeing and so much easier than I thought it would be! A few hiccups in the learning process, but overall, I can see myself doing this for years to come. The tri-fold mirror was instrumental in all of this! I would highly recommend it! I’m already imagining other styles I can try in the future! It’s nice to not only save money, but do this at my own leisure, in my own house!
- I needed someone else’s help for the scissor-work and contouring of the back and ears, so I have yet to try that myself. Shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll update whenever I do that in the future.
- While the longer top style-wise wasn’t too bad looking, I can’t staaaaand hair in my face, so it just got annoying
- If using the large hair clips, make sure to push them way up high or they’ll get in the way of the clipper
- Definitely use a spray bottle
- I didn’t realize the back of my head is so bumpy. If the pictures look like I chopped to much in some places, it’s actually because of my head structure
2nd Cut 2/21/2026
Cut in the kitchen this time which was much better and brighter than the bathroom. Mess up AGAIN in the same spot because I forgot to return the clipper lever to the lowest level which means that, yet again, I needed to use the #1 guard to smooth it out. It went much faster than the first time because I not only felt more comfortable as a whole, but I properly utilized the 360 Mirror. Vacuum cleaner is much easier than broom and dustpan. Shorter to start this time around and shorter to end with. Also did not have scissors and had help for the final touches yet again.
LEFT: Pre-cut; CENTER: Messed up in the lower corner, so had to cut on guard #1 to smooth it out; RIGHT: Post-cut
3rd Cut 4/12/2026
Hair was shorter to start with, but longer to end with than previous iterations (mostly because I didn’t mess up as badly). This time employed scissors to help, so it took a bit longer to complete. Still messed up when trying to use the comb + clipper method to detail towards the top. Looks bad, but not as bad as the bottom of the hairline. It’s really nice to be able to cut whenever I feel like on my own. This time, I’m going to add some more notes to the process now that it’s more streamlined.
- Wet and comb throughout the process
- Pin hair as desired
- Choose a Guard – Used #3 with the clipper level on the shortest setting
- Clip the sides and the back using the 360 mirror – Use the middle to start, then the mirror-in-the-mirror images (i.e. When cutting the right side, look to the left; When cutting the left side, look to the right). Use an underhand hold and cut upwards.
- Ear and Back Detail – Wet, comb, then use scissors and/or mini clippers. BE CAREFUL!! This is the easiest place to mess up!
- Shorten and Fade as desired. Used #2 guard ON THE LONGEST CLIPPER LENGTH first, then at half lever for the middle, and then the shortest on the lowest portion of the head. Use a scooping motion with the clipper to prevent sharp edges
- Detail Time – I removed 2 hair clips and then went in small increments with the clipper level. Be careful if you’re trying to use the comb as a guard to help. That’s where I messed up this time… heh… heh… Sigh.
- Scissor Work – First time using scissors. I read somewhere that the best way to cut bangs is to use the comb as a guide and do vertical snips to make it look more natural. I’m not going for bangs here, but I figured it worked similarly?
- Final Touches – Look all around for evenness. I ran the guarded clipper around again to make sure all the areas were cut and found that I’d missed the upper back corners near the top of my head
Complete!
