Exactly What Happened When I Decided to Cut My Own Hair at Home...

Are you really in lockdown if you haven’t thought about trimming your hair with the kitchen scissors?

Even just for a second? We're all friends here - no need to lie, I know you have.

How do I know this? Because I had exactly the same thought.

Only, it wasn’t just a thought. I really did pull out the kitchen scissors and give my hair a once-over in the bathroom mirror.

We've all experienced (or witnessed) an at-home haircut disaster.

My first attempt at a DIY haircut was in primary school, circa 2001.

There were no TikTok hair hacks, Instagram fringe cutting tutorials or Brad Mondo hair YouTube videos.

It was just me and a pair of blunt scissors. Fast forward 20 years...

In a moment of weakness, deeply missing my trusty and reliable hairdresser in the middle of the global pandemic, I thought it'd be a great idea to have another crack at learning how to cut hair at home.

While it was no five-star salon trim, I think it did the job. Key word being think.

If you're thinking of cutting yourself a fringe or trimming your split ends at home, keep scrolling for a recap of my at-home haircut adventure, plus a couple of expert tips and lessons I learnt along the way.

How to Cut Your Own Hair.

Before we get into my fringe-cutting cautionary tale, let's start with the how to cut your own hair advice I probably should've sought before picking up the scissors.

While no hair stylist or professional hairdresser would recommend cutting your own fringe or giving yourself an at-home haircut, these are strange times we're living in.

Maybe you're bored. Maybe you can't see through your fringe anymore. Maybe you just want to do something that makes you feel... alive.

Whatever your reason, Adore's in-house hair guru and ex-hairdresser Millie has these words of wisdom:

"Internally, I'm screaming, but if you're going to risk cutting your hair yourself, please go slow and use a sharp pair of scissors."

"Start by washing your hair and blow drying it on a low speed to mimic how it would look if you let it dry naturally. Straightening the hair or just the ends is a great way to ensure you only take off a little bit of length."

Millie also reluctantly recommends working in thin sections (and taking five seconds to pray to the hair gods) before trimming little by little.

"May luck be on your side, and your hairdresser forgiving."

Thinking about dyeing your hair at home too? Watch this how to dye your hair at home YouTube tutorial below.

Here's How I Cut a Fringe at Home...

Ready for story time?

It was a random Tuesday night. I was BORED and scrolling through Instagram when I saw a friend post about wanting to cut her hair...

In that moment, my fingers somehow detached themselves from my brain, opened up a YouTube tab and typed 'how to cut bangs' into the search bar.

Brad Mondo's YouTube video 'Hairdresser's Guide To Cutting Your Own Bangs And Not Ruining Them' popped up.

I watched approximately 45 seconds of the hair cutting tutorial, and before I knew it, I was staring at myself in the bathroom mirror, a pair of kitchen scissors in hand.

Were they the same scissors I'd used to cut chicken a few days before? Yes. (Don't stress, I washed them!!!)

Was I worried about things going terribly wrong? Not really.

I was feeling confident, and hey, if things went bad, I was sure my hairdresser would've seen worse before.

Spoiler alert, here's my at-home haircut before and after photo!

See? I thought I did a pretty decent job of cutting myself a fringe!

Much better than my Year 1 haircutting efforts, anyway.

Here's how I cut my own fringe:

1. I parted my hair in the middle and sectioned a front piece of hair from either side with a comb before tying the rest back with a hair tie.

2. Next, I brushed this front section of hair in front of my face, and took a deep breath (very important detail).

3. Holding the scissors on a diagonal angle, I just went for it. I was conservative at first, but then I got impatient and started hacking away.

*This is when Millie's expert advice would've come in handy.

4. I received a surprise FaceTime call from my sister-in-law halfway through the process. As you can see, she was worried for me, but I carried on.

Eventually, I made the executive decision to put down the scissors.

I don't know if it was adrenaline rush or the Rachel from Friends vibe, but I was truly feeling myself.

It was almost too easy. Had I found a new career path?

When I unveiled the New Me to my fiancé, the reaction wasn't as positive as I'd hoped, but he was supportive nonetheless.

I spent the next few hours before bed on an emotional rollercoaster between 'I LOVE THIS' and 'I HATE IT WHAT HAVE I DONE?!'.

What was my hairdresser going to say?!

I needed to find out if she approved, and much to my surprise, she did! See receipts below.

A few weeks have passed since the bangs entered the building, and honestly, I’m still loving them!

Granted, I can see I cut the left side a bit too short, but it'll grow back.

I've also been using some different hair tools and techniques to style my fresh curtain bangs.

• Silver Bullet Black Velvet Dryer 2000W - Black - This hair dryer gives me the 90s blow out of my dreams.

• Next, I use my trusty ghd platinum+ black hair styler to style my bangs and depending on the look I'm going for, I'll either straighten the rest or add loose waves throughout my hair.

• To make my waves last a few days, I spray them with ELEVEN Give Me Hold Flexible Hairspray once they've completely cooled.

You can learn more about how to curl your hair with a straightener in this article here, or watch the waving with hair straightener tutorial video below!

And now, for the burning question... would I cut my own fringe again? Absolutely I would!

In this situation, confidence is key. If you’re going to do it, you really have to just jump right in there.

One last thing: If you do try giving yourself a lockdown haircut, I take no personal responsibility for the outcome.

Happy trimming!

Want more easy hair styling tutorials? Check out these articles below:

• From Curtain Fringes to Blunt Bangs, Here's How to Style Every Single Type of Fringe

• The Quickest & Easiest Way I Get Textured Waves Using a Hair Straightener

• My Signature Sleek Bun Is Actually a Secret Disguise for Gross, Greasy Hair

• The Quick & Easy 4-Step Routine I Use to Add Volume to My Short, Fine Hair