Cutting your own locks is certainly not an easy task. But cutting someone else’s hair, say a fidgety toddler, is definitely more challenging in the middle of a global health crisis. Don’t fret. You can tame your kid’s stringy ends and overgrown mane. Here are simple tactics to help you do the job faster and with less stress and crying.
The Basics of Cutting Kids’ hair
Start with clean and dry hair. This way, you will see exactly how short you need to go. You will also see the hair shape in its natural form before you go in with your thinning shears and other tools.
Get a comb with fine and wide teeth, a scrunchie or clip for sectioning the hair, clippers, fine-point scissors, and a clean towel for cleaning up before you place your kid into position in your makeshift salon station.
It would be best to have all your tools ready to ensure a seamless and quick cutting session. Once you and your kid are ready, say a silent prayer to the hair gods, and follow the following tips and tricks:
For Kids with Mid-Length to Long Hair
Have your kid tilt their head down and forward to the chest. By doing this, you’ll be able to cut the length underneath. Take the bottom portion of hair, trimming the rest of the hair on the top part of the head. Ensure that hair surrounding the back of the neck is combed out so that you can cut it straight across.
Use this first portion of hair to guide you, grab the next portion from the clip, and then lay it over the first one before trimming. Cutting in smaller sections will make it easier to see if you’re cutting straight and prevent that choppy look. Keep on trimming until you reach the last portion at the top.
If you want a more textured style, twist the ends of the hair before cutting. This will give a softer look to otherwise choppy ends.
For Kids with Short Hair
When trimming short hair, chin-length, for instance, run a wide-tooth comb through it first before you start trimming. It would help if you also let your kid’s hair hang loose instead when cutting instead of holding it taut as you trim away, particularly for that portion of hair that usually curls up toward the ears.
Holding the hair on this section too taut will make it bounce up and then end up shorter than you need it to be. Remember to cut straight across or do the technique mentioned above for the ends for a more textured and tousled style.
For “Boy” Hairstyles
Boys usually have layered, clipped, and short hairstyles, which makes trimming just a little more challenging, particularly if you’re looking to achieve a fade. To make this task more achievable, utilize a clipper with long guards instead of short ones because using shorter guards will require more precision.
Longer guard lengths are more forgiving on imperfect blending and allow for some negligible errors. As for the top portion, you can use scissors. Lift a section of the hair at a 90-degree angle to get that softer cut.
If trimming your kid’s hair still seems overwhelming or impossible, you can always go through YouTube and watch online tutorials. You can likewise ask your go-to hairdresser for advice, making sure to compensate them accordingly.
Aim to keep the hairstyle as simple as possible. If possible, you can just cut the frayed, split ends regularly to keep the existing hairstyle. Done right, your kid may not even notice that their hairstyle has changed.
