I give myself a buzzcut every two weeks. 21mm on top, 5mm on the sides and back, slanted cutter on 5 in the trasition zone. If it goes bad I can always do 5mm all over. Hardest is to catch the whispy fuckers around the bald spot.
I also do my kids hair, though the girls keep theirs long so thats just a matter of brushing it real neat and make a straight edge. The boy is too small to take to a hairdresser anyway.
I also do my wife's hair. She is the only one where some thought and planning is required. I'm amazed that she lets me.
The back? How do you do the back of your head? Any tips? Wife? I just got out of jail and I'm broke so I bought some uber cheap clippers and have been cutting my own for months now. This from a guy who wouldn't blink at spending $250 on a hair cut before he got locked up lol
Much easier if you're happy with a cut that simply involves running clippers over your entire head.
I start by use a number 5 guard (can't remember the actual cutting depth measurement) and run it over my entire head for a base level. Then I use progressively shorter guards on the sides and back, usually down to a 2. I will then also use the 2 to clean up around my temples and hairline to get a nice clean look.
As for the back, just gotta get used to finding a comfortable grip with your bent behind your head and use your other hand to touch the guard and your head at the same time as you go to get a feel for where it is and how it's oriented. A hand mirror is useful too as you can use your free hand to hold it behind you and see what you're doing by looking at it in your bathroom mirror.
Unless you're really skilled (I'm not), just go for a very short, simple cut. If you have someone who lives with you who can help you use a trimmer on your hairline on your neck, that's very helpful. Frankly I can't tell the difference between cutting my own hair and when I would pay $30 for the same cut.
(Except mine was way cheaper, Ikea probably) oposite my main bathroom mirror. So facing the swing arm mirror I can see the back of my head and since it's through two mirrors the hand actually moves like you'd expect when you look at it.
Hold your hair between your fingers like the barber does, cut (with scissors or electric trimmer) on the side away from your scalp. Repeat all over the back of your head until there are no long bits left.
The secret to cutting your own hair is learning to quit while you're behind.
I just run over every spot a couple times from several directions, then feel for long parts to target them individually. It's not efficient, but it gets done eventually.
I do my son’s hair as well. Unfortunately for me (or maybe him), it’s pretty curly while mine is completely straight, so I’m pretty clueless on how to handle it. If I do it sheet enough it looks nice and clean. The double, counter rotating cowlicks on him makes it difficult too.
Works best when you're not going for some fancy look though and just want something clean and simple.