I Cut My Natural Hair Short And This Was the Result

Last year, I cut my hair the shortest length it’s ever been in my life. While scary, it was a refreshing and freeing experience. Over the past twelve months, I’ve mostly trimmed my hair myself, but never a significant amount. Instead, I went to the barber and relied on them to cut my hair.

During the recent COVID quarantine, I begin to notice that my usually kept hair didn’t look its best. The clean lines of my medium fade became messy. The variety of curl patterns caused my new growth to look uneven. It was time for a haircut. However, my preferred barbershop was closed. So I had to wait it out.

Eventually, the governor relaxed the quarantine restricts in my State, and allowed for businesses to reopen. My preferred barber reopened, but as you would expect, appointments were swiftly taken by others in need of a fresh cut. 

The Decision to Cut My Own Hair Short

I waffled back and forth about going to the barbershop. As a black woman, it can be hard for me to trust others with my hair, especially since going natural a decade ago. I’ve spent hours researching black salons and barbershops, combed for photos of black hair styles, and taken enormous pride in my hair. Going natural was a learning opportunity; a chance to fully get to explore my beautiful hair. This hair journey has given me lots of pride in my kinks, but also some trepidation about people messing it up. So, I decided to give myself a haircut instead.

To begin, I took a pair of clippers and I attached the first clipper guard. Then, with all the confidence of a novice, I slowly took the blade across my head. Standing in front of the mirror for over an hour, I took millimeters off at a time, not trusting myself to take off a lot at once. But after about an hour, I started to see the shape and length that I wanted.

When all the clippings had fallen to the floor, I savored my new look. Cropped close to the skin on the sides, and slightly longer on the top. Just enough length to run the tip of my fingers through, and 100% me. The results made me happy I’d chosen to cut my own hair. It was a fun way to spend a day in quarantine. And, it gave me something productive and challenging to do. Even better, it was free!

If you’re a black woman, wanting to cut your hair at home, I recommend a few things:

• Tools: Have clippers, clipper guards, combs, scissors, and a mirror that allows you to see all sides of your head.

• Length: Unless you’re super brave, leave enough length that you can still go to the barbershop or hairstylist if you really mess it up. 

• Buddy System: Try to have someone around to help you make sure your hair is evenly cut. It helps if this person can double as your cheerleader and tell you the haircut looks great once you’re done. 

If you’re interested in learning more about my natural hair journey, or have any questions, let me know in the comments.