Long Hair Bad hair cut?

How do I cut my own (long, curly) hair?

• I don't want another salon cut but I do want shorter hair. How do I do it? My dark brown curly hair is pretty long (the longest bits reach the bottom of my back/top of my butt when I pull the curls straight, the shortest bits reach my mid-lower back when doing the same thing, and I'm 5'11 with a long body), but it's also pretty straggly at the ends and I want to cut it up somewhere between my shoulders and my jawline. I've never had a salon cut that I liked and I don't really have any money at the moment, so I'm intending to cut it myself. I've only cut my own hair once before, and that was a trim to even out the ends about six months ago, but I'm feeling good about doing this myself and would rather try it than spend another £30-50 with a professional for a cut that comes out too short and uneven because they don't know how to work with curly hair. It's lost a lot of curl being this long and heavy, so my plan was to wash it and comb it out straight, tie it with a hairband two or three or four inches below my shoulders (at a point where the hair is an even thickness compared to length, rather than straggly), cut it across there so it's all the same length to start with, let it dry a bit (or completely?) and then tidy up the individual curls so it sits evenly. I wear it with a side parting on the right side of my head, and will cut it so that it looks even with that parting. Things I do have: haircutting scissors, a willing accomplice for the bits at the back Things I don't have: experience, fine motor skills, attention to detail, limitless patience I'd like to make this quick and easy. I definitely don't want to end up with triangle-/Christmas tree-shaped hair (flat against the head but bulky at the ends) - I'd prefer something more like a bob, with the curls evenly distributed around my head. What should I do to get a cut I'll like? And how do I cut the individual curls themselves when they're dry(-ish) - straight across or at an angle? Thanks!

• Answer:

  I cut my own thick, curly hair; here are my tips:Get it wet, comb it out, cut it wet, just like you plan. Do not cut it parted on the side. Cut it parted in the middle. I'm not sure why, but cutting with my usual side part in ends up with a weird uneven volume thing going on. (It's very 80s. One side of your head will be flat, the other side will be a triangle floating into the sky.) Cutting it in the center I have no problem later parting it on the side, and the volume looks right that way. Don't put it in clips; hang it as flat as you can and just cut straight across. Generally it's easier for the amateur to do the two parts in the front first so they're even, and then do the back. If you go all the way around from one side to the other, you'll be uneven by the time you get back to the front. I've done ALL of it myself, but it is much easier to have your accomplice do it. Your hair will curl more -- possibly a LOT more -- with all that weight off it. When I cut mine to shoulder length, it curls up to chin length as it dries. Keep that in mind, and maybe cut it a little longer than you think is necessary for your first try. You can always cut off more; if you cut off too much you'll just have to wait for it to come back in. Not the end of the world, but you may be unhappy with it.