DIY Hair: Quarantine hair cutting and styling tips for men
Two months of isolation have left me sorely in need of a haircut and a good wax. While we ladies might emerge from quarantine with slightly longer hair, the men are starting to look downright shaggy.
Most guys go to the barbershop every three weeks to refresh their ‘do and to have their facial hair professionally landscaped. We show how three guys dealt with a 12-week barbershop ban in different ways!
JB Ragaza
JB usually sports a well-groomed and clean style. With a pandemic going on, he decided to approximate that look with a longer fringe. JB used a wet comb and stylists’ scissors to carefully trim the perimeter of his hair and moustache with help from his mom.
Pictured: JB Before and After / The Look: Preppy.
Pro-tips: Hairstylist Daniel Gregory recommends wetting your hair before cutting it if you (or your guy) have fine, straight hair. But, if you’re working with curly hair, cut it dry instead. To start the cut, use a fine-toothed comb to guide your scissors as you trim. As you get closer to the scalp, angle your comb and your scissors down to give a natural tapered shape.
If you’re nervous about sharp scissors, cover your ear with your hand when you have to cut near it.
Joscef Trinidad
Joscef has fine bone structure - perfect for a long Korean-style haircut ala Kim Heechul or Lee Dong Wook. Since his hair is curly, he takes care to keep it moisturized and frizz-free with Pantene’s Total Damage Care and Sunsilk Triple Keratin Rescue. Joscef’s main thing is to keep his fringe and sideburns from getting too long while adding volume.
Pictured: Joscef’s textured look / The Look: Androgynous Oppa.
Pro-Tips: Vern Hairdressing recommends using two texturizing scissors and a comb. For volume, you’ll want to cut at an angle near the scalp. This creates body in the middle of the hair while keeping the ends wispy.
For trimming the fringe, take the texturizing scissors and cut once straight across, using the comb to guide you. Then carefully cut vertically to add texture.
You should wait for the hair to dry before cutting the fringe or it might end up shorter than expected.
Olliver Luna
You’re at your wits end. The barbershops are all closed and you’ve run out of caps and clips to hide the shaggy mess on your head. You could style your hair like JB and Joscef. Or you could go ham and just shave it all off, Britney-style. It’s quarantine. Nobody needs to know.
Pictured: Oliver after shaving his head / The Look: Brad Pitt in Fight Club
Pro-tips: Before you take the plunge, Esquire recommends getting comfortable with the shape of your head. Any dips and bumps will be emphasized with a military-grade haircut. If you’re convinced you still want the cut, start long with at least a one-inch guard and work your way down to scalp-level.
Tools
Barbershop Kits
If you’re looking to trim your own hair, barbershop kits are on sale for PHP 400- PHP 1,000. Most come with a pair of stainless stylist scissors, a fine-toothed comb, and a hairdressing cloak. Barbershop massage not included!
Texturizing Scissors
Texturizing scissors are a must for adding volume. They look like stylists scissors with a built-in wide-toothed comb. For home use, they retail for about PHP 150.
Styling Clay
Styling clay or gel can help keep your new, shorter ‘do in place or to add volume to your roots. Bench Clay Doh Lite (PHP 139) provides hold and style while still being easy to wash off. Bench also has a line called Bench Barbers with different pomade formulations to add shine and hold to hair.
