Lee Stafford tells FEMAIL how to cut your own hair in lockdown

Award winning, celebrity stylist and Creative Director and Brand Ambassador for Imbue, Michelle Sultan gives her advice on how to trim curls at home whilst waiting for the salons to re-open.

Michelle says, ‘So we’re nearly there… but some of us missed the four week window when salons were open in November. 

‘If you missed the opportunity to see your favourite stylist for a trim before Christmas, then the thought of another couple of months of salon closure could be daunting. 

‘With the warmer weather approaching and the world opening up slowly we are no longer wanting to hibernate under heavy overgrown hair.

Of course, as a hairstylist I would never normally recommend cutting your hair yourself but if you really can’t wait another 8 weeks here’s how I can help.’

Michelle advises against trying any bold new styles and just doing simple trims at home

DON’T USE KITCHEN SCISSORS

 ‘Invest in the very best hairdressing scissors that you can afford, put down the kitchen scissors, these simply will not do,’ MIchelle said.

Lee agreed, adding: ‘The biggest mistake is to use kitchen scissors. Kitchen scissors are blunt so will most likely cause split ends and damage if used on the hair, so leave them in the drawer.’

‘Instead, you will need sectioning clips, a comb and hairdressing scissors (expect to pay £10-£25 online for an entry-level pair).

‘It’s important to cut on your natural texture…those with curly hair need to be careful because if curls are straightened and cut, the length will jump up as soon as it is curly again.’

KEEP IT SIMPLE      

‘Avoid trying to do a major hair make over, trust me it’s not as easy as most hairdressers make it look,’ she added. 

USE CLIPS TO SECTION HAIR

Michelle said: ''Section your hair using the clips you see hairdressers use, this will make your hair easier to control!

Michelle said: ”Section your hair using the clips you see hairdressers use, this will make your hair easier to control!

‘Section your hair using the clips you see hairdressers use, this will make your hair easier to control! 

‘Separate the areas that you want to concentrate on e.g. fringe areas are often the biggest offenders and often the bit that cause the most annoyance if grown out too much,’ she continued.

' If your hair is curly, I would recommend trimming curl by curl once the hair is dry and detangled, this is called a curly cut often performed by qualified “curly cutters”' Michelle added

‘ If your hair is curly, I would recommend trimming curl by curl once the hair is dry and detangled, this is called a curly cut often performed by qualified “curly cutters”’ Michelle added

BE CAREFUL WITH CURLY HAIR 

If your hair is curly, I would recommend trimming curl by curl once the hair is dry and detangled, this is called a curly cut often performed by qualified “curly cutters”. 

‘Point cut the curl using the small tip of the scissors facing downwards, aiming to cut each cut at an angle so it’s not a straight line, it can be easy to do a tiny trim on curly hair which helps to rehydrate dry curls, but please only take a little off and save your ‘big chop’ for your stylist who will be able to reshape and balance. 

‘Look for ends that look frayed and only trim those tiny bits, you’ll know exactly where because the ends will be a different shape to the rest of the curl with majority of length,’ she added

TRIM WET IF YOUR HAIR IS STRAIGHT AND FINISH DRY

‘If your hair is mainly straight or you prefer to wear your hair straight then I recommend trimming a little whilst wet, and only take a very small amount off, remembering that even the straightest off hair can lose length when dry again. Again, avoid major restyles,’ she continued.    

Michelle added to get hair damp and trim, before letting it dry and making changes

Michelle added to get hair damp and trim, before letting it dry and making changes