Advice constantly given to people my age includes learning new skills to keep our brains active. The pandemic provided me with an unasked for opportunity to do just that. I have now learned how to give a somewhat adequate man’s haircut and how to utilize Zoom. Today my adventure in barbering, tomorrow my immersion into Zoom.
We live two blocks from an excellent Cuban barber and his crew. Although only Spanish is spoken there, and although my husband has no interest in the elaborate designs possible in a haircut, he has loved the convenience and professional cut he has received there for many years. But the pandemic closed all barber shops here for several months and he gradually looked like a “geezer” according to a close unnamed relative. Thanks to the recommendation from Pete from Beetley, I purchased the Wahl kit pictured above. Although my husband prefers quite a short look, I hesitated to start that way. I figured it would be easier to repair a too long cut than to repair a too short one.
You Tube provided me with the instructions for a “Basic Men’s Haircut.” While I don’t think of Charlie as a basic man, I did recognize that I needed a simple approach. So with a sheet on the floor and the victim on a dining room chair I commenced. The first cut was so much better than the geezer look that I stood amazed. I have given him two more so far. Sadly I have now become much more critical of my skill level and note that I have not quite managed to have the hair even over both ears!
But my most challenging achievement thus far is the eyebrow trim. After watching a video several times, I did take the comb and the clippers and managed to tame the longest hairs without cutting his skin! I am letting my own hair grow out and out and out! Maybe I will be able to sport a French twist before this pandemic is through.
I am very pleased to hear that my suggestion worked for you and your husband. I do my own, and spare my wife the chore. But I have a lot less hair to worry about, I suspect.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I would be concerned that he would just use the very shortest blade and remove it all!
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That Wahl clipper looks very like the one I have for my dog. I have a Phillips beard trimmer for my husband which has worked well for parts of his haircut, but I’ve resorted to scissors for the rest. I recall someone once saying that a haircut should aim to have the hair the same length all over the head (for whom, I wonder…) so that’s what I’ve been aiming at. Although I obviously don’t get anywhere near that, it’s a guideline, and looks better than the poetic style he had before.
My biggest challenge is always his moustache if I don’t want him to end up looking like Hitler.
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It has been fun to look at fellow church members on Zoom and see the various solutions to the problem of hair growing. Most fun has been finding out who had been dying his hair!
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That “his” speaks volumes…
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Oops–seems to have let out more truth than I consciously meant to!
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PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU TALKED YOUR HUSBAND INTO IT. My husband is starting to look like a member of the grateful dead, but he wont dare let me near him. I, too, am growing my out and have been able to put it into a simple twist.
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(I told my husband the first time I did his in lockdown that nobody was going to see it anyway.)
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Sadly mine has to regularly show up on Zoom since he is still working, though from home.
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I think he was getting quite self conscious of being called a geezer. He did look like the kind of man you had to be careful around!
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Lol. Mine looks like Jerry garcia
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That might be easier to blend in to the neighborhood.
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I used to cut my husband’s hair years ago but don’t have the tools of the trade any longer. No matter as he’s comfortable visiting his barber, one customer in the shop at a time, and wearing a mask.
I on the other hand have not visited a salon since February. Even though it’s possible now, I’m not comfortable with it as those appointments run much longer. I’ve always trimmed my own bangs but it was only recently that I took to cutting my own hair, just like when I was in high school! My hair is pretty long so I figured anything was fixable. Turns out, I actually like it!
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You have encouraged me. I will have to look for videos on cutting my own hair. I too hesitate to go indoors for one.
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I took the plunge after I saw a friend (on Zoom) who’d done the same thing. We both have long mostly straight hair so you can’t go too wrong.
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I won’t blame you if I do!
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I’m also letting my hair grow out. It’s almost long enough to put in a ponytail. But no way would I attempt to do my husband’s hair. LOL. I’m just not that talented. You’ve got courage!
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Or I was really really tired of having him look rather fishy!
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We need photographic evidence!
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Fraid not!
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I used to cut John’s hair. He went back to the barber a year or so later, liking the SPEED of a professional cut. I didn’t mind. The tips were not great. In fact, they were nonexistent.
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Ha. Good one. I need to hit Charlie up for one.
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Over time, you’ll be an expert Elizabeth. We learn new things if there is no one we could as to do it.
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Exactly. I still can’t use the ereader though. It may have to do with my glasses prescription.
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I have been scissor cutting hubby’s hair for years, after he purchased a hair clipping set, similar to yours & used it himself.
He only had stubble left on his head!
I started out as a teen apprentice in hairdressing before entering academia to study for my profession, though those hair cutting skills have come in handy over the years.
I have cut my own hair since my early twenties, although it’s getting more & more difficult with shoulder pain 😀
Bless you,
Jennifer
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Wow. I love the jobs we all had before settling into the main ones. I wrote about all my odd jobs a couple of years back, including the summer I peeled dimes off cards to pay for recipes I sent out.
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I’d love to read that post Elizabeth, may be you could reblog it 😀
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You can find it in the archives on August 29, 2017. My web page has the archived months on the side bar.
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I’m impressed – I’ve trimmed my bangs a few times, but haven’t tried cutting my husband’s hair.
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I was always hopeless on my bangs, though my friends and I always taped scotch tape across our foreheads to do the trim.
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I have offered to cut my spouses hair he has declined the offer. My short hair is no longer short. I have no desire to go to a salon. My “bangs” are now below my chin. I guess disheveled is the style of the year.
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My layers are finally growing out. My hair turns out to have a natural wave, so I am sporting flipped ends. Kind of fun.
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We want to see your handiwork, Elizabeth. I may have told you that I shaved my head when it got longer earlier in the pandemic. I was always curious about what I would look like bald, and I thought if it’s terrible, no one will see me for a while anyway. It was decent, and I wore it that way for about six weeks, but I caved and decided to let it grow back out. I loved not having to fuss with it. At least I know I can go back to that look if I choose.
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LOL. I think Charlie would be very happy with a shaved head. Not me.
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See, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Of course you’re not an old dog and I’m not either. 🙂 I’m not brave enough to tackle the haircut thing. Today we go to Costco for the first time since March, senior hours. That’s my new dog trick for the day.
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You are braver than I for sure.
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It was nearly empty. I am now totally spoiled.🙂
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Well done you! As for my hair, I really was a pain long, but last Thursday I had it cut short again – the relief!
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I am still up in the air around the issue.
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I also gave my husband a hair cut but we went with a scissor cut. This week, I will try my hand at thinning shears because it is too thick on the sides. My hair will grow until it simply stops or it is safe to visit a salon.
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Bravo!
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Haha, never too old to learn new things. I had to cut my husband’s hair once. It turned out alright. 😂
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Glad you don’t have to do that again I bet!
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I sure am! 😂
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