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Maybe I’m weird, but I hate going to the barbershop. I know there’s this narrative that Black men love to hit “the shop” and chop it up with the fellas about politics, community concerns, and whatever else troubles our minds (like what we see on Lebron’s show "The Shop") but that’s never been my experience.
As a college student, you could definitely catch me at Colors Barber Shop here in Columbus waiting to be cut but, never, and I mean never was the conversation filled with groundbreaking insights and/or knowledge that would help me conquer the world. Maybe I’m asking too much, but that’s the type of camaraderie that gets me excited! Otherwise, I feel it’s simply a waste of time that I could be using for other endeavors. What should take 30-45 minutes can quickly become a 2-hr affair. Ya’ll can have it. Respectfully.
Self-Cut is the new Self-Love
Through the years as circumstances and priorities have changed I’ve slowly made the move to cutting my own hair. It’s what I refer to as “Self-Cut” and it has been a godsend skill that I recommend you take up expeditiously.
Self-Cut is like Self-Love, but for the brothas (and some sistas, too). Not only does it provide tangible life benefits, but the self-cut also provides a kind of mental release and comfort. Knowing that I can hook my own clippers up and “get the back of that neck” as Regina King tells Ice Cube in Friday, goes a long way towards calming me (and my wife, lol) whenever I’m scrambling to prepare for an event that requires a fresh cut. That fact alone means that my hair "setup" is rarely ever “dusty” for any event.
The best compliments are when other men ask: “Who cut you?” In the beginning, I would respond awkwardly because I wasn’t quite sure if they were inquiring because my sh@t was f'd up OR if they were impressed. But now, as I have conquered the “The Transition” (more on that below), I can confidently respond with an “Oh, I cut my own sh*t" 😂.
The Transition
All of this may sound good, but moving from barbershop service to self-cutting doesn’t happen without a few bumps in the road. I call this period “The Transition” and it’s the biggest reason, in my opinion, that more men don’t opt for the Self-Cut.
The most difficult part about cutting your own hair is learning to fade (or blend) the hair. For a long time, I would only cut my hair using the #1 (low) guard. I would attach it and cut my whole head using just the guard while cutting against the grain. It meant that I never had that nice faded look, but it also meant that I was at least presentable and without a “soup bowl.”
However, as I started to grow my hair out, I knew I needed to learn to blend my hair and this is where "The Transition" became an issue. I watched mad videos on fading techniques to get the theory down, but theory and application are two totally different things.
To make a long story short, I had quite a few f'd up haircuts during "The Transition." And I continued to wait for my hair to grow back so that I could try, try, and try again. But after about 3 months and 6 haircuts in, I started to get the hang of it! I credit my perseverance, growth mindset, and willingness to endure the occasional strange look, lol!
In the end, I hope more brothas (and faded sistas) follow me down the Self-Cut path because it honestly pays dividends in saved time, cost, and a shorter “time between freshness.” It’s worth it!
Hit me up in the comments and let me know your thoughts!