How to Cut Your Own Hair
by Janet Banks

1) Admit desperation:
Bangs tickle your eyelashes
Gray roots grow beyond an inch
Favorite earrings are now totally invisible

2) Observe others:
Scroll through hairstyles on Pinterest
Watch how-to haircutting videos on YouTube
Find a photo, an “ideal” look, post it, study it often

3) Assemble tools:
Order a cheap barber’s kit on-line
Buy a professional long-toothed comb
Search for your hand mirror

4) Picture it:
Get comfortable with the scissors’ little finger brace
Practice how your stylist lifted hair between two fingers
Strategize the sequence of cutting

5) Find courage:
Give yourself a pep talk — how hard could it be
Open a bottle of wine and pour a glass
Repeat pep talk, pour another glass of wine

6) Start small:
Trim hair around your face, the bangs, the sides
If the mirror’s reverse image confuses you, don’t panic
Use…