How to cut hair?

At-home and DIY beauty treatments are a great way to save time and money, and cutting your hair at home is actually no different — as long as you’re careful. Sure, when it comes to big hair changes (like, say, a blunt bob on straight hair, cutting in new layers or chopping first-time bangs), we’d probably recommend saving ’em for the pros.

But otherwise, even hairstyling experts say it’s totally OK to freshen up your layers, trim your (already-existing) bangs or nix split ends at home when you’re desperate and can’t make it to the salon for a cut every six to eight weeks. “I think it’s a good idea to save money snipping your hair at home between cuts,” says Howard McLaren, co-founder and creative director of R+Co. It’s a great way to “have fun and save up for a great snip!”

“A good rule of thumb is always remember to leave hair a little longer than you think,” says McLaren. Work on dry or slightly damp hair, our pros say. “Slightly damp hair allows you to see the texture still intact,” says McLaren. Olya Iudina, hairstylist at IGK in New York, explains that working on wet hair may lead you to “cut it shorter than you expect,” since wet hair stretches in length. The only exception is if you have straight hair; you can dampen it with a spray bottle first to get the cleanest, sharpest lines possible, but remember to snip with extreme caution since wet hair will look even shorter once it dries.

“If you ever decide to cut your hair, watch expert videos and do some research online to learn more before doing so,” instructs Frédéric Fekkai, celebrity hairstylist and founder of the eponymous haircare brand. For that, we’ve rounded up the best instructional videos below to help you cut your own hair at home, no matter what kind of cut you’re looking for.