FocusPositives

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The personality profile of my hair is straight, thick, coarse and stiff. It is so stubborn that the baby hair sticks straight up at the top of my head even if blow dried. I could never have short bangs because they would stick out as well. The only solution was to grow it long enough to weigh it down. No side swept bangs for me :(. Haircuts are dangerous as well. If the wrong stylist touched it, my head would end up looking like a big broom. My mom, not a professional, has the most experience dealing with my hair. She has cut my hair since I was a baby. I only trust her with my hair.The broom look was not encouraging for me to go to a stylist. After moving out, I was itching to experiment with cutting my own hair. I thought to myself, “It would be great if I could cut my own hair just the way my mom did.” I played with cutting my bangs. Failed, my hair was not obedient like usual but I was hooked on how I could possibly control the outcome of my hair.

With lots of research on different ways and methods to cutting hair, I decided to order the Original CreaClip Set. It seemed diverse and easy to use. If the kid in the video could cut her own hair, I could too. While waiting for my CreaClip I watched all the related CreaClip instructional videos and saw a similar technique of cutting hair into layers using a rubber band. I’ve always wanted a layered cut, I was so gung-ho about it that I took a pair of scissors and a rubber band and started cutting. I was so inspired and eager try the technique. Sometimes I am very impulsive, when I want to do something really badly, I have to do it now. Are you thinking, “Oh my Ga…she just butchered her hair!!!!”? Don’t worry, I didn’t need to run to the barber shop. Originally I had a straight blunt cut with no layers. I was in a rush to cut my hair and totally forgot to take a picture.

Rubber Band Method:

(Updated 12/28/2013: The original Rubber Band Method video I saw is missing on Youtube, the pictures below are recreations of what I did.)

1. Comb and flip hair to the front.
2. KEEP CHIN TUCKED, Tie hair with a rubber band. Pull rubber band straight down until you reach a desired length.

3. Using sharp hair cutting scissors, cut horizontally, 1/16″- 1/4″ off at a time to remove split ends or shorten the length. This creates a blunt edge. This step can be repeated until you reach the desired length.
4. To feather the ends, point scissors vertically and cut OR use feathering scissors if you have one.

5. Optional: If you prefer a U shape, tie hair at the back and pull downwards, trim a little at a time. Release and check often before you cut more. (This step, if done alone, creates a straight edge.) Repeat Step 4 for the feathering effect.
6. Release rubber band and brush.

I basically followed the exact steps in the CreaClip video below but instead of using the CreaClip I used a rubber band to hold all my hair together. The rubber band was still tied to my hair after the cut. I used layering scissors at the tip to refine the cut for a feathered look

Pros

• Easy to tie hair and cut.
• Good for long hair.
• Require only scissors and a rubber band.
• Saves money.

Cons

• No defined guide to see if hair is even. I used my nose, lips, chin as a markers for keeping my hair leveled.
• Tough to cut through with one clean-cut. To ensure evenness it took lots of patients with slow tiny cuts. If you have thin hair it might be easier.
• Edges of my hair turned out jagged. I had to do lot of correcting with thinning scissors afterwards. Maybe because my hair is super straight and thick even small flaws can be seen. If you have curly hair you may not have my issues.
• Can’t be used on short hair or guy’s hair.

CreaClip Method:

🙂 I kept it simple with a basic long layers cut for my first haircut with the CreaClip.

Pros

• Fast and easy to use.
• Spread my hair evenly which made cutting faster and easier.
• Evenly defined results. You can clearly see the V shape in the back. I didn’t have to do any correcting.
• Can cut many endless possible stylish cuts, bang trimming, short or long styles, layered or blunt.
• Can be used on short or long hair.
• Effective and easy tool that will save money for the whole family.

Cons

• The white clips is a bit too flimsy for my hair thickness. It may be better for finer hair. It’d be perfect if they could make it the same firmness as the blue one for the bangs.

Conclusion

Both method gave similar results for this layered look. The Rubber Band Method cost practically nothing but took a lot longer with unpredictable results while the Creaclip is a small investment with a guarantee of ease of use and diversity in the styles you can produce. Overall I loved playing with cutting my own hair. For a hair cutting newbie like me, the CreaClip was a super simple tool that gave me courage and confidence to start creating experimenting with cutting my own hair. I felt safe and sure that I wouldn’t mess up my hair. Tip: Go slow and cut a little at a time. Hair can’t reattach itself. I can’t wait to try the “A line” cut or trim my bangs in the future with the CreaClip. It’s been lots of fun, I love it.

Want the CreaClip?

You can find the Original CreaClip Set and Scissors Package on Amazon. It sells for $39.99 plus shipping and handling. Customer service was friendly and fast. You can shop similar products for a lesser price. I did not try the other products similar to creaclip so I don’t have any thoughts on these items.

* This product was sent to me for consideration. This is NOT a sponsored post and contains affiliate links to help keep this website up and running. All views and opinions are my own.

Tagged Hair, Haircuts

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§ 4 Responses to Cutting My Own Hair: CreaClip vs the Rubber Band Method"

• Steph @ The Silly Pearl says:

  June 24, 2013 at 4:05 pm

  I would love to try this on my girls’ long, straight hair. I’m horrible at cutting hair and I think this would really help. Great pictures!

• Focus+ says:

  June 24, 2013 at 4:12 pm

  Thanks Steph, You’ll enjoy playing with it on your girls hair. It’ll get better as you’ve practiced it a few times.

• LC says:

  December 27, 2013 at 7:22 pm

  I like the way the Rubber Band Method turned out – it looks more natural. The V-shape from the Creaclip is just to sharp for my personal taste. When using the Rubber Band Method, is there a certain shape you cut? Or do you just start cutting? Wouldn’t it end up as a straight cut? I MUST try this! Too bad the video doesn’t exist anymore, would have loved to see the tutorial 🙁

• Focus+ says:

  December 28, 2013 at 8:13 pm

  Hi LC,
  I’m very glad you like the haircut. Thanks for letting me know about the videos :). I have updated the post with pictures of what I did and I fixed the CreaClip video.
  To answer your questions:

  • The Rubber Band Method will give you a similar V shaped cut like the CreaCLip automatically, you don’t need to cut it any shape.
  • Yes, you just cut as describe in Step 3.
  • No, the nature of this cut is long layers. If you want a straight cut you can do step 5 only.

  If Step 5 is done after steps 1-4, it will soften the “V” into a “U” shape that you prefer. Cut a little at a time, it’s better to cut a few extra steps rather then cutting too much off and regretting it. I hope the new pictures helps and have fun experimenting!