How to cut yourself
How to cut yourself
How To Stop Cutting: 7 Self-Harm Reduction Techniques That Actually Work
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Last Updated on February 19, 2022 by Randy Withers, LCMHC
Cutting is a form of self-harm that can become a habit. With the right support, you can learn how to stop yourself from cutting. Self-harm, including cutting, is not uncommon.
Anyone of any age may be affected by self-harm, but it is more common among people in their teens.
The sense of relief from cutting can be so reinforcing that it may be difficult to stop doing it, compelling people to cut again the next time they feel overwhelmed.
If cutting becomes a habit, you may find it hard to resist the urge, but there are many ways to learn to stop. Not every strategy works for everyone, but most people will find a way that works for them.
This article explores strategies to stop cutting. It also looks at ways to manage the causes of self-harm and what support is available.
Here are seven ways to stop yourself from cutting.
1. Distract yourself
A person can use distraction tactics, such as going for a walk or listening to music, to help resist the urge to cut.
Research suggests that young people who self-harm often do so impulsively. For this reason, cutting prevention methods focus on finding alternative ways to manage distress.
Distracting themselves may help a person delay cutting until the urge has passed.
2. Practice self-care
Cutting may be a response to deep emotional pain and sadness. A way to manage these emotions without cutting is through self-care.
Self-care is any activity that promotes well-being by making a person feel soothed or comforted.
3. Relieve stress
Some people cut themselves in response to feeling stress. One study found that 45 percent of adolescents who self-harm do so to relieve tension or stress.
There are many free yoga videos online, including some for beginners.
Deep breathing exercises can be as simple as taking long, deep breaths in and feeling the belly expand each time before exhaling.
A simple way to practice mindfulness is to go for a slow walk and notice everything you see, smell, hear, and touch.
4. Release Your Anger
Some people cut to relieve unprocessed anger. For people who experience this, releasing anger in a different way may help.
If a person feels angry and gets the urge to cut, alternative ways to release anger include:
5. Express Your Feelings
Sometimes the urge to cut can arise when a person needs emotional release. They may feel numb or overwhelmed by many different emotions that they have trouble expressing.
6. Connect With Others
Connecting with others and pets can help a person feel less isolated.
Some people who cut do so because they feel isolated, misunderstood or socially rejected.
7. Replace the sensation
When trying to avoid cutting, a person may fixate on how it would feel to cut themselves. This can make it hard to resist the urge to cut.
How to help someone else stop cutting
Research suggests that developing important relationships is a key factor in recovering from self-harm.
To help someone stop cutting, try to provide a safe, nonjudgmental space for them to discuss their feelings.
They may not feel comfortable sharing that they self-harm, so do not push them to disclose this. But do offer them a chance to connect.
Asking open-ended questions can give them the opportunity to discuss their feelings.
Do not worry about having the right answers — just listening to how a person feels and taking their concerns seriously can help.
If someone does share that they self-harm, the Samaritans charity, based in the United Kingdom, suggests some useful questions to ask, such as:
How to Stop Yourself From Self-Harm
A person can make a note of the situation that leads to cutting to help identify triggers.
Every person who cuts has a different set of triggers.
Understanding what triggers the desire to self-harm can help a person avoid those situations or manage them when they occur.
To help identify triggers, make a note of the situation that leads to cutting in a journal. Review this regularly and identify recurring triggers.
A person can then work to reduce those triggers and feel more prepared to manage the urge to cut using some of the strategies above.
Once a person has identified their triggers, they can plan how to resist the urge when it happens. Writing this plan down can help.
Keep this plan handy for when the urge to cut arises. Without a written plan, it is easy to feel overwhelmed or forget tactics that may help.
Cutting and other forms of self-harm are linked with anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders such as PTSD.
If a person who cuts has an underlying mental health condition, receiving treatment will help prevent self-harm in the long term.
Doctors and healthcare professionals can often treat anxiety and depression with a combination of medication and talk therapy.
When to see a doctor
If a person self-harms or feels compelled to start self-harming, they should speak to a doctor.
A recent study found that between 6.4 percent and 14.8 percent of high school-aged boys in the United States have purposefully hurt themselves.
The figure was higher for girls of the same age, with between 17.7 percent and 30.8 percent reporting self-harm.
Despite causing injury, cutting offers some people temporary relief from emotional pain or numbness. Other people who cut say that they do so because they feel the need to punish themselves.
The doctor can help a person find other ways to manage their emotional health. Talk therapy may help with learning how to manage emotions in a safe, sustainable way.
If a person needs immediate help to stop cutting, they can call a self-injury hotline at 1-800-DONT CUT (1-800-366-8388). In the event of an emergency, call emergency services.
Suicide prevention
Conclusion
Cutting is a type of self-harm that some people use to manage negative feelings. The temporary sense of relief it may provide can make it difficult to give up the behavior.
With the right support and coping mechanisms, many people who cut are able to stop.
The methods explored in this article may help a person avoid cutting. Seeking support from a doctor is also important.
Every person who cuts will find a different combination of coping strategies effective. Identifying cutting triggers is essential and can help a person develop a self-management plan and eventually stop cutting.
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How to Convince Yourself to Cut Your Hair Shorter
This article was co-authored by Shun Pittman. Shun Pittman is a Master Cosmetologist, Author, Owner, and Founder of Corps d’Elite Salon and Corps d’Elite Beauty. With over 25 years of international experience, she is dedicated to and specializes in providing luxury salon services to all hair types and textures and every skin tone and shade. Her services include hair conditioning treatments, cutting, coloring, styling, extensions, and makeup application. Shun has experience working with, coaching, training, and mentoring beauty professionals from multiple companies including L’Oréal, Wella, Matrix, Paul Mitchell, Redken, Big Sexy Hair, and Toni & Guy. She is also a host for national and local media outlets and her work has been featured in The Washingtonian, The Cheddar Network, and WJLA Good Morning Washington’s Beauty and Fashion Police segments. Shun is the author of “50 Things Your Hairdresser Wants YOU to Know (and a few things we don’t. )».
There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 48,656 times.
Do you find yourself looking at shorter hairstyles with envy? If so, it may be time to seriously consider getting a cut. But, what if you regret it? Convincing yourself to take the leap into a new hair tomorrow is easier if you do your research, consider your personal needs, and embrace the possibilities inherent with a new, shorter style.
How to Prevent Cutting Yourself While Shaving
This article was co-authored by Juan Sabino. Juan Sabino is a Professional Barber and the Owner of Juan’s Barber Shop, a barbershop based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Juan has over 20 years of male grooming experience and over eight years of professional barber experience. He specializes in combovers, barber fades, and tapers and is focused on improving men’s overall wellness.
There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 58,499 times.
Cutting your skin while shaving can be surprisingly painful. If you’re new to shaving, or have trouble with cutting yourself while shaving, it can be easy to get frustrated at all the nicks. But if you remember to use appropriate skincare, practice safe shaving techniques, and maintain and replace your razors, shaving can be an easy and safe experience.
Marlon Rivas
Facial Hair Specialist Expert Interview. 17 January 2020. Stay in the bath or shower for a few minutes to let your skin get moist; this will also help rid your skin of oils and dead skin cells that can clog your razorblade. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Dermatology Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source Wetting your hair with hot water will soften the skin, helping to prevent your razor from breaking the surface of it. [3] X Trustworthy Source Go Ask Alice Medical advice site with content written by health promotion specialists affiliated with Columbia University Go to source [4] X Expert Source
Juan Sabino
Professional Barber Expert Interview. 28 January 2020. A clogged razor is more likely to hop around your skin, leading to cuts or razor burns.
The Mullet Is Here to Stay, so We Asked a Top Barber How You Can Cut One for Yourself
Cut drastically or delicately the mullet is now a must-have haircut
Mullets were popular in 2020. We were all in lockdown and the only people we saw either lived with us or were viewed through a screen, but in all seriousness, did anyone expect the mullet’s popularity to last? Surely this was an aberration, a departure from the norm that would fade away when our regular lives returned?
Erm, not so much. The mullet is still thriving in 2021. You only have to look at the wisps of white hair falling onto Tony Blair’s blazer or check out the curls rolling over Seth Rogen’s neck, in behind the scenes shots from his new Hulu series Pam & Tommy, to see that.
And while the internet may have had it’s fun with Tony Blair’s new ageing-rockstar look, for a 68-year-old man, I think we can all agree, he looks damn good, and why is that: it’s the mullet.
However, Seth Rogen and Tony Blair aren’t the first people to sport this hairstyle, a more conservative version of the cut has been worn in recent years by the likes of David Beckham, Bradley Cooper and Brad Pitt. Not bad company to keep, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Life is very serious at the moment, but a mullet is the opposite. It’s the antihero of haircuts
But the fact remains that for every David Beckham-esque mullet there’s a Joe Exotic, and there’s always a danger that while you may start out wanting to look like Bradley Cooper you end up looking more Ziggy Stardust. So you can stay on the right side of the haircut’s history, we’ve booked you in for a consultation with Derek Shortall, expert barber at Ruffians.
“Life is very serious at the moment, but a mullet is the opposite. It’s the antihero of haircuts: the one that you’re meant to hate but you secretly love,” says Shortall. “But it does require a certain amount of confidence and conviction. There is obviously a certain type of person that’s going to get away with a mullet, because it’s not just a haircut, it’s more of a journey.”
Ready? With Shortall’s guidance, your journey to the perfect mullet begins now.
What Is a Mullet
According to Shortall: “All mullets take on the same classic formula: short top, significantly shorter sides and a long back, but how far you choose to take that formula is down to you. You can have the back longer, but generally they all follow the same silhouette.”
As Shortall explains, while all mullets must subscribe to the same general rules, there can be a big difference in results. David Beckham, for example, has been known to rock a conservative mullet, which is more of a business up front, quiet dinner party at the back. Whereas, someone like Joe Exotic is having a full-on rave, complete with house music and class A drugs, at the nape of his neck. But how drastic you choose to go with it is up to you.
Why Is It Called a Mullet?
If you’re considering rocking a mullet then you’re in good company. Throughout history they’ve been sported by Greek luminaries, Ancient Roman chariot racers and Hittite warriors – even former US President Benjamin Franklin was known to favour the look.
Interestingly though, had you have said to any of those, ‘nice mullet, mate’, in any language, they wouldn’t have known what you were talking about. That’s because according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term mullet was coined, or at least popularised, by the hip hop group the Beastie Boys in their 1994 song Mullethead.
David Bowie, Dirty Dancing and Diego Maradona: The Mullet’s Heyday
It may have taken the Beastie Boys to popularise the term, but the haircut was having it’s heyday decades before that. In the 70s, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger and Wings-era Paul McCartney all sported the hairstyle, before passing the baton onto film stars such as Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing and Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys, who both made an extreme version of the mullet look cool. In the late 80s and early 90s sporting legends like Diego Maradona and, a little closer to home, Chris Waddle both thought nothing of wearing the business up front, party at the back.
The Mullet Makes a Comeback
For a few years after that the mullet was pretty much the preserve of American rednecks and men who either didn’t care how they looked or wanted the world to think they thought that way. In popular culture, teen sitcom Saved by the Bell was cancelled in 1993, meaning A.C Slater’s mullet was cancelled too, and by the time the 1994 World Cup rolled round, even Maradona had chopped his off.
However, in the 2010s the haircut began to creep back in. Hollywood stars like Bradley Cooper and Brad Pitt, as well as football icon David Beckham, wore a toned-down version of the haircut. While in September 2017, designer Virgil Abloh sent his models down the Off-White catwalk with high-fashion versions of the hairdo. More recently, Joe Exotic’s mullet, much maligned as it is, has caused a generation of hipsters to copy the look. “Everyone wants that Joe Exotic moment, and to feel the breeze whip over your ear onto your mullet,” says Shortall.
How to Cut a Mullet Hairstyle
Now you know everything you need to about the mullet, it’s time to learn how to cut and style a mullet for yourself. To help guide you, Shortall has put together a five-step guide that will take you from boring barnet to hipster haircut. All you need to cut it yourself are:
6-step Guide to Cutting a Mullet
How to Style and Maintain a Mullet
Now you’ve cut yourself a mullet, you’re probably wondering how to maintain it. Well, Shortall advises against blow drying it because, he says, “volume is not your friend.”
Still, if you want to give your mullet more definition, give these three products a go.
How to Cut Your Own Hair Short in 9 Steps: The Complete Illustrated Guide
The trips to the barber’s can be so cumbersome. Not to mention expensive! Especially for people with short hair, getting cuts regularly really add up. No wonder there’s a huge number of men simply cutting their own hair at home.
Are you ready to join them?
People who get great results every time they sit down to cut their own hair do one thing right:
They follow a tried-and-tested roadmap.
Sure, you can figure it out as you go … but are you really willing to take the risk?
The following epic guide has already helped thousands learn how to cut your own hair short at home. It is fully illustrated and gives you just the right amount of information to avoid the common pitfalls.
Tools to Get:
Let’s have a look at the tools you’ll need to purchase before you sit down to cut your own hair.
For your short hair, you’ll definitely need hair clippers, hair scissors, and a handheld mirror. Also, a hair cutting cape, hair thinning scissors, and any hair products like gel are optional, but helpful.
To save you a click, these are the clippers we recommend:
| Conair Even Cut Rotary Hair Cut Cutting System | Remington HC6550 Cordless Vacuum Haircut Kit | Remington HC4250 Shortcut Pro Self-Haircut Kit |
| | |
| The main issue with regular hair clippers is that they are awful to work with if you’re cutting your own hair. Conair is attempting to fix this with this weirdly-shaped clipper that cuts in all directions. | What really sets this one apart is its unique vacuum feature. The feature simply sucks all the hair that’s cut into its reservoir which really cuts (get it?) the clean-up time. Another thing that people rave about is its amazing battery life. | Our third recommendation has earned a “#1 best seller” ranking and with a good reason. Its curvature makes sure you hit all spots of your scalp, and the rubberized exterior makes sure the tool will stay in your hand. |
| Buy online | Buy online | Buy online |
Now let’s start the guide:
1. Select a haircut
How do people pick out the right haircut for themselves?
The answer is simple:
Infographic credit: Tim Carr Hair
If this is your first time, don’t make things hard on yourself — pick something easy.
We’ve prepared for you a fantastic collection of the most popular clipper cuts that you can simply recreate at home. They come with exact clipper guard sizes and clear diagrams, and are of course completely free. Check them out here:
Always start with longer guards than you think you need — you can always cut shorter, but never longer. To protect yourself against a catastrophe, it’s a good idea to pick a “backup” haircut in case your first choice doesn’t go according to plan.
2. Prepare your workspace
First of all, wash your hair with a shampoo and conditioner, just like you usually do. Clean hair is easier to work with and will not clog up your tools like grimy, dirty hair usually does. Dry the hair with a towel and comb it out if needed to remove any tangles.
Find a place that is easy to clean. I recommend the bathroom, but your backyard can also work. Prepare your vacuum cleaner close by so you don’t make a mess in your house walking to it covered in stray hairs.
Prepare everything you’ll need. Get familiar with your hair clippers before touching your hair; turn them on and off, change speeds, clip guards on and off, change blades, etc. You don’t want to go check the manual with half of your hair already shaved off.
So, how to cut your own hair short? Most men’s haircuts are short on the sides and back, with a gradual taper to the longer hair on top. Let’s first take a look at the sides.
3. Start cutting the sides
Affix the chosen size of guards onto your clippers. Cut your hair against the direction of your hair growth, starting from the bottom and moving clippers upwards. Do a few passes to make sure you got all hairs.
Cut the lower of your cut slightly shorter, referring to our guides. We’ll blend the two lengths later to create a fade. This little trick will make your haircut look a lot more professional.
4. How to cut the back of your hair
Then, move along to the back of your head. Use a handheld mirror to see what you’re doing and work slowly and steadily. Cut the hair by moving clippers upwards. Like before, cut the lower part slightly shorter.
Make sure the cut is even and that it connects well with the sides.
Then use the upward rocking motion to blend the transition from sides and back to the longer top of the haircut.
6. How to give yourself a fade
Fade is made only on very short hair or even shaven hair. First, you should follow the tips above, but make the contrast between the upper and lower length bigger. This will create a visible line between the two.
The position of the line determines the type of fade (low, high, mid). The line should be symmetrical and smooth all around your head.
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Next, to create a fade, you’ll smoothen out this visible line and make it disappear. The more you want the line to be visible, the more careful you need to be about getting it just right.
To blend two lengths of hair and create a fade, you’ll need to use a size (or several) of clippers between the two. Carefully drag the clippers over the line that separates the two different lengths in an upward motion. Do not go too far up because that may screw it up completely!
This short video demonstrates the technique:
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7. How to cut the top short
The haircuts that have more than a few inches on top need to be cut with scissors. Part the hair into sections and cut each in a straight line. A good way to ensure that the hair is the same length with every snip is by comparing it to the previous one.
If your hair is longer than 3 inches at the top, have a look at our guide to cutting long hair to get personalized advice here:
Good job! Take a breath and check your hair. Are there any irregularities? Does the haircut look even and symmetrical? Hair thinning scissors will come in handy in this step to hide any mistakes.
8. Clean up the hairline with clippers
The final step is to clean up the hairline and facial hair, if you have any. Use a hair trimmer or clippers and turn it upside down, holding it like a pencil. Carefully go around the hairline to clean it up. Be careful not to go too far up around the ears.
The neck can be styled in different ways. If you decide to “block” it (meaning to draw a horizontal line at the end of the hair), use a guide to slide your clippers along. Some people use a simple leather belt for this, but you can get a special plastic guide like the one here.
9. Style your hair
After washing and drying your hair, have one final look at your work. This is the time to even out any smaller issues and to put on hair product if you like.
Extra tips
TIP: Usually, a barber will cut the side of your hair, continue on the back, and finish on the opposite side. I advise against this for cutting your own hair. Instead, you should cut one side and then continue on the other side. This is to ensure a more symmetric cut.
TIP: You should always cut in the opposite direction of your hair growth. This varies from person to person, as well as on different parts of head – run your hand through your hair and find the direction in which you feel the most counterforce.
Conclusion
Congrats! You just learned a useful new skill. There are many people around the globe who cut their own hair short for different reasons. As you can see, it’s actually unbelievably easy to join them!
Whether you’re going all-in and will be cutting your hair year-round or just touching up on your haircut to extend its lifetime, you will save a ton of money with these tips.
If you liked this tutorial, why not share it on social media? You can also get an offline checklist for free here.