This is a fantastic trick I found for cutting long hair all by yourself! I came across it on a long hair forum while googling how to do it. I've been cutting my own long hair for about a year now, and I love it. Plus, it saves quite a bit of money depending on how often you get a trim. Keep in mind that I can't recommend it for curly hair because I have the straightest & thinnest hair ever.

I also can't promise this is the most precise method, but with a little care you get your hair nice and straight. :)

And big thanks to audreyobscura for photographing this and supplying gifs!

Step 1: What You Need + Tips:

a scrunchie
a pair of scissors for hair
a brush
a handheld mirror

Make sure the scrunchie is made from a slick fabric, something that grabs the hair will make this tricky. Also make sure you're using the right scissors - scissors that you'd use for cutting random things around the house are not ideal. You can get some nice hair scissors for $10-15 at any drugstore.

I like to cut my hair right after I've washed it and it's totally dry. You want your hair to be dry and free of tangles when you cut it. :)

It's also a good idea (especially the first time you do this) to employ a hand held mirror and large wall mirror so that you can see how what you're doing in the back. :D

Step 2: Part Your Hair and Make a Low Ponytail

Part your hair as you normally would. (I've included a photo to show you what the top of my head looks like during this bit!) It's important to part your hair as you normally would - if you brush it all back, it won't fall as it normally does. After you cut and remove the scrunchie, it will be the farthest thing from straight when it's parted again. If you don't normally part your hair, you might want to play around with using a middle part - I think that may be the safest.

Then use the scrunchie to tie your hair into a low ponytail - right at the top of your neck. Make sure this is in the middle of your head!

Use your hand mirror to check it. :)

Step 3: Pull the Scrunchie Down Your Hair

Gently pull the scrunchie down the length of your hair, being careful to not pull it to one side. This can take a fair bit of practice. Keep checking with the hand mirror as you go!

If your hair is especially long, you might want to pull from the bottom as shown in the second photo. This method is a little trickier, and I don't do it often, but it's doable.

Leave 3-4 inches of hair below the scrunchie.

Step 4: Bring the Scrunchie Around the Front and Cut

Hold the scrunchie and the hair below the scrunchie firmly and gently bring it around to the front.

If you sense that it's shifted, you might want to give it another go. The hair that you'll be cutting should look fairly straight across - though not perfect because hair is always growing at different speeds!

A good rule of thumb here is to cut very little at a time. 1/2 inch tops! That way you can check it in the mirror to make sure you've done it right before you proceed. :D

Hold the ends of your hair firmly between two fingers and cut straight across.

Step 5: Bonus Round: Softening the Cut Ends!

Once I've cut my ends straight across, I like to hold the scissors vertically and make tiny snips.

This softens the bluntness of the cut and can also hide small mistakes. :D

And you're done!