If you have bangs, you know how it feels when they are way past due for a trim, and you’re stranding in front of the mirror with a pair of kitchen shears (or worse, cuticle scissors!) trying to clip them back into submission. My advice? Put down the scissors and pick up the phone and dial your stylist’s number. Almost every stylist will do bang trims for free!
That said, if you must trim your own bangs, don’t attempt it without these top 5 snippy tips from celeb hairstylist, Riccardo Maggiore from the Riccardo Maggiore Salon, on how to cut your bangs like a professional in-between appointments:
- Get The Right Scissors! The scissors you have lying around the house are most likely too big and the blade too thick to cut bangs. The wrong scissors can easily cause you to make a mistake. Go to a beauty supply store to pick up some mini shears–having the correct scissors will allow for more precision and control.
- Cut Hair Dry. Wash your hair and dry it thoroughly prior to cutting bangs. If you cut hair when it’s wet, you may accidentally cut too much, as wet hair deceptively looks longer.
- Don’t Pull. Avoid pulling your hair down while cutting. The extra tension will make the hair seem longer, yet when you release them they will be much shorter than expected.
- Be Mindful of Technique. Take a sharp hair scissor, positioning them below the brow and cutting vertically in little choppy pieces, slowly chipping away from one side of the face to the other. Don’t try to cut your bangs straight across since it’s almost impossible to keep a perfectly straight line.
- Take Your Time. Stop and evaluate your cut; thinking carefully whether or not you need to cut more hair. It’s better to take your time and be mindful not to cut off too much at once.
The bottom line: Cut a tiny bit off your bangs to make them bearable for a night out. Then hide your shears, and call your stylist first thing the next day! Leave it up to the experts, people.
When I had bangs, I attempted sometimes to cut them myself… Well, it didn’t look that good, especially because I have 2 stubborn cowlicks coming from hell to torture me, but when I went to the hairdresser and explained about my bangs-adventures, she always said: “Well, that doesn’t look too bad…” :-).
gi: oh no! Sometimes it is best to just leave it up to the professionals. 😉
No bangs, but nice article
Glad you liked it anyway, Andrea!
My mom used to trim my bangs and I quickly learned to never ask if she was in a hurry – sometimes she would screw up (and she was a trained cosmetologist!). Even so, I’ve never had the guts to do it myself. Maybe with some of these tips, though…
Amy: My mom use to cut my hair as a kid and she was very much NOT a trained cosmo. One time she seriously fucked up my hair, turning my waist length hair into a to-the-ears cut, which is maybe the root of my hair obsession. Ha. “root“. See? Obsessed. 😉
I love this article! I would love to learn little tips about cutting my own hair. I cut it myself anyway (in between professional cuts) so it’s good to have some pointers.
Suzanne: Glad you liked this! I would only trim bangs between appointments though. I can’t imagine cutting anything else. Although, then again cutting all of your own hair is very cool/punk rock. Do you cut the whole thing btwn appointments?
Avoid pulling your hair down while cutting is the best technique and it’s like professional.
HS: That is a good tip! I think I’ve always pulled them down when trimming.
When I had bangs, I would trim them myself all the time (with hair scissors of course). It was really nice because you don’t have to ever cut them too short so they last longer, or let them get too long so they annoy you. You can have them the exact perfect length all the time. I would do small snips and they came out perfect every time. I finally grew them out because I was bored of them, but for me, trims were really simple.
Aly: I think maybe having the right scissors is the key? When I have f’ed up my own bangs it’s been when I’ve used non-hair scissors. I am impulsive like that…
How funny that you wrote about bang cutting! I did exactly that today…went to my hair stylist and got a free bang trim. Didn’t need an actual haircut. Did this because I’m going on a 2 week vacation. thanks for the tips!
Have fun on vacation, Arline!
Yes, I cut the whole thing in between appointments. My hairstylist is very kind to me when I finally make it back to her. I usually do something basic like part it down the middle in the back and pull both sides forward and then just cut a straight line horizontally. For the layers around the face I have another technique my friend taught me. I cut it myself to save money and keep my ends looking decent between cuts. I would love to improve my technique though!
Suzanne: That’s impressive! I have only ever cut the bangs myself. Although, when I had my extensions in, I did trim the ends of those a tiny bit, but that doesn’t really count. I would think the key to trimming any of your own hair–bangs or anything else–would be to have a really good pair of hair shears because dull scissors can kill your ends!
i made side bangs but i like cut to much on one end and enough on the other end
Ivana: my advice is to NOT try to even them out when you cut too much on one end and not enough on the other… That is the fastest way to end up with too short of bangs! just leave them & call your stylist for a bang trim. She will be able to blend them/even them out. 🙂
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