Get the look: Wispy bangs

  • 07 Aug - 13 Aug, 2021
  • Mag The Weekly
  • Beauty

If we were to pinpoint one downside to bangs, it's how high-maintenance they are. Whether you've maintained the style for a trendy moment or your day-to-day routine, bangs are a commitment. We know the struggle of looking in the mirror just four weeks after getting bangs, stunned to find that what was once a smooth, sharp cut is now an uneven fringe that's inhibiting your eyesight. And because making frequent trips to the salon just to get a bang trim is unattainable for most, we're giving you a helping hand. Keep reading for a step-by-step breakdown of how to cut your own bangs at home.

Step 1: Get the right bang-trimming supplies

First things first: Put down your kitchen scissors and get yourself a pair of proper shears. If you’re going to be cutting your own bangs, it’s so worth the investment to buy a pair of shears. Otherwise, you'll risk getting an uneven, imperfect cut, which can also lead to split ends later. And don't forget to grab a handheld mirror – you’re going to need it.

Step 2: Dry and style your bangs

The most crucial step in trimming your bangs is the prep work, meaning you want to make sure your hair is completely dry and styled before reaching for your shears, so you can see how your bangs will lay in real time.

Style your bangs the way you usually wear them. Whether you’re going to wear them smooth and blown out every day, or if you want to keep them natural and curly, style them that way first, because that’s how you're going to want to cut them.

Step 3: Clip back the rest of your hair

As soon as you cut your bangs, they’re going to drop, fan out, and become much wider than you initially planned on, so make sure to section off and clip back the rest of your non-bangs hair on each side of your face before you begin.

If you're cutting your bangs from scratch, you'll need to section off a chunk of hair that will eventually become your bangs by using the end of a comb to draw a tiny triangle from the outside of your eyebrows to the centre part of your hair. The further you extend the triangle back, the thicker your bangs will be, so just keep in mind when you're sectioning off your triangle and clipping the rest of your hair back.

Step 4: Trim layer by layer

You don’t want to cut your entire chunk bangs all at the same time, or they're going to end up looking wonky. Plus, it’s a lot easier to make a mistake in one swoop. Instead, work in thin sections, dividing your chunk of bangs in two horizontal sections – as if they were layers in a cake – and clip back the top layer, working from the bottom up.

Step 5: Cut upwards

Yeah, this sounds counterintuitive, but you want to cut up, not out. Resist the urge to cut straight across in a line. You want to hold your scissors horizontally and snip up into the ends of the hair to create a soft, piece-y, and diffused line that looks natural, rather than a blunt line that looks like you just cut it.

If you're creating bangs for the first time, though, it's totally okay to brush your bangs section forward, gather it into a ponytail, and cut the whole thing off at about chin-length. Yes, your chin. But after that? Sections and upward snips only.

Step 6: Cut in graduated layers

The biggest mistake of trimming your own bangs at home is going too short, too fast. But the best bangs actually have a few graduated layers that start longer around the face then get short and shorter. Which is why you want to cut your first layer at about nose-length, and see how your hair reacts before going any shorter.

Once you’re happy with the length of your first layer, the hard work is done. Drop down your second layer and, using the shorter pieces as a guide, trim upwards until both layers are blended together. Congratulations – you just cut your own bangs like a boss.

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