Want to learn how to cut your own bangs? We can teach you how to get professional-looking side-swept bangs in this step-by-step tutorial. We’re also here to let you in on a little secret: you can cut wispy bangs on your own at home and have them turn out just as good as if you had gone to the salon. Insane, right? Why pay for a trim when you can get beautiful side swept bangs in the comfort of your own bathroom? This amazing step-by-step guide from Rose Bud will show you how to cut your own bangs!
How to Cut Your Own Bangs: DIY Side Swept Bangs
Step 1. Set Your Hair
Start by combing back the hair on your crown. After doing this, push the rest of your hair back and tie it into a ponytail. Once you’ve gotten it out of your way, comb the section you’ve designated as your bangs in front of your face.
Tip: Straighten your hair either with a straightening iron or a blow dry before cutting so you know your hair length and tell exactly where your bangs fall.
Step 2. Determine the Length of Your Bangs
Using a pintail comb, determine where your bangs will start and end. Hold the comb vertically and locate the arch of your eyebrow — this is where your bangs should start. Do the same thing on the other side to determine where they should end.
Tip: Use the tip of your pintail comb to make a straight wedge up your hair from the hairline. Do the same to the other side of the bangs and along the top part of your bangs.
Step 3. Work on Straight Hair Lines
After sectioning out the beginning and end of your bangs, even out the top. You’re essentially looking to create a rectangular shape. Make sure the wedge on your bangs is only 1-2 inches. You can make your bangs ticker according to your style, but the ideal measurement is 1 to 2 inches max.
Step 4. Tie Your Back Hair Into a Ponytail
If the sides and top of the bangs are already even, tie any stray hairs into a ponytail. This will prevent the hairs from falling back down. Comb your bangs again.
Step 5. You’re Now Ready for The Cut
Now you’re ready to cut! Hold your bangs and give it a twist then hold on to it to keep it in place.
The reason for this is, we want to make the cut look more natural. Once the shortest piece of hair, the centerline, is twisted, the longest one gets twisted over. The longer the hair wraps around, the longer it will be after the cut.
This twist-and-cut technique is for the right-handed where the left hand can do the job of keeping the hair in place while the right-hand does the cutting. This avoids any disastrous situations by ensuring the entire section of your hair isn’t cut at an angle. We instead only want to cut small sections at a time, not the whole thing.
Step 6. Redistribute Your Hair Evenly
After twisting your hair, comb the bangs down and distribute them evenly in your grasp. You will have to cut at an angle from the right side downwards.
Step 7. Cut Your Hair by Section
Time to make the cut! Use professional hair cutting scissors and hold it at an angle as shown below. Cut the hair slowly and make sure you open and close the scissors in every cut. Doing one cut is a big no-no; little cuts are always better. This is especially for those who are learning how to cut side swept bangs for the first time. Cutting your own hair can be nerve-racking so it’s always best to cut (if possible) a few strands of hair at a time.
Step 8. Cut at an Angle
After doing the sidecut, comb the bangs down again, but this time, split them evenly into two parts. Hold the left side of the bangs down with your scissors pointing up. Cut little by little upward, this is to give the bangs edge and body. After cutting the first part, move on to the other part. Make sure to be patient as you cut along either side–it is all worth it.
Now comb your bang and leave it at the position you want, and check how the angle and length look on your face.
If you notice some uneven parts, then it’s time to touch up! Leave all the bangs in front of your face and trim those that you missed until they match the neighboring hairs. If needed, create a neat diagonal line. Slowly continue doing this until you get the fringy look that you need.
This is how your side-swept bangs should look by now. It shouldn’t look too freshly cut and the cuts should be edgy.
Step 9. Straighten Your Bangs
After the cut, the next thing to do is the style the hair. A great way to style side-swept bangs is to use a straightening iron. Bump your bangs up by curving your straightening iron in. You wouldn’t want super straight bangs looking too freshly cut.
Step 10. Finish it Off with a Hairspray
For the finishing touch, take your most trusted brand of hairspray and spray your bangs in place.
And you’re all done! Isn’t cutting your own bangs exciting? But before you become scissor happy and try doing it again, refer to this guide to avoid any mistakes, tears and bad photos.
Before and After
- There you go, DIY stylists! Side-Swept bangs you can proudly wear and declare you cut yourself. Now you know how to get a salon bangs without a huge cut on your paycheck!
One last thing, note these down if you’re wearing a bang
Take A Weekly Check
Depending on how fast your hair grows, it could take less than a week for your bangs to be in a ‘craggy’ way. So check your bangs weekly, and keep it trimmed and shining. The first rule of thumb is never cut straight across. Take a little, tiny chop until it gets back to the perfect shape.
Try To Keep It Lifted
Never let weather or water touch your bang. Always protect it from the sun rays, humidity, or even gusts of wind whenever you go out. Keep it clean and hidden with a cap. That helps your bang look shaped when you arrive at work.
Make sure you have dry shampoo in your handbag before leaving home. Spray it over your bang whenever it gets greasy. Try out some more hair products to keep your bang stiff and moisturized.
Don’t forget to download, save, or share this handy infographic for reference:
Whatever you want with bangs, whether to make you look younger or to hide your extra wide forehead, you can learn how to cut your own bangs at home. With this step-by-step tutorial, you can cut your bangs at your own phase and just the way you like it. Give expensive hairdressing salons a run for their money with DIY side-swept bangs that rivals the works of professionals!
Have you tried cutting your own bangs or styling it yourself before? We’d love to know if this tutorial on how to cut your own bangs helped. Do share your experience in the comments section below!
Up Next: 15 Flattering Haircuts For Older Women | Makeup Tutorials
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 19, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy!