In this business for 20 years now, I have seen almost all of my clients who wear bangs cut them, at home, without professional supervision, at some point or another. Even the ones who sit in my chair and exclaim, “I would never cut them myself!”
I know eventually that you will. Something will happen. The universe will be against you and you’ll just have to do it.
In no way will you ever see an advisory on how to texturize, shape, or personalize your fringes. That requires specific hand and body positions not attainable at home, with kitchen shears, in front of a dimly lit mirror. Seriously, please heed my warning.
But, if you absolutely can not wait, if you’re one of those twice a year clients, or if you’re drunk, with friends, feeling dangerous and experimental, then this post is for you.
The diagram below should give you everything you need to accomplish cutting your own bangs.
The GRAY area represents the classic bang, or fringe, area. It is a triangular section of hair starting at the high point of your forehead and expanding down to the outside corner of each eye. This will be the hair to hold and cut. Be careful not to take in hair from the hairline at the temples in this section. Now, clip the rest of your hair out of the way.
The PINK area is where you will collect and hold the hair. The hair is to be combed with as little tension as possible. A light touch goes a long way in avoiding mistakes. The hair is to be held in the manner shown in the illustration as close to your skin as possible. Do not lift away from your face. Lifting will cause unwanted texture and graduation.
In figure A, you can see the hair is moved (over-directed) to your right and collected over the right eye. Cutting the hair here will give movement in the opposite direction, making your bangs push to the left. This is for the side sweeping fringes. Want it to go the other way? Just flip it!
In figure B, you can see the hair is collected in the center of the nose and between the eyes. Cutting the hair here will give the straight across look that wraps around the forehead and blends into the length.
In figure C, you can see the hair is allowed to fall naturally and is slightly directed to both sides of the forehead. Cutting the hair here will give a more “mod” look to your fringe by encouraging bounce in the areas of recession. This is the most complex of all the examples because it is the one most shaped by you. Please be careful.
The —–dotted line—– represents cutting a straight line, parallel to the floor. Yes, a straight cut line here will give you the curved shapes in the illustration. The shape of your hairline and head, combined with the direction of the hair before cutting, dictates all that movement.
Cut your bangs way longer than you want them. This will give you an opportunity to fix all the other mistakes you have just made. (In case you were wondering, your first mistake was deciding to cut your own bangs.) Repeat, as necessary, until the desired length is achieved.
OK, GREAT! Now that you’ve butchered your hair and need me to fix it for you, I expect to see you soon. We can have fun growing out and reshaping your fringe over the next few months.
If you didn’t screw everything up, CONGRATULATIONS!
DISCLAIMER: DO NOT cut your own bangs! Face-framing fringes are for professional use only and should never be attempted at home. Most stylist will trim them for free if you are a regular client, otherwise, the cost is very low and takes only a few minutes.
Proceed with caution, at your own risk. Good Luck!
