(Be) // How to Trim Your Own Bangs!

"Your going to kill me! I trimmed my own bangs..." is something I hear from my clients on a weekly basis.  As with most Stylists, I find it much easier to just teach my clients the proper way to trim their own bangs verses figuring out where to put all the bodies. But seriously, if your hairstyle includes bangs, you will inevitably find yourself needing to give yourself a trim at some point in time. After this tutorial, I hope to start hearing a lot more "You're going to be so proud of me! I trimmed my own bangs!" And I promise you, I will indeed be proud. 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

>>>  a pair of hair cutting sheers (you can buy at Sally's, CVS, Target, etc. )
>>>  a fine toothed comb
>>>  wall mirror
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1.  Start with DRY hair styled in it's usual fashion.  Separate your bangs from the rest of your hair and either clip it back, or pull it into a ponytail.

2.  Know how much length and what kind of shape you are going for BEFORE you begin. You can cut bangs into three different shapes... I call them "happy", "sad", or "indifferent".  Happy is in the shape of a smiley face - the longest point being in the middle with the sides getting shorter.  Sad is in the shape of a frowny face - the shortest point being in the middle with the sides getting longer.  Indifferent is a straight line with no variation in length.  With that being said, it is always easier to just follow the existing shape of your bangs... if you want to change this, I highly recommend scheduling a bang trim with a professional. 

3.  Once you've made these decisions, comb your bangs straight down.  You will be using the comb as a guide... not your fingers. Start at the center and cut outward (until you reach the middle of your eyebrows) in small, short increments. At this point you will either cut the sides shorter (happy), longer (sad) or indifferent (straight). Don't cut with your sheers horizontal. Point cutting (into the hair vertically) at a 45 degree angle (hand down and sheers pointing up) will allow for a less blunt and more forgiving finish. 


4.  TAKE YOUR TIME and check your progress in the mirror after each small section. Comb through your bangs often to ensure that each section smoothly connects to the next.  Once you are satisfied, take down the rest of your hair to see how it looks. Trim any remaining stragglers if necessary.   


5.  Dust of your face with a dry towel to remove the trimmed hair.  


6.  Repeat after me: "I CAN do this!" and take your freshly trimmed bangs out on the town!


(Lov)e,


-k.