5 Tips to Consider Before Cutting Bangs
Bangs are a great, easy way to change up your hairstyle if you’re jonesing for something different but don’t want to commit to losing a ton of length. Whether you’re thinking about trying side-swept or last-ticking fringe, here are a few things to consider before going under the scissors:
1. Don’t make the first cut yourself on a whim in your college dorm room—bang trims are often times a free service in most salons, so head to your stylist, at least the first time, to ensure your bangs are cut evenly and blended into the rest of your hair. (Trimming regular clients’ bangs was one of my first jobs at a salon.)
2. Don’t feel discouraged if your bangs don’t immediately look the way you want. With any sort of fresh layers or style enhancers, it takes a week or so for any new style to set in—you’ll quite literally “grow” into it.
3. Remember that bangs take some time to grow out—meaning, if you make the cut and get bored of them, you will have to deal with that stubborn grow-out period, just like with any haircut. Luckily, fun pins and little hair accessories can help make the grow-out stage more fun and fashionable.
4. Understand your hair’s texture—fringe won’t style or react the same way on coarse, curly hair as it would on straight hair. You don’t want to blindly make the cut without considering how your curls or baby-fine strands will affect how your bangs will sit, or the extra work you’ll have to put into styling them.
5. If you already have bangs and you trust yourself enough to do a DIY trim, here are a few pointers on how to go about it:
- Always cut your bangs right after a shower, when your hair is freshly washed and still wet.
- Start by combing hair down from your natural part. Take a section of your bangs and pull it down towards your nose and below your eyes to see how far down it will go—this well help you gage how much your hair shrinks so you don’t cut your fringe too short.
- When you’re ready to make the cut, twist a section of bangs, then take a razor and gently cut it below your eyes.
- Always trim very small bits at a time—you can always cut more, but it’s quite challenging to put hair back on.
- Rule of thumb: If you want to take off an inch and a half, only cut half an inch.
- Take your time and don’t rush—the worst thing you can do is accidentally cut your bangs too short because you were in a hurry. Less is more!