How to Cut You Own Bangs! (+ today)

I cut my bangs today, like I mentioned. I never quite manage to grow them out. Something will happen and I will start missing them again. But I thought I would share with you some techniques on cutting your own bangs! I have been cutting my bangs for about 5 years, off and on. The first time I was just experimenting, but the other times I didn't like the way the hair dresser did it, so I would cut it myself anyways!

*WARNING* There are a lot of naked face pictures below. Just to let you know!

It definitely takes a bit of practice (and bravery if its your first time), but its not that hard once you actually know how to do it! Trust me, as I have cut my bangs with no knowledge of how to! But, luckily, I have two sisters who are cosmetologists, and I have picked up some tips from them!

You will need:
* blow dryer
* flat iron
* fine tooth comb
* clip or hair tie
* scissors



*TIP* You don't need special scissors to cut your hair, though it is best. You can pick some up at most beauty supply stores. Either way, make sure your scissors are VERY sharp. A good test is to take an end of your hair, near the nape of your neck, and cut a piece near the end. If the scissors "push" the hair to the side during the cutting motion, they are too dull. A lot of craft stores offer scissor sharpening, if this is the case.

Start with clean, towel dried hair. Go light on any products you may use.

Comb about the first inch of your hair forward, and blow dry it as shown above. This will make sure it lays across the forehead correctly. Don't worry too much about if you want your bangs to be thicker of thinner, that step is coming up.

Once your hair is dry, its time to decide how thick your bangs will be. Many girls who love J-fashion like to go for a very deep and thick bang, with it starting all the way back near the center of the top of the head. While this may work for Japanese girls, you need to take your personal hair texture into account. If you have thick hair, or wavy/curly textured hair - a thick bang is probably not right for you. I recommend for beginners to just start at an inch - you can always cut more later.

Once you decide how thick you want your bangs, use your comb to form a pleasing semi-circle shape. It doesn't need to be perfect, but try to get it as symmetrical as possible.

*TIP* Don't stray into the temple area when partitioning your bangs. Remember bangs only cover your forehead, so only hair that would cover that area when brushed forward will need to be cut.

Pin your bangs up to keep the part while straightening your hair.

Wow, you can really tell its been a while since I cut my bangs.

Next straighten your bangs. If you want straight across bangs then just straighten them, If you want side swept bangs, straighten them in the direction you want your bangs to lay.

Now what shape bang do you want? Straight across? Side swept? Here are some techniques.

Straight across is the most straight forward (ha ha). Just work your way from one side to the other, cutting in a straight line.

*TIP* Use your ears, or your eyes to help you keep the line fairly straight. Also, ALWAYS cut your bangs longer than what you want. You can always trim later, but it takes a lot longer to grown out too short bangs.

Side swept? Well this technique is not one of the common ones for self-doers, but it is a professional one! This is a technique I learned from one of my cosmetologist sisters. Take the bangs you want to cut, and pull them in the opposite direction you want them to lay! Cut in a vertical line.

Or there are curved bangs, like old school Romihi's. Pull the bangs forward into one piece, and cut horizontally. This is my personal preference. I only cut mine with a very slight curve, but I think it looks better on my face than a hard straight line.

*TIP* To change the angle of your bangs, then you will need to change the angle you are pulling your bangs at. For instance, with side swept the more you pull your bangs to the side, the stronger the diagonal angle of the cut will be. With curved bangs, the more you pull upwards, the more curved your bangs will be.

CHOP

Kinda long, but that ok! We can trim them. You can see the slight curve to the cut here.

To trim straight or side swept bangs, just follow along the edge of your fringe and snip a little at a time. With curved bangs I find it easier to pull them into one piece and cut them again, or you lose the slightly curved shape.

Got uneven edges? No worries! You can use a technique called "point cutting" to even out any uneven lines. simply point the scissors towards the ceiling, and make small vertical snips to the very ends of your bangs. This does thin out the edge of your bangs a bit, so you will not be able to achieve a strong blunt edge to your bangs with this technique! However, I really recommend this to new comers, as it really helps cover up any goof ups!

My finished bangs!

And a quick outfit snap. So boring! And my extensions didn't turn out as well today ): But thats ok, I only went out really quick with my friend Ellen to pick out a brides maid dress for her wedding in June.

This is what I bought, in a Pistachio green color. I really like that it has pockets, and its not satin, so I won't look ridiculous if I try to wear it again!

Hope this helps some of you!