How to Cut Bangs at Home, According to Hairstylists

Listen, I’m all for experimenting with beauty trends in the name of ~isolation~, but some things are best left to the pros. Case in point: convincing yourself you need bangs after drinking all your quarantine wine and scrolling through TikTok for five hours. For real, though, if you’re considering cutting your own bangs and you have zero experience, you should probs take a second to think things over. Like, do you actually want bangs or are you just really effing bored? If it’s the former, and you really, truly can’t wait to see a hairstylist, then you better pay attention. Because, yes, you can learn how to cut your own bangs—you just need the right tools, tons of patience, and an easy-to-follow tutorial. And that’s where I come in.

Step 1 ✨ Gather your supplies

First things first: You can’t cut your own bangs without a pair of shears. Nope, sry, no exceptions (even if your kitchen scissors are reaaaallly good). If you want an even, sharp cut (and why wouldn’t you?), hold off on your DIY project until you can order a good pair. Japonesque Classic Barber Shears and Conair Cararra Marble Shears are both solid—and affordable—options. Oh, and while you’re at it, you’ll also want to order some alligator clips (to help you section off your bangs before you cut) and a fine-tooth comb (to help you get a super-precise part).

Step 2 ✨ Prep your hair

PSA: Always cut your bangs 100 percent dry. “When hair is wet, it stretches, so if you’re cutting your bangs when they’re wet, you’ll probably end up cutting them too short—and you won’t realize it until they’re dry," says Meri Kate O’Connor, colorist at Tabb & Sparks in Santa Monica. You heard her! Cutting your hair while it’s completely dry is the easiest way to set yourself up for success. Better yet, go ahead and style your hair exactly how you usually wear it before you grab your shears—that way you have an accurate idea of how your bangs will hang if your hair is naturally wavy or curly. For the record, O’Connor suggests you always see a professional if you’re cutting bangs for the first time, k?

Step 3 ✨ Practice your technique

You know when your hairstylist finishes off your cut by snipping your ends vertically? Yeah, that’s called a point cut—and it’s the best technique for cutting bangs with tons of texture. “It helps create texture and softens the line, so if you do cut an uneven line, you won’t be able to see it as much as you would with a straight-across cut,” says O’Connor.

Step 4 ✨ Watch these tutorials

Alright—you’re ready to cut your bangs. Ish. Now comes the fun part. Ahead, five easy-to-follow tutorials for curly bangs, curtain bangs, wavy bangs, and more. Prepare to memorize this sh*t.