How to Trim Bangs Between Haircuts

Co-authored by Ashley Adams

Last Updated: November 10, 2022

Bangs can be difficult to maintain, as they require trimming more frequently than the rest of your hair. Many people do not have time to return to the salon and have their bangs trimmed by a professional, leaving them scrambling when their bangs start to get too long. Learning how to trim your own bangs can save you both time and money. With a bit of preparation, planning, and practice, you can trim your bangs in between haircuts and spare yourself extra visits to the salon.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Preparing to Trim

1
Obtain your tools. You will need a fine-tooth comb and sharp hair-cutting scissors for trimming bangs. You will also need bobby pins and/or hair ties to tie or pin your hair back. This will ensure that you do not accidentally cut a section of hair you did not intend to cut.^{[1]
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- If you already have hair-cutting scissors, make sure that the pair you have are sharp. If not, you will need to get them sharpened. You can sharpen them at home, find a sharpening service in your area, or send them back to the manufacturer for sharpening if they offer it.
2
Ensure that you have a quiet space in front of a mirror. Cutting your own hair requires focus and precision. Plan to cut your bangs in front of a mirror. You will also want to make sure that you have some quiet time to yourself to perform this task. Budget about half an hour in your schedule to devote solely to trimming your bangs.
- Avoid being in a rush. Make sure that you have plenty of down time and do not have to be somewhere before trimming your bangs. This is not a process that you want to rush.
You will always want to trim your bangs while they are dry. This is because wet hair is longer and hair shrinks as it dries. Cutting your bangs while they are wet will leave you with bangs that are shorter than you intended.^{[2]
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Use a fine-tooth comb to separate your bangs from the rest of your hair. Pull the rest of it back into a ponytail or pin the rest back with clips. Make sure that any sections of your hair that you do not want to cut are safely pulled back or pinned.
The small hairs that fall as you trim can be itchy and difficult to brush off the skin. Drape a towel around your shoulders. Secure the towel in place with some hair clips. Hair clips can be obtained at any drugstore or beauty supply store near you.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Trimming Blunt Bangs

Trimming your bangs in front of a mirror will yield the best results because you need to be able to see what you are doing. Stand in front of a large mirror that is on a stand, such as in the bathroom.
You will have a right section and a left section. It is almost impossible to cut all of your bangs at once, especially if you have an especially thick set of bangs. You should separate your bangs into sections and trim them one section at a time. Be mindful of the length of each section as you are cutting to prevent trimming uneven bangs.^{[3]
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3
Begin trimming. Comb out your bangs with a fine-tooth comb, stopping just short of your brow bone or the desired cut length. Hold this section of your bangs with your fingers, right above where you stopped the comb. You can now move the comb away. Hold your scissors and use them to trim the hairs at a 45 degree angle, rather than cutting straight across. Trim less than you think you need, as it is easier to trim a bit more than it is to have to grow your bangs out.
- Trimming the hair with the scissors at this angle will prevent the bangs from looking too blunt and unnatural.
- As you are trimming, be sure to trim in a straight line, even though your scissors are at a 45 degree angle, so that your bangs aren’t uneven. Slowly and carefully trim the bangs until you finish the section.
4
Trim the other side of your bangs. Unclip the other side of your bangs and comb them out, stopping just short of the brow bone or desired length. Hold the scissors at a 45 degree angle and begin slowly and carefully trimming the hair until you have finished the sections.
- Use the hair you have already trimmed as a guide for trimming the rest of your hair. This will help to ensure that all the hair is the same length when you are finished.
Look for any hairs that you may have missed or any uneven places. Trim anything else that may need to be trimmed or was missed.

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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Trimming Side Swept Bangs

Use the finely pointed end of your comb to evenly part your bangs, making sure that the parted line of your bangs are straight. Comb your bangs forward. Tie or pin the hair that you are not trimming back.
You can skip this step if the ends of your bangs fall alongside your dominant side. Twisting the bangs will allow you to easily cut your bangs if they fall opposite your dominant side. For example, if you are right handed and your bangs swoop across from the left side of your face, you will need to twist the bangs to face your right hand in order to comfortably trim them with your right hand. It is never a good idea to trim bangs with your non-dominant hand as you could make mistakes. Once they are twisted, comb out the section below the twist to work out any tangles.
Beginning at the top (the shortest part of your bangs), cut the ends of the bangs at a 45 degree angle. Make very small cuts, and trim less than you think you need.
4
Make very small cuts upward into the bangs. To make the cut look less blunt and more natural, you can cut upward into the bangs, taking care not to cut too much off. You will only be taking a very small amount of hair off at this point. Part your bangs down the middle and cut one half first, then move to the other. When finished, brush them out and make small cuts into the bangs as one single piece.
- Keep in mind that this technique is best for trimming the ends of your bangs after you have already gotten the length you want.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Trimming Fringe Bangs

There will be a middle section, a right section, and a left section. This is because the left and right sections are slightly longer than the center section. Pin back the other two sections as you trim but be sure to not to get it mixed up with the rest of your hair.^{[4]
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Stop just above where you would like to trim. Hold the scissors at a 45 degree angle and begin make short cuts into the bangs, taking care not to cut them too short. This will make the trim look more natural.
Take a small bit of the middle section to use as a guide for trimming the side sections. Begin trimming at a 45 degree angle, gradually moving downward to create a gentle slope. This will make the side sections a bit longer than the center section, giving a fun, whimsical look to your bangs.

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Tips

Cut off less than you think your bangs need to avoid cutting too much.

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Do not cut the bangs straight across. Cut at a 45 degree angle to make the trim look more natural.

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Always trim your bangs while they are dry. This will prevent you from accidentally cutting too much off.

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Warnings

Do not cut your hair when it is wet. Your hair is longer when it’s wet and as it dries, it will shrink and will make your bangs shorter than what you intended

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Do not give yourself bangs if you do not already have them. This is more technical than it looks and it will look much better if a professional does it.

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