How to Cut Fringe Bangs at Home: Easy Beginner's Guide (2024)

Co-authored byCourtney Fosterand Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: May 14, 2024Fact Checked

How to Cut Your Own Fringe Bangs at Home

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   Wash and dry your hair. Thoroughly wash your hair with shampoo, then condition, if needed. Most people won’t need to condition the bang area, but for those who do, conditioner helps relax the hair for easier cutting. Just keep the conditioner at least 1 inch (2.5cm) away from your scalp to avoid flat, greasy bangs. Rinse all of the product from your hair, then use a microfiber towel to gently squeeze your hair to dry it. Work in small sections from roots to tips.^[1]

   • Cutting dirty hair isn’t ideal; unwashed hair often contains patches of grease or product build up, which can cause shears to slip and cut unevenly.
   • Your hair doesn’t need to be totally dry to cut your bangs. In fact, cutting slightly damp hair often creates a more even result. Cutting completely dry hair usually needs very sharp tools, and the results may look uneven after you wash and restyle them.
   • If you have curly hair, however, it’s probably best to cut bangs when your hair is completely dry, as it will appear shorter than when wet.
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   Comb and part your hair, if desired. In addition to detangling your hair, combing your hair allows you to find an ideal length and measurement for your bangs. Then, decide if you want to part your hair, as there are both parted and unparted bang styles. If you’re going for a long side-swept bang or a parted bang, part your hair where you normally wear it before cutting. Otherwise, let it hang down unparted.^[2]

   • To get rid of tangles with the least amount of damage to your hair, use a wide-tooth comb. Start at the ends of your hair and work your way up toward your roots.^[3]
   • Bangs are essentially a shorter version of your current hairstyle that help frame your face. Wearing your hair as you normally do will help you get a better idea of how you would like it cut.

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   Section off the hair that will form your bangs. Use a comb to part and section off a triangle of hair from the top-center of your head to the outsides of your eyebrows. This section shouldn’t extend past the outer corners of your eyebrows or the top of your head.^[4]

   • Use a uniform triangular shape when you section the hair. For thicker bangs, start farther back on your head. For less thickness, start closer to your forehead.
   • If your hair is layered, grab the strands of hair that are used to blend the front portion of your hair to the back portion. These hairs are often shorter and easier to transform into bangs.
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   Put the rest of your hair up and comb out the bangs section. Pull your hair into a ponytail to keep it out of your face and help you avoid cutting unintended hair. Then, comb out your bangs section evenly in front of your face. This will help you see what you’re cutting and how short your bangs need to be in order for you to see.^[5]

   • Don’t be afraid to pull hair from farther back and near the center of your head. This often helps avoid issues of thinness when your bangs are ready to be styled.
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   Use styling scissors, not household scissors. Styling scissors have a sharpness meant for hair, while common household scissors are meant to cut more coarse things like paper and plastic. If you use them to cut your hair, you’ll likely end up with an uneven cut. Beauty supply stores often sell scissors meant for hair at various sizes. Smaller scissors allow for more control and may come in handy when shaping your fringe.^[6]

   • Cosmetologist and hair styling expert Courtney Foster says to avoid using dull instruments to cut hair: “Dull instruments will cause split ends, which defeats the purpose of a haircut.” If you use regular scissors to cut your hair, you’ll probably just make more work for yourself in the end.
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   Divide the bangs into horizontal rows and start cutting the bottom. Separate your hair into horizontal rows no more than 1 inch (2.5cm) thick. Beginning at the bottom, hold the scissors upright and line them up along your hair. Make minimal, vertical snips at your bangs, going along the hair rather than across. This will help avoid cutting your hair into a flat line.^[7]

   • For classic bangs, the shortest point should fall at the bridge of the nose between your eyes. Remember to cut less and leave more. You can always come back and cut more if your new bangs are too long.
   • Keep your hair in position with a comb using your non-dominant hand, and cut with your dominant hand.
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   Move ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64cm) to the left or right and continue cutting. Move your scissors as little to one side as possible to ensure you’re cutting all of your intended bangs. Continue to make vertical snips along your hairs’ ends. Cut as flat as possible—without cutting across—near the middle of your head, and allow for longer strands as you work your way outward. After you’ve finished one side, repeat the process on the other.^[8]

   • Cut at a diagonal angle—about 45 degrees—to achieve an edgier, less blunt look.
   • Some bangs are straight across the forehead and longer as you get to one side. Other styles can be curved with length that increases slightly toward the outside corners.
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   Repeat the cutting process until you shape your new bangs. Keep working your way up toward the crown of your head, cutting as sparingly as possible and never directly across. Cutting less and leaving more hair helps avoid common mistakes like a crooked line or missing chunks. Keep cutting until you achieve your desired look.^[9]

   • Remember to be patient. Think of your hair as an art piece—nothing is perfect when rushed.
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   Shake your hair around, part it, and you’re done! Try styling your bangs in different ways to make sure you like how they look. Remember, if your bangs are still too long, you can always recomb and recut. The same cannot be said if they’re too short!

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1. 1

   If your bangs are crooked, match the shorter side. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to make the shorter part of your bangs grow, so the easiest way to fix crooked bangs is to cut the longer sections to match. If you aren’t willing to commit to the shorter look, try wearing your bangs to the side or hiding them in braids or headbands until they grow out.^[10]

   • When fixing your bangs, it’s probably best to start with a clean slate by washing and drying your hair again. This way, you can see exactly what you’re working with.
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   If your bangs are too thick, cut vertically. If you need to thin your bangs out, use a pair of thinning shears to remove extra weight. Or, use your regular styling scissors to do point-cutting, a technique in which you cut into the bangs in an upward motion. This is the same technique you used to cut your bangs in the first place.^[11]

   • If your bangs are too thin, on the other hand, simply add more hair. Resection your hair into the original triangle you used to cut your bangs and include a bit more hair in the section. Repeat the bangs cutting process until you achieve your desired look.
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   If your bangs are too blunt, cut them parallel to the floor. To achieve a softer, less-blunt look, pull your bangs outward when cutting them rather than letting it fall forward. This creates a slight taper that will soften at the ends. This requires you to cut off more length, however, so if you aren’t comfortable with that, use the point-cutting technique instead.^[12]

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   If your bangs are too short, hide them until they grow out. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do if you cut your bangs too short. Let them grow out until they’re long enough for you to visit a professional hairstylist. In the meantime, try styling them with hair clips or hats, and apply castor oil to them each night to encourage growth.^[13]

   • Try not to worry too much if you don’t like your end results. Remember, it’s just hair! It will grow out again.

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