How to Cut Your Own Side-Swept Bangs

Author:

Brittanie loves sharing her knowledge on natural health and beauty.

Learn how to cut your own side-swept bangs.
Matthew T Rader via Unsplash

Cutting my own bangs sounded really intimidating at first. I was sure that I was going to butcher them and end up having to wear a hat for weeks! My hair is a very big deal to me; probably a bigger deal than it should be.

Even though I thought I was going to mess up I still wanted to learn how to do it myself, so I spent hours reading books and articles watching videos, and talking to the retired hairstylists in my family to soak up as much information as I could before trying it out.

To my surprise, the paranoia and research paid off. My first try was a complete success. I have been able to maintain my own side-swept bangs for quite some time now and have even moved on to some other styles. The point is that it looked really challenging, and I was nervous, but it is actually really simple. If I can do it, anyone can; you just need some basic information first.

You'll need a fine-toothed comb and hair-cutting scissors.
kalhh from Pixabay

What You Need

Before you get started, make sure that you have everything you need:

Comb: In my experience, a fine-toothed comb works best.
Hair-cutting scissors: Use special hair-cutting scissors, not just any plain old scissors you can find. Using dull or the wrong kind of scissors can mess up your hair completely. They don't have to be expensive, just made specifically for cutting hair.
Hair tie: This is used just to keep the rest of your hair out of your face. You do not want the rest of your hair getting mixed up with your bangs while you are cutting them.
Mirror: Just be sure you have a decent clean mirror that is big enough for you to see what you are doing.
Chair (optional): I like to sit in a chair or on the counter when cutting my hair. I am more relaxed this way and focus more on my hair than on moving around.

Where to Begin

These first steps and tips will help you get ready.

Put your hair in a ponytail.
Pull out the hair that you are going to cut into bangs. Your bangs section should only go a couple of inches back from your hairline.
Fix any loose ends before starting to cut them.
Make sure that your hair is dry before you get started. Your hair is longer when wet, so if you cut your bangs while they are wet then they will shrink when they dry.
The beginning or shortest part of your bangs should start just above your eyebrow.

How to Cut Your Bangs

When your hair is brushed and separated into sections you can begin cutting.

Start at the side you want to be the shortest.
Cut in an upward motion. This keeps your hair from looking freshly cut or too obviously cut and blunt, unless thats what you want.
Work your way all the way across your forehead.
Brush bangs out and see what needs to be adjusted, or just celebrate cutting your bangs perfectly the first time!

Tips and Extra Advice

Go slow. This makes it harder to make mistakes. This is by far my most important piece of advice.
Cut small sections at a time. This way any mistakes made will be easier to fix.
Cover yourself with a towel to help with the mess.
Cut your bangs in a quiet place where you won't get disturbed.
If you make a mistake, don't panic. This will only lead to more trouble. Try and calm down before taking any action.
Once you are done leave them alone. This is just for people like myself who tend to nitpick and go back three more times to make sure they are perfect.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

I would love to hear what you think. Leave a comment.

Jennifer on November 27, 2015:

I think I would never cut my own hair

Will on February 15, 2015:

Thanks for shriang. What a pleasure to read!

Christin Sander from Midwest on May 05, 2013:

A nice detailed guide to cutting your own bangs, great job. I've cut my own for a long time, but I know the first time you do it, it is very intimidating.