When I decided to change my hairstyle a few months back, I never imagined how much extra work having bangs would be.  Because as anyone who has bangs knows, there is one perfect length and even a millimeter too long can drastically change the look of your hair.  While I can have Teri at St. Germain trim my bangs for free at any time, finding a free half-hour to to go see her can be a challenge.  Thankfully, the Interwebs are crawling with tips on do-it-yourself bang trims.

Rule No. 1: NEVER cut straight across. 

Rule No. 2: NEVER cut your bangs while they are wet.  Bangs shrink up as they dry.  Cut them wet, and you could end up with baby bangs.  Not cute.

Rule No. 3: Use only fine tip sharp scissors: not kitchen shears, not a razor.  I keep a pair of eyebrow scissors for just this purpose. 

Now that that’s out of the way, here’s a step-by-step guide.

Step No. 1: Blow dry bangs straight.

Step No. 2: Hold the scissors vertically, pointing the tip of the scissors down toward the floor. 

Step No. 3: Cutting only the pieces that fall below the arch of your eyebrows, cut vertically into the bangs.  (Be careful not to poke your eye out.  This takes practice.) Work your way across the bangs from left to right.

You can also cut upward into the bangs if that feels more comfortable, but I find that cutting downward ensures your don’t overtrim. 

Keeping bangs at the desired length takes diligence and sharp scissors.  But if you don’t feel comfortable trimming yourself, don’t sweat it.  Most hairdressers will trim them for free if you ask nicely and tip generously.  This extends the life of your do and saves you money in the long run.