How to Cut Good Layered Bangs

Co-authored by Courtney Foster

Last Updated: February 22, 2024 Fact Checked

Cutting your own bangs is always a risky move. However, if you follow the right steps, you can achieve the look of layered bangs without the price of the salon. You will need a comb, a pair of scissors specially made for cutting hair, and bravery!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cutting and Layering Side Bangs

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1
Part your hair with your preferred part. Place your index finger on your part, with your second knuckle on your hairline. The tip of your index finger will be where you begin combing your bangs.
- Make sure that your hair is dry. Wet hair can stretch by up to 45%, so it’s much longer when it’s wet. If you cut it while it’s wet, you might cut more than you intend.^{[1]
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Make a diagonal line away from your part down to your hairline. Keep this line straight.

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You can also clip it back from your face if your hair is shorter. Make sure that the only hair you’re cutting is the hair in the part you’ve sectioned off to be bangs.
Use your nondominant hand. Make sure that the hair is even and pulled taut.
Though you could pick any angle you’d like, a recommended angle is to cut them on a parallel line to the one that you’ve created when you sectioned off your bangs. Cut them somewhere between the top of your lip (for a longer bang) and the tip of your nose (for a shorter bang). Try to cut them in one or two even snips.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Courtney Foster
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 9 December 2019.}
Be conservative when cutting them. Try them just a little bit shorter at first, and then gradually work up to the length and angle you want as you keep cutting.
Keep the scissors open while you’re cutting. Move horizontally across your bangs, but cut vertically.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cutting and Layering Straight Across Bangs

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1
Create your part. Make an upside-down V shape, starting about an inch and a half away from your hairline. The “top” of the triangle should be about in the center of your head. A good guide for to locate the outer points is in line with the outer edge of your eyebrows. Any bangs cut outside of that could look too wide.
- Your hair should be completely dry while you’re cutting your hair. You probably also want to cut your hair when it looks “normal,” or how it looks on a typical day. If your hair is unusually curly or atypically frizzy on the day when you cut it, you might be displeased with how it looks on a normal day.
Tie the rest of the hair back into a low ponytail. Make sure that the only hair out of the ponytail is either the hair that you will cut into bangs.
This means that if you want your bangs to blend into the rest of your hair, cut them long enough so that all of your bangs are the length of that longest hair. You can always cut more.
Comb your bangs horizontally so that they lie flat against your face. Decide how long you want your bangs to be. Remember that you can always cut them shorter, but you cannot add back hair that you cut off.
Use your nondominant hand. Make sure that the hair is even and pulled taut.
Hold your bangs between your thumb and index finger, and, using your scissors, cut vertically up towards your fingers. Keep the scissors open and go slowly and lightly. The hair should become more feathered and layered.
Keep the scissors vertical, but move horizontally. If you want your bangs to blend into the rest of your hair, cut gradually less hair as you move toward your ears.^{[4]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Fixing Little and Big Mistakes

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If you make a mistake and cut your bangs too short, do not try to keep cutting in an effort to fix them. Leave them too short and seek another solution such as getting the help of a professional stylist or wearing your bangs pinned up.
If your side bangs came out a little too short, part your hair on the opposite side. Sweep the longer bangs over the shorter bangs so that the shorter bangs aren’t visible anymore.^{[5]
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Try a head scarf or a headband where you can sweep your bangs back with the rest of your hair. You can also use a barrette to twist them to the side.^{[6]
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Go to a stylist if you made your bangs crooked or in the wrong spot, but they still might be salvageable with some maneuvering. If your bangs are too short, talk to your stylist about adding in extensions like clip-in bangs and styling them to look like natural bangs.

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Question

Do layered bangs make your forehead look smaller?

Courtney Foster
Licensed Cosmetologist
Courtney Foster is a Licensed Cosmetologist, Certified Hair Loss Practitioner, and Cosmetology Educator based out of New York City. Courtney runs Courtney Foster Beauty, LLC and her work has been featured on The Wendy Williams Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, and in East/West Magazine. She received her Cosmetology License from the State of New York after training at the Empire Beauty School - Manhattan.

Courtney Foster

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Absolutely. Bangs are one of the best ways to make your forehead look smaller. If you do a side-swept frame fringe, it will allow a peak of your forehead to be exposed without showing your entire forehead.

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Question

What is the result when you hold bangs upward and cut? Will layers be created?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Yes, layers can be achieved this way.

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Question

I would like to see the hair at the crown. Is it straight across or in an inverted V?

Community Answer

For straight across bangs, it's an inverted V. For side bangs, it's more amorphous. It should come from the bigger side of the side part and be about 2-3 inches horizontally, and 1 inch towards the center of your head. It's different for every person, though, depending on style and hair.

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Tips

Do not cut your bangs too short. You can always cut more hair, but you can’t make your hair longer.

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Use shears, which are scissors specifically for cutting hair. Office scissors will not give the desired effect!

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Watch videos and read tutorials for the particular style you want before cutting.

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