7 Things I Learned by Cutting My Own Bangs ...

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It's really true. If you're not used to cutting your hair, then trying to cut it dry, even if it's just a trim, is a bad idea. On the one hand, it is easier to tell what length you want, because you know exactly where the hair will fall when it's dry. On the other hand, it's almost impossible to evenly cut your hair when it's dry, so you end up going way too short.

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Conversely, do not make your hair sopping wet. Wet hair is slippery! Scissors do not like sopping wet hair either; they slip. They slip a lot. Damp hair is best, otherwise, again, you're going to end up with an even cut, because both your fingers and the scissors will keep slipping. My personal experiences says that the experts who say dry hair is best are wrong when it comes to novices. Look for a happy medium instead, and just be careful about snipping too short.

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Remember, you can't go back once you've made that first snip. You have to start out longer than you wish, and only cut off a little bit of hair at a time. I'm talking like a few millimeters here. If you're really confident, try a few centimeters at a time, but do not start out with inches under any circumstances!

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A comb will help you measure. I started out just trying to scissor the ends of my hair between my fingers and start snipping, but was constantly afraid I was going to catch my skin in the scissors. In contrast, a comb will give you an even edge and you don't have to worry about making yourself bleed.

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I made the mistake of starting out with dull scissors. In my defense, I didn't know they were dull at the time. Someone should have been smarter and tried out the scissors first. This is also why it's important to start out cutting just a little bit at a time, because I almost seriously janked my hair. You need sharp scissors! If you plan on doing this a lot, it's a good idea to invest in scissors meant to cut hair.

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I knew from the onset that I wanted side swept bangs, so I knew not to cut straight across. Often, that look can be too blunt right away, which is also why snipping a little at a time is important. Make sure you check out how to perfect the style you want, so you will know if the sides should be longer than the middle.

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You know how stylists will stand there for five minutes, tugging at strands of hair on the opposite sides of your face? Yeah, that's so you don't look lopsided. If you're cutting your own bangs, you should do that too. Otherwise you'll accidentally discover the lopsided look while you're out at dinner the night after your trim. Ahem. Of course, if you're going for an uneven, choppy, layered kind of look, you're exempt from this tip!

Once I fixed all the janky bits, however, I am quite happy with my homemade fringe job. I think it looks really good! And heck, it saved me five dollars and being unhappy with the finished product, so I'm happy. Are there any other home hair cutters out there, or do you leave your locks in the hands of a qualified stylist?

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