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Side swept bangs can both be an asset or a disaster, depending on how you cut it. A lot of women are obsessed with bangs as a way to hide a large forehead or to add flair to their boring hairstyle. To ensure that it will not be a nightmare, you should know how to cut side swept bangs for the first time. Below, I listed some tips and a step-by-step guide to succeed in your first side-swept bangs.
How to cut side swept bangs for the first time
Step #1. Comb some hair to the front
Just like with any bangs, you have to direct some hair forward. After that, grab the hair in the front and comb it well, ensuring that it’s separated from the other hair before you cut. You only need the hair that falls right where your eyebrow starts. Push the rest of the hair and tie it back. Do this on both sides of your face.
Step #2. Hold the hair
First, comb the hair well to make sure it doesn’t have snags that will affect the length. Hold the tips of your hair using your index and middle finger. Imagine you’re holding a dollar bill in between.
Step #3. It’s time to cut
Take your haircutting scissors and snip the hair diagonally. Side swept bangs are only good if you cut them diagonally, so make sure that you keep this in mind. You can start cutting just a quarter of an inch then trim it bit by bit until you reach your desired length. Take note that you should cut diagonally on the same side of your dominant hand that you’ll use to sweep it.
Always check the length in the mirror on every snip so you won’t cut too much than what you intended. If your bangs are still longer than what you like, keep trimming.
Step #4. Touch-ups
After you reached your desired length with a diagonal trim, hold your hair just the same but mid-way. Next, hold the scissors vertically and cut little parts of your bang’s tips. This will add texture to your bangs while preventing it from looking blunt.
Step #5. Sweep it to the side
After finishing these steps, you’re finally done! Just sweep your bangs to the side and see if it has the right length that you want. Feel free to repeat steps 3 and 4 if you want to shorten your bangs a bit. Remember, do so little by little so you wouldn’t cut too much length.
Do you need more guidance? In this video, ROSEBUD shows us how to cut side swept bangs the right way:
Tips in cutting your bangs
Always get the right equipment
Using paper scissors for your bangs will produce rough and inaccurate cuts. If you’re dedicated to styling your own hair at home, I recommend buying a pair of hair cutting shears for the job.
For home haircuts, you don’t really need a very expensive pair of shears. Just make sure that you have a sharp pair that will cut your hair like butter.
Are you looking for haircutting shears? Here are our top 7 picks!
Straighten it first
Before you reach for your scissors, straighten your hair so you will have a more accurate length. Also, never cut your bangs when wet because damp hair looks longer than the normal, dry hair. This will make your side-swept bangs look awful.
Go slow
It’s easy to make mistakes if you keep snipping without checking it first. For successful haircuts, I recommend stopping after two to three snips then combing your hair to see the actual length. This has saved me from disastrous bangs in the past, and I still swear by it, no matter what haircut you’re doing.
Never cut the entire length in one go. I’ve seen DIY bangs online where they tie their hair and snip it with scissors. It will not turn out good. You should always go slow and in increment lengths.
Line your hair perfectly
When sectioning your hair for the bangs, make sure that you line up where your bangs start from your scalp. This will ensure that you can cut an accurate length and that your hair won’t look messy after cutting side-swept bangs.
Always tie your hair back
Before you start cutting your bangs, make sure that the rest of your hair is tied back. This will prevent you from accidentally cutting portions of your hair that are not included in the side-swept style. I’ve seen a lot of disastrous haircuts just because the person won’t secure the other areas of the hair not included in the haircut.
Leave it alone
Do your side-swept bangs look a little off? Just leave it alone for a few days. Letting the hair fall on its new position will make your side-swept bangs look more natural. However, if it doesn’t even out after a few weeks, you may need to ask the help of a stylist. You may need to perform touch-up cuts to remove any excess length.
Don’t weigh it down
One of the biggest mistakes when sporting side-swept bangs is weighing it down too much. It gives the ‘cow-licked’ look that doesn’t look good. Always comb it and maintain a nice lift. You can use some hairspray or volumizing spray to keep your bangs looking natural. However, avoid making too stiff, or it will look and feel awkward.
Prepare for it
Cutting your own hair is a big step. And to ensure that you won’t regret it, I recommend doing your research. Ask your hairstylist or consult a friend who has done it in the past. If this is your first time cutting your bangs, don’t expect a salon-quality result. Also, I don’t recommend cutting your bangs if you’re about to attend or go to a big event. Should your haircut fail, you won’t be panicking to find a fix.
Conclusion
Knowing how to cut side swept bangs for the first time is a tricky task. I’ve had my share of haircut fails, but it’s in the practice that I’ve mastered DIY bangs. Again, go slow and be prepared for the result. Invest in a good pair of shears and do your research.
