How-Tuesday: How to Cut Bangs

I respect hair stylists as the artists that they are, and in no way can I claim to be able to replicate salon hair. That being said, I'm big into bangs these days, and there's no way I'm paying for my daughters and I to go get our bangs cut every few weeks. So here's how I cut bangs:

First, comb the bangs out so that you know about how much you'd like to take off. I like bangs to just brush the eyebrows, so I needed to take off about an inch here, maybe an inch and a half. Second, wonder to yourself how you let your kid's bangs get so long.

 Then, take all the hair and twirl it up. Reassure miserable child that this method is WAY better than trying to cut with the scissors right up against her face, hair falling into her mouth.

Cut off the amount you previously committed to memory. One inch, remember? Seems unnecessary to add that you'd rather cut off too little than too much, but I'll say it anyway. You can always go back for another few snips.

 Allegedly, according to the internet, cutting bangs this way will make them a little longer on the sides and shorter in the middle. Seems to work okay for me. I like bangs to look a little piecey, and not a stick-straight line across the head, a la Zooey Deschanel.

If you like something more exact, I start at the right and imagine that the line of the eyebrow extends to the hairline. I cut along that angle until I meet the eyebrow, then follow across the eyebrow line, going down at the left the same way - following the angle of the eyebrow. I usually do a combo of both, and take the length off with the twirl method, then even it up a little with the "Follow the Eyebrow" method.

This is always great if you have a 2-year-old to perfect this skill on, since they barely know they have a head, much less bangs that are supposed to look decent. And if they're totally screwed up, people will assume they did it to themselves.