How To Trim Your Bangs

Trimming your bangs sounds like an easy enough task, doesn't it?  Though it might sound like a simple thing, trimming your bangs is not as easy as it sounds.  If you don't have bangs yet, and are contemplating them, I would recommend that you have a stylist give you your very first set.  A stylist has seen hundreds of face shapes and hair types, and will have a good idea of what bangs will best suit your face, giving you the most bang for your buck.  It also won't hurt to be able to follow her lines once it's time to trim your bangs yourself.   

Follow these steps to trim your bangs:

1. Always begin with dry hair.  This will sound counterintuitive because we all get our hair cut wet, but bangs shrink up as they dry, and too-short bangs are up there with braces in terms of bad yearbook photo flashbacks.  
2. Get the rest of your hair out of the way.  You don't want to slip up and cut some hair you weren't intending to so clip it up, put it in a ponytail, or somehow make sure that it doesn't end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
3. Use a comb with very fine teeth.  This will enable you to pull out any stray hairs that are trying to hide just out of reach.  Using your fine-toothed comb, comb your bangs down.
4. As you begin to handle your scissors, be careful with them.  You're working right near your eyes and some other important parts of your face, so take your time and move carefully.  Also be sure that your scissors are up to the job.  If you'll be trimming your bangs regularly, it's definitely worth investing in a quality pair of hair scissors.  I had the good fortune of going to a garage sale where a hair stylist was selling her stash and secured a pair that I would not have invested in otherwise-and they are a huge improvement.  Like having a good pair of tweezers for your eyebrows, you won't want to go back once you've used the high quality version.
5. Comb one side of your bangs down and hold your hair between your straightened middle and ring or middle and index fingers.  You'll want to hold whatever amount of hair comfortably fits in your fingers.  Pull the hair gently away from your face (so as not to poke yourself), moving your fingers down the hair shaft until you reach the desired length (err on the side of cutting less).  Using your fingers as a guide, cut the hair straight across and release.   If you want to create spiky bangs, follow the same procedure, but rather than cut across your bangs, cut upwards into them to create a jagged edge. 
6. Repeat the same procedure with the next batch of hair, again holding just as much as feels comfortable at one time.   
7. Rough your bangs up and spread them around a bit before your final assessment.  If you need to trim the bangs a bit more, follow the steps above and trim to your preferred length.