DIY Blunt Bangs: How I Cut My Own Bangs at Home

Who knew that posting one small Instagram photo with my daughter would spark so many questions about my bangs? You all were clearly curious, so here’s a simple, practical how-to for cutting blunt bangs at home. No conspiracy theories here—they’re real, and I cut them myself on a Saturday afternoon. I walked into the bathroom, snipped them in the mirror, sat back down on the sofa, and waited to see if anyone noticed. My husband thought they made me look “young and hot,” so I’ll take it. They also help hide my forehead wrinkles, which is a nice bonus.

This is basically the companion piece to the post where I cut my husband’s hair. The process is straightforward; the hardest part was getting decent photos of myself while my husband tried to be the photographer. I’m not great at posing, so the photo shoot was awkward and funny. But the steps for cutting bangs are simple enough and repeatable, even for beginners.

Here’s how I did it, step by step:

1) Section the hair you want to be bangs. I pulled forward the front section of hair that formed a soft curve at the crown, leaving the rest of my hair tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of the way. The photos show the section that ended up becoming my bangs. Even though my hair may look ambiguously wet or dry in the pictures, it was dry when I first cut it.

2) Decide how long you want them. I looked at reference photos of blunt bangs and noticed that the ones I liked grazed the eyelashes. That helped me avoid my initial instinct to cut them too short, above the eyebrows. I cut while the hair was dry. This is important because wet hair stretches and appears longer; when it dries it can spring up, leaving bangs shorter than you intended. Cutting dry hair helps you achieve the length you expect.

3) Refine the shape. After the initial cut, I wet the bangs and blow-dried them forward so I could see how they lay naturally. A few long stragglers popped out after drying, so I snipped those straight across to emphasize a blunt finish. If you have a cowlick or stubborn growth pattern, it may take a few small trims to get them to fall just how you want.

4) Style options and versatility. I’ve found three easy looks from the same cut: 1) blunt full bangs for a classic look, 2) parted bangs when humidity or styling calls for softer framing, and 3) pinned-back bangs with a couple of bobby pins when I want no bangs at all. On rainy or humid days, I sometimes separate them slightly to avoid a flat or weird comb-over effect. A tiny bit of product or a quick blow-dry can tame cowlicks.

Cutting your own bangs doesn’t have to be terrifying. Keep these tips in mind: cut dry at first to check length, use small snips to refine, and don’t be afraid to wet and restyle to see the final shape. If you’re unsure, start a bit longer—you can always trim more, but you can’t add hair back. And remember, bobby pins are your friend if you decide to change the look or need a break from bangs.

I hope this straightforward DIY bangs tutorial saves you time and money, or at least gives you a chuckle about my awkward photo session. I’m used to photographing spaces, not my face, so posing felt like high school yearbook day again—awkward and sweaty. If you’ve tried cutting your own bangs or are thinking about it, tell me all about your experience. I’d love to hear what worked for you and what lessons you learned.