There are certain beauty things that are fairly low-risk to DIY; manicures, pedicures, creating your own face mask from good ol' honey and oatmeal spring to mind. But others, such as cutting your own fringe, are often best done in salon by well-versed professionals who know their way around a pair of shears.
But let's be real, as much as we love our hairdressers, finding the time to pop into the salon every couple of weeks to trim a fringe is challenging. Especially for those whose hair tends to grow quickly.
Considering how popular face-framing bangs are right now (thanks, Sabrina Carpenter!), its no surprise that many will find themselves booking in for a cut. But any expert knows that maintaining a fringe does take a little effort. If your usual approach is to pick up some scissors and leave it to the universe, stop right there.
We've gone straight to the hair pros for all the useful tips on how to trim your own fringe to avoid any unintentional micro-bangs situation.
From taking it slow, to leaving it longer than you want, read on for our expert guide.
ELLE Edit: Your Fringe Maintenance Kit
John Lewis Hair Cutting Scissors
Ouai Anti-Frizz Creme
Bumble and Bumble Soft Texture Finishing Spray
How To Cut Your Own Fringe
Larry King's Step By Step Guide To Cutting Your Fringe
1.Section correctly
'On damp hair, always section your fringe off, so the rest of your hair is nowhere near where you want to cut. This way your fringe will be the only thing you are looking at and working on.
'This section tends to be a triangle shape which goes back 2 inches from the forehead and comes down to the side of your eyebrows - this is the section that is your fringe.
'Any wider than your eyebrows means you are taking hair away from the side of your face and it will open the face up more, which we don't want.'
2. Always leave your fringe longer than your desired length
'The aim when cutting your fringe is to maintain as much length as possible. So, instead of cutting it to the length you desire, leave it 1cm longer. When you blowdry it, the hair will jump up, so while it's wet, leave it longer than you would want.'
3. Use a comb to hold your fringe in place when cutting
'Always be gentle when holding the section of hair you're cutting. A comb doesn’t hold as much tension as your fingers, so you aren’t pulling down on the hair which means it will spring up less, giving you a more accurate length.'
4. Always cut vertically into the hair, not horizontally
'When you start to cut your fringe you have to make sure your scissors are cutting vertically. Never cut across! Cutting vertically gives movement to the hair and makes the fringe a lot softer.' Start cutting in the middle and work out.'
5. Cut in an arc, not a straight line
'When creating shape, don’t cut straight across, instead try to create an arc. You want to aim for your fringe to be longer at the sides and shorter in the middle.'
6. Never cut any shorter than bridge of your nose
'...or where your nose meets your forehead.'
How to cut your fringe if you have curly hair...
Cutting your own fringe is tricky enough but when your hair changes from straight when wet to curly when it's dry, it can be easy to go too far with trimming.
'The spring factor of your curls is super important to understand,' says Keisha Jo Lawler, founder of curl care brand and salon, Trepadora. 'The springier the curl the more you need to consider. An inch on wavy hair can be three-to-four inches on curly hair all because of the bounce factor.'
According to her, its best to trim it while its dry. 'Wash and style your curls as normal then style your fringe forward,' Lawler explains. 'Once fully dry trim individual curls carefully with salon quality shears. Less is more. Do not cut straight across as each curl can have its own level of spring.'
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