How to cut your own fringe without butchering it
Because desperate times call for desperate measures
You promised yourself you’d make it out of self-isolation without cutting your own hair. But, here we are! Understandable, though. It’s been like, a month, since you’ve probably seen your hairdresser - so chances are your once cute bangs are now looking like a grown-out emo fringe.
But if the mere thought of going near your hair with scissors makes you sweat, we hear you. It’s absolutely terrifying. Enter, freelance hairstylist from Edwards & Co, Jesse Furlan. Since Edwards & Co shut up shop amid the pandemic (as have most salons around Australia), the salon has adapted to life in self-iso with its new series of handy DIY videos on IGTV, called ‘The Lockdown with Edwards And Co’. Because, if you’re going to dilly-dally down the DIY route, it’s best to make sure you know what you’re doing.
Here’s a breakdown of Furlan’s top tips for trimming your fringe.
1
Have the right tools on hand
AKA the kitchen scissors won’t do, girl. Hacking at your hair with a pair of blunt scissors will only make things way more difficult. If you don’t have a pair of hairdressing scissors on hand, Furlan says nail scissors will work as an alternative. You’ll also need a comb and three hair clips.
2
Wash and style your hair naturally
First off, you want to start with freshly washed hair – but instead of styling as you usually do (or don’t – each to their own), Furlan says to let it dry naturally. “If you need to use a hair dryer, rough dry so it sits as close to its natural shape as possible,” she says. “Dry hair shrinkage is real - you don't want to be left with Joe Exotic micro-bangs.” *Shudders*.
3
Section your fringe
Now, you’re going to want to section off the hair that’s going to form your fringe and clip the rest of your hair back. “Using the end of a comb, create a triangle from the outside of your eyebrows to the centre part of your hair,” explains Furlan. “The further you extend the triangle back, the fuller your fringe will be.” Use two hair clips to hold back the sides of your hair, ensuring you’ve only left your fringe exposed.
4
Separate your fringe into layers
Next, use the third clip to separate your fringe into layers - think of it like the top layer, the middle layer and the underneath layer. If you have finer hair, you might only have a top layer and underneath layer. This will just make it easier to get the most even cut. “Working with sections is far easier than one big chunk,” says Furlan. Leave out your underneath layer (the one right along your hairline) to begin with.
5
Start in the centre
Starting from the centre section of your fringe (the bit that falls between the eyebrows), Furlan says, “This is where we will start, and this will be where we put in the shortest length.” There are plenty of ways to style your fringe, but Furlan says to always use the centre as a starting point, and just adjust the length according to what kind of fringe you want. For example, you can keep it level with the top of your brows if you want blunt bangs, take it a bit higher above your brows for edgy baby bangs or a mini fringe (a la Miley Cyrus and Emma Watson), or keep it lower (underneath your brows) for curtain bangs. Holding the ends between your two fingers and scissors parallel to your brows, Furlan says to use short snips. “Do this slowly so that you don’t cut too much length off of your hair,” adds Furlan.
6
Section in half
When you’re happy with the length of the centre section of your fringe, comb it out and now split your fringe in half. Starting from the right side, hold the ends between two fingers (don’t pull on it too tight) and direct this section of hair to the middle of your brows. “By pulling it over you’re keeping more length on the outside,” explains Furlan. Then, snip with the same motion, cutting just a little at a time. Repeat on the left side.
7
Move onto the next layer
Once you’re happy with how your first layer looks (Furlan says to check the length on each side is even), unclip your second layer to join it with the first layer and repeat steps five and six (then do it all again with the third layer). “Remember to take your time with it. You don’t want to rush!”
8
Unclip the rest of your hair
For the most natural look, “take the rest of your hair out and make sure your fringe blends in,” says Furlan. You can make small adjustments to stray hairs, but just remember less is more – you can always cut more off, but you can’t put it back on!
If you’re more of a visual person, you can follow the whole tutorial here.
Looking for more self-isolation beauty tips? Check out how to colour your hair at home.
Main image credit: @mileycyrus
Erin Docherty is a Beauty Writer for BEAUTYcrew, Beauty Editor for Women's Health magazine and a Grooming Writer for Men's Health magazine. She has a keen interest in cosmeceutical skin care and is currently working on minimising her 9-step skin care routine – because ain’t nobody got time for that. When she’s not writing about the latest beauty news, or applying copious amounts of serum, you can find her spending all her money in Sephora.
