How to cut curtain bangs and other bangs hairstyles

Curtain bangs is one of the hairstyles that come and go like every other trend that has ever existed in the history of the world. Whether it’s a bob, a mullet, or curtain bangs, there are just some hairstyles that are just too cool to go out of style.

Right now, however, these face-framing bangs are definitely in style. The hashtag alone has almost 700 million views on TikTok and over 148,000 posts on Instagram, making it hard to ignore this viral trend.

Curtain bangs are also called face-framing bangs, and several celebrities including Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, and even Anne Hathaway, have rocked this hairstyle, reminding us all of how cute it looks.

What’s more, it is so beautiful when done right and requires very little maintenance. Here’s a little secret, face-framing bangs look better with curly hair than straight hair.

In fact, this hairstyle can be your number one makeup secret, going as far as serving as your highlighter as long as you get the shape right.

Here, you’ll learn all you need to know about curtain bangs, including how to make it work for straight hair just as much as it does for curly hair. You’ll also find out how to style curtain bangs with long hair or short hair.

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What are curtain bangs?

If you don’t already know what they are, here’s a simple definition: curtain bangs are a much cooler version of the traditional fringe.

They got their name because they work like literal curtains, framing the face like curtains do and enhancing the wearer’s face shape. These face-framing bangs also have wispy ends that blend into the rest of your hair.

Another plus about face-framing bangs is that they look good on just about everyone, and they’re low maintenance, blending effortlessly with the rest of your hair on the days when you don’t feel like wearing bangs.

Tips to note before cutting your hair at home

Before you jump into giving yourself your own curtain bangs at home, there are several things that you need to know. Below are five of those tips. Pay special attention to them, and you won’t go wrong with this hairstyle.

1. Always start longer than you think you want them

When cutting your curtain bangs, try to cut your hair a little longer than you want them to be. It’s better since you can always adjust the length if it’s too long. If it’s too short, you’ll find yourself stuck with hair that doesn’t grow quickly, which translates into a bad hairstyle.

However, if you leave it a little longer, then you can shorten it as you wish until it is at the length that is perfect for you. You can always trim your hair, but you’ll have to wait quite a while for your hair to grow (only to cut it again, yikes!).

2. Don’t use big scissors

Always, always ensure that you use the right scissors when cutting your curtain bangs. One of the biggest mistakes you’ll make is to use kitchen scissors to cut your hair.

Kitchen scissors will leave the edges of your hair blunt and ugly instead of blended and beautiful. Instead of cutting your hair with kitchen scissors, use the most professional scissors from a beauty salon to cut your hair. Additionally, you should cut your hair in a soft line instead of a straight line, which will give you blunt edges.

3. Cut while your hair is damp

Hairstylists recommend that you should cut your hair while it is damp. This means that you should spray some water on your hair before cutting for bangs, BUT if you have curly hair, you may want to rethink this step. Curly hair does get shorter when it’s dry, potentially leaving your bangs too short.

4. Find a specific image to serve as your guide

This step is a very important preparation before cutting your bangs. You need to do some research to find out the shape of your face and the type of curtain bangs that will suit you.

You don’t want to cut your hair into curtain bangs that are only suitable for those with a round face when you have a heart-shaped face, do you?

The most prepared person is the most successful. This style guide will serve as your compass while you cut your curtain bags, ensuring that you make as few mistakes as possible.

5. Curtain bangs need to be styled

With some hairstyles like wavy hair, you may not need to style your curtain bangs every single day or even at all.

However, to keep it looking amazing every day, then you should ensure that you style your curtain bangs at least immediately after cutting them.

This tip is vital for people with straight hair—to give curtain bangs with extra waviness and bounce, which is required to keep it chic.

Continue reading to learn exactly how to style your curtain bangs for maximum effect.

How to cut curtain bangs 2021

Now that you’re armed with the information that you need to have before you do this (and you’re still absolutely sure), you need to learn how to actually cut curtain bangs at home by yourself.

While certain hairstyles require you to go to the salon every day, face-framing bangs are simple! In fact, the messier your hair, the better your bangs will look. So, no matter how busy you are, you can always count on looking chic just as long as you have these bangs.

Is your hair not long enough to give you a satisfactory bang cut? Check out this working hair product that has helped countless women grow their hair long in no time. It offers money-back guarantees as well.

One thing to note is that the entire process is easy as long as you follow the steps outlined below. Below is a step by step process to cutting curtain bangs 2020:

1. Style your hair into a centre part to provide symmetry and balance.
2. Find the centre of your head and part a triangle from there. The three points of this triangle are the centre of your head (which should be an inch from the front of your hairline) and the arches of your eyebrows.
3. Note that the farther back your part starts, the thicker your bangs will be. You should also ensure to get the same amount of hair on both sides while keeping the rest of your hair in a ponytail.
4. Comb your hair to ensure that the length of your bangs will be the same. After doing this, dampen your hair with some water.
5. If you have curly or wavy hair, however, you should rethink this step. Cutting damp curly hair will almost always make it end up being too short.
6. Split the hair into two sides to ensure uniformity. To cut your bangs, hold one side of your hair between your index and middle finger and cut underneath your fingers.
7. Pay attention to your hairstyle guide and cut your bangs now. Remember that you should make it longer than you think it will be. Start cutting from the middle of your forehead to both sides of your face.
8. To ensure that it retains that gorgeous, well-done look, use your scissors to gently snip any loose strands from the edge of your bangs.
9. Finally, style your bangs. Tips for styling your curtain bangs are in an easy-to-follow guide below.

See also: 35 natural black hairstyles for medium hair length in 2020

How to style curtain bangs

We did mention earlier that you do need to learn how to style your curtain bangs to give it that perfect, professional look.

A major tip when styling curtain bangs is to ensure, of course, that you’ve cut your hair to suit your face shape, and that you haven’t made the edges too blunt or the hair too full.

Now that you have cut your face-framing bangs, styling is the easy part and is majorly for straight hair.

If you have wavy or curly hair, then you can ruffle the bangs around your face and forehead and watch it fall into place. Or you can style it as outlined below.

However, if you have straight hair, you need a little more effort to get your curtain bangs to look how you want them to look.

Once you have gotten them to an acceptable length, dampen the hair. That’s right! You’ll need to add water at this point.

Next, you’ll need to use a big brush to give your hair a blowout. To do this, you have to wrap your damp hair around a round brush then blow-dry it away from your face. To give it a voluminous look while avoiding frizz, add a leave-in conditioner before drying your hair.

Once you’ve done this, you can now style your hair however you want. Voila! You’ve got stylish, chic curtain bangs.

How to get long curtain bangs (or short!)

No matter your type of hair, curtain bangs will work for you. All you have to do is follow the same steps. Yes, the steps above work for any length of hair.

However, if you want your curtain bangs to be longer than normal, you’ll need to tweak the steps a little bit.

Follow the same steps outlined above to cut your curtain bangs and take out the section of your hair that you want to cut, and split both sides down the centre while holding the rest of your hair away from your face with a hair tie.

Now, instead of cutting your bangs above your eyebrows, you’ll need to cut it closer to your chin, ensuring that it falls in waves until your collar bones so that it can blend seamlessly with the rest of your hair.

Of course, you’ll need to adjust the length to suit the length of your hair, whether you have long hair or short hair. You can even style these face-framing bangs with a pixie cut as long as you ensure that your sideburns are intact and long enough. After cutting your curtain bangs, style as normal.

Conclusion

Curtain bangs became a trendy hairstyle in 2020, popularised by the video-sharing app TikTok. After that, major celebrities including Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Hilary Duff, and Jennifer Lopez rocked the hairstyle, officially bringing it back in style.

Whether you have long or short hair or even a pixie cut, face-framing bangs can definitely work for you. All you have to do is follow the instructions above for cutting and styling your curtain bangs, and you’re good to go.

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