Professional Hair Stylist Tutorial: How to Cut Trendy Curtain Bangs

Ariba Pervaiz
by Ariba Pervaiz
4 Materials
$15
30 Minutes
Medium

Tempted to change up your hair on your own but don’t know where to start?


Follow this simple, easy to follow tutorial to learn how to cut curtain bangs from a professional hairdresser. Let's get started!

Tools and materials:

  • Two identical combs
  • A few claw clips
  • Hair cutting shears
  • Hair straightener
Combs

Here you can see my comb choice. They are exactly the same and for this tutorial we’ll be using the wider tooth side.


Use real hair cutting shears. Please don’t use kitchen scissors!

Scissors

1. Start with a center part

Once you have the curtain bangs, you can style them with any kind of part.


Using the center of your nose as a guide, part your hair down the center.

Center part

2. Find your starting point

Take one of the combs and lay it on your head.


Wherever it lays flat, that’s where you’re going to start your curtain bangs. (See video 1:30 -1:38).

Finding starting point

3. Find your side points and clip back the hair

Then find the point that meets up with the arch of your brow.


If you don’t have an arch, find your “high recession” which is the point on your head, off to the side. 

Finding starting point

I have a defined arch in my brow, so I’ve used that as my guide point.

Finding starting point

Then pull the bunch of hair from that point forward and clip the hair behind it backward. 

Finding starting point

Find the same point on the second side. Before pinning the hair back on that side, grab both corners and look to see that they are even, like this:

Finding starting point

Now you can clip that side off.

Finding starting point

3. Straighten the front section of hair

We will not be wetting the bangs, because they will shrink once they dry.


Instead, we’ll straighten them so that the hair is cut at the same spot, without any highs and lows. Straighten your bangs using the lowest setting on your straightener.


All you need is one pass on each side on the lowest heat.

Straightening hair

4. Grab the hair and find the right length

Whenever we use the comb, we will only comb downward (no lifting).


Run the comb through the front hair and then pinch toward the ends of the hair, without making the hairs overlap too much.

Finding the right length

Find your desired spot for the length. Curtain bangs are usually from the cheekbones or lower. I recommend the chin. 

Finding the right length

5. Place your combs 

With the first comb, start from underneath, making the teeth face out.

Placing comb at length

Stack your second comb right on top, with the teeth facing inward.

Placing comb at length

6. Slide, rotate and cut

Next, slide them down just a bit above your chin. 

Placing comb at length

Then rotate the stacked combs like this:

Rotating comb

Cut under the combs. You can cut straight, or if your hair is thick like mine, you might need to point-cut. 

Cutting hair

Remove the combs and you’ll see a really pretty angle that we’ve created.

Progress shot

7. Point-cut for texture

This part is optional but I highly recommend it.


Comb underneath with the teeth pointing out and hold the hair forward instead of straight down. 

Point-cutting

Then, point-cut to get a bit of variation and texture.

Point-cutting

8. Blend the bangs with the front of your hair

Release the clipped back hair. Grab a small section from one side, behind the bangs, and comb it together with that side of the bangs, without pulling the comb all the way to the end.

Blending bangs

Grab that hair and hold it. 

Blending bangs

Pull it forward, right in front of your nose.

Blending bangs

Hold your scissors upside down, like this:

Blending bangs

Then carefully* glide the scissors down, only partially closing your scissors.


(*See video 6:40 -6:45 for how to partially close the scissors. If you close them all the way, you’ll cut off a big chunk of hair!)

Blending bangs

Look how much softer and blended this looks, and I haven’t even styled it yet!

Blending bangs

Do the same technique on the other side. It doesn’t have to be perfect because we’re only cutting off a very small piece.

Blending bangs

9. Style

Now that we’re styling our bangs, turn your iron to full heat.


If you have medium to fine hair, you can keep it at medium heat. Hold one side of the bangs forward like this:

Styling curtain bangs

Clamp your iron underneath, then twist around like this:

Styling curtain bangs

Drag the iron down until the hair comes out.

Styling curtain bangs

Here’s how it looks right now:

Styling curtain bangs

Grab the hair at the bend and insert the iron, pulling it in the opposite direction.

Styling curtain bangs

The result is this really pretty flip. 

Styling curtain bangs

Do the same thing for the other side. This is the final look of this curtain bangs trend, and I am obsessed!

DIY curtain bangs

How to cut curtain bangs

Now that you’ve seen this step-by-step curtain bangs tutorial, you’re all set to try this fun trend.


If you liked this tutorial, leave a comment down below and check out my post on a Super Easy At-home Faux Blowout.

Suggested materials:
  • Two identical combs
  • A few claw clips
  • Hair cutting shears
See all materials

The author may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 4 comments
  • Ellen Ellen on Jan 20, 2023

    I mess it up every time, but never tried this method before. The twist probably makes all the difference. Thank you.

  • David Bolden David Bolden on Jan 30, 2023

    I loved this so much... I have a pixie myself but I cut other people's hair all the time... so anything hair related cut, color, or design I'd love to learn it all!! You're a great teacher!!🍎🤗

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