What to Cut, Texturize and Tweak for Every Type of Bang Your Clients Are Asking For
Whether they’re blunt, soft or retro-inspired, fringe is having a moment, and clients are noticing. With more requests for statement bangs (and less fear of commitment), now’s the time to sharpen your cutting game. We’ve compiled the best fringe-cutting tips from expert stylists who specialize in dry cutting and fringe detailing—so you can refine your approach to every bang trend your clients request.
From Birkin-style curtain bangs to contoured micro fringe, here’s how to approach six of the most-requested bang styles, plus smart tweaks to fit every face shape, hairline and vibe.
1. Blunt Bangs That Contour Without Excess Weight
When cutting straight-across bangs, take a modern approach. The historically heavy look has transformed into the Instagram-viral “Hot Girl Bangs” according to ARC™ Scissors Ambassador and BTC Team Member Gilad Goldstein (@myguiltycrown). Scroll through our straight-bang mood board below:
Refine your technique, utilize small sections: “Limit the bang section to the middle of the pupil,” Gilad explains. “A narrower bang section means less hair and a softer framing of the eye area. This also leaves more hair around the cheeks to add soft framing layers to contour the face,” he adds. Gilad cuts dry for precision, using the PARAGON II from ARC™ Scissors. to create soft, clean lines around the eye area.
Pro Tip: Finish with a silkening gloss like Kenra Professional Platinum® Silkening Gloss—here’s why: “It’s my favorite product to showcase layers and add shine,” Gilad says.
Press play to watch the full tutorial below:
Fringe Gallery: Get 70+ Bang Inspo Pics
2. How To: Birkin-Style Bangs
Inspired by one of the most popular surnames in fashion history, “Birkin Bangs” feature a simple shape that relies on symmetry and strong, eye-catching details around the eyes and face-frame. Learn how to channel the ’60s Jane Birkin aesthetic for your clients with ARC™ Scissors Ambassador Holly Vatter‘s (@hollygirldoeshair) step-by-step tutorial below—but first, some inspo pics to get you started:
1. Using fine strokes with the flat of your blade, create the feathery, peekaboo middle bits that are essential to the Birkin look.
2. After determining the cheek-framing section, start connecting the sides right behind the bangs.
3. Then, connect the side pieces very softly with the ends by using an angled, elongated curved stroke.
4. Finished look:
Photo Credit: Instagram via @hollygirldoeshair
3. How to Cut Blunt Bangs Without Bulk
Moroccanoil® Global Ambassador Rachel Williams (@rachelwstylist) prefers to cut curtain bangs dry, here’s why:
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You can accurately see the length you’re removing, helping avoid cutting too short or uneven.
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Dry cutting reveals natural hairlines and cowlicks, especially important for curtain bangs that need balance on both sides.
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Her go-to technique: Elevate the bang section to 45 degrees to create layers with texture, then point cut the outline. Use deeper point cutting to soften the perimeter, and elevate 1-inch sections to 90 degrees to remove weight as needed
Click here to watch Rachel’s dry-cutting technique in action:
Photo Credit: Instagram via @rachelwstylist
See the finished result below:
Photo Credit: Instagram via @rachelwstylist
Pro Tip: Rachel cuts wet-to-dry using the ARC™ Scissors PHANTOM II 6”. It takes her from wet-to-dry and she cuts using the axis of her blade, making them her go-to.
A shag and bangs? Learn how with celebrity stylist Sally Hershberger on BTC-U.
4. How To Simplify Cutting Micro Fringe
- Working with a half-inch section, clip aside the top half of the bang and sketch a soft, straight line using texturizing shears.
- Then, following your guide, drop down the sectioned-off hair and sculpt the fringe to your desired length and shape. Point cut for softness. “This process is ultimately creating a very small undercut. This technique allows you to create a softer movement with a fuller, short fringe,” Matt explains.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @matt.swinney
Scroll through our set of short fringe for the edgy and bold:
Learn why this texturizing tool works for soft, short fringe
5. Texturizing Heavy Ends: Try This
For high-density clients who want a classic ’80s-style bang, Colorado-based ARC™ Scissors Ambassador Ray Hornback (@rayvoltagebeauty) will use a comb to elevate the bang section to 45-degrees and point cut into the hair. “This creates a short to long hair in the direction we want [the bangs] to push,” Ray explains. Finish texturizing by using your fingers to flip the bang to 90-degrees and point cut, closing your shears as your hands move upward.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @rayvoltagebeauty
Retro fringe is all the rage—click through our inspo below!
6. Blending Shaggy Bangs—Here’s How
ARC™ Scissors Ambassador John George (@johnwgeorge) is typically known for his sleek and precise haircuts—but, when his client requested a shaggier style, he knew exactly how to change up her look without the process of a full haircut.
John’s Quick Cut Process: “I didn’t shag the back as much,” John explains. “I opted for some inverted layering in the back to maintain length and density. And [I] blended the front and back with some point cutting. The finished look is about high texture, not sleek and smooth,” John adds.
Click here to see his technique in action:
Shaggy Bangs: Check out the effortless finished result.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @johnwgeorge
Ease Your Fringe-Cutting Fear With John’s Words Of Encouragement:
“In the past, I would never cut bangs because I wasn’t good at it. They would always look crooked and too short from over-cutting to try and straighten them. Fear propelled me to avoid bangs and to suggest other options when a client would ask about getting bangs,” John shares.
“Cut confidence is one thing to have. But confidence in general is necessary to conquer the fears we encounter as hairstylists. Set a fear goal. Don’t tell anyone about it. Execute quietly,” he advises.
Up Next: Bardot Bangs: Mapping, Cutting & What To Avoid
