Off with a Bang

If you stalk me or at the very least read my blog frequently, you'll know that I had bangs cut in March. Here's the photographic evidence:

I kept them through April, but let them grow out a bit so I could push them to the side under my hat for Kevin and Danielle's wedding.

I've been wanting to cut them again, but haven't had the money to go to the hairdresser. So what does any good "vintage" girl do when she can't afford something? Make do and mend! 

...ok, maybe that slogan doesn't apply to cutting one's own bangs, but it's all I've got. I've been pouring over pictures of cute rockabilly girls with bangs and desperately wanting "Bettie Bangs". That and watching a million YouTube videos on "How to Cut Your Own Bettie Bangs". I've been dreaming and working up the courage to cut my own bangs for about 3 weeks now. 

Last night I took the plunge. I jumped on the Bang Wagon (get it? "bang" wagon...I'm so lame...). So many other bloggers are sporting the Bettie Bang (or some version of a bang) these days. I just couldn't help but join in the fun. Besides. It's just hair. It'll grow out. 

So before I show you what my hair looks like now, I'll tease you a bit with what I almost chickened out and ended up with:

They're a little uneven...as I said...I was still unsure of whether to proceed or not at this point.

I started to cut and ended up with this inverted Bettie Bang. It was looking a little Bridget Bardot to me so I was considering keeping it like this instead of cutting my hair more. I sat around my house for a few hours before I cut more hair off. 

But I'm happy I did. I'm super happy with my new bangs. 

Here they are:

Here are a few of the photos that inspired my new haircut:

both photos above found here. I don't have original sources. If you know where they're from let me know!

And if you are daring to take the plunge into self-hairdresserdom (that's a word right?) these videos helped me make the first cut:

If I had to give a few pointers to someone looking to bravely cut their own bangs here's what I'd say:

• Give yourself LOTS of time. Not including humming and hawing before I actually started cutting, it took me about 2-3 hours total to cut my bangs (I spent a lot of time cutting tiny bits of hair off and then inspecting the result in the mirror). 
• Take your time. Cut a little at a time and let your hair lay as it would on your forehead, bunching it together and cutting it will result in a mess. 
• Keep your inspiration photos close at hand. I printed mine and taped them to my bathroom mirror for a visual reference while I snipped. 
• Use really sharp scissors. You could use actually haircutting shears or do what I did. Use a small pair of fabric shears. Worked like a charm!
• I put a couple plastic shopping bags in my sink to catch most of the hair so it didn't all go down the drain. 
• Watch videos! They helped so so much!

If you're thinking about taking the plunge: Good Luck! Remember, it's just hair. It'll grow out faster than you think it will. 

Have you cut your own bangs before? Any other tips or pointers? OR, do you have any questions for me? I'm certainly no expert, but I can share more of my experience if you're curious about something I haven't shared. 

Lisa.xo