How to Trim & Style Bettie Bangs
I love my Bettie Bangs. These retro bangs are so versatile for all types of pinup and vintage inspired hairstyles.
There are pros and cons of sporting Bettie Bangs (I personally think the pros outweigh the cons!). One of the main things that can make them a bit of a commitment is that you have to cut and style them regularly. Depending on how fast your hair grows, you may have to trim your bangs every 2-3 weeks.
Related: The Pros and Cons of Bettie Bangs
I get asked all the time about how I trim and style my bangs at home so I’ve put together this guide.
How to cut and style your Bettie Bangs at home
Every time I wash my hair I do a little assessment. If there’s any straggly bits, or if it’s about eyebrow length when I straighten it out, I know it’s time to give my bangs a trim. After I wash my hair I comb it through and chuck in some leave-in conditioner. Then I pop it up in a hair towel to absorb most of the moisture for about half an hour or so while I get on with my morning duties.
Related: How to care for your hair when you unpin
Comb your hair and then put some clips in the sides to hold the rest of the hair away from the bangs. You want to have as much clearance as you can for when you start cutting your bangs.
I do this with a hairdryer, but if you need to you can use a hair straightener. I like to blow dry from the top of the bangs down, using a comb as I go to get all those hairs laying as flat as possible.
I like to use smaller beard clippers because you have a shorter width to work with and it’s a little bit more accurate. I start center with my nose and get a nice clean first cut, then continue to trim up from the middle, adding a slight upwards curve to give them that iconic U shape. Then I repeat on the other side.
Brush your trimmer, brows, and face to get any hair off, then fluff your bangs to get rid of any stragglers. Comb your bangs again and check if any bits need tidying up with the clippers. You can also double check the sides are at the same length using the end of your comb.
I love to use a mini hair straightener for this. For thick hair like mine I like to split the bangs width-ways and pin back the top layer before styling each section separately. I take a piece of hair about the width of the straightener and rotate the straightener under just a little at the end to create a curve. Then I repeat this for the top layer. If there’s any little missed bits after styling I will use my scissors to tidy them up.
Once styled, I like to gently tease my bangs for more volume and to stop any separation throughout the day, then finish with a spritz of a working hairspray.
HOT TIPS:
- If you have a cowlick then style your bangs before trimming to make sure they’re sitting correctly.
- If cutting your bangs over your bathroom sink. Cover the whole sink with cling wrap - all the hair sticks to it which makes clean up so much easier.
- If you’re wearing makeup or lotions you’ll want to have them dry or set to avoid any little bits of your hair getting stuck in your makeup or moisturizer.
- Trim your bangs before it reaches your eyebrows to avoid accidentally trimming them too!
You can check out the full video tutorial here, and for days when you’re due for a trim but don’t have the time, I’ve also put together an online course with tutorials on 11 ways you can style away Bettie Bangs.
Renae xo
For more pinup and vintage styling tips and tutorials, check out more from the Pinup School Blog
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