We can help you trim existing straight or wavy bangs. Come watch Lily Benson, our off-platform visual editor, as she takes these tips for a test drive.

If you don’t have bangs already, don’t do it. You deserve better than a coronavirus isolation hair disaster.

You will need:

• Scissors. If you have hair cutting scissors, great! If you don’t, kitchen scissors, cuticle scissors or even a sharp shaving razor will work too.

• A comb.

• Hair clips. Bobby pins, alligator clips, hair ties or whatever you have handy will work.

• A water spritzer.

Step One

Prep

Start with dry hair about a day or so after you last washed it. You want it to be a little dirty. You should style your bangs however you normally wear them — blow-dried, straightened, natural — so you can see their true length and shape before trimming.

If you have thick hair, lightly spritz your bangs with a bit of water. Keep them a bit damp, not soaking wet, to make the cutting a bit easier.

Position yourself in front of a mirror, and clip back the rest of your hair away from your face, so only your bangs are in front of you.

Step Two

Cut

Beginning at the middle of your forehead, comb out a small strand of hair about a third of an inch thick and hold it between your fingers. Pull it down toward your nose, lifting the piece slightly above your face so you don’t hurt yourself.

Take your scissors, pointing the tip to the ground at a steep diagonal — you’ll be cutting at a downward angle, not horizontally.

Cut the hair right to the top of the bridge of the nose. This length generally works well for most people, leaving you with bangs just below the eyebrows. In general, you should aim to keep the length of your bangs between your eyes and eyebrows.

Step Three

Repeat

Now you’ve got the basic technique down. Continuing to work with strips of hair about a third of an inch thick, move from the middle to the sides of the face. Each time, pull the hair down to your nose, elevate it a couple of inches above your face, and cut the length to the top of the bridge of your nose.

Holding and cutting your bangs at the same point (the top of the bridge of your nose) automatically shapes them for you. The result is bangs that are shorter in the center and longer on the sides so they frame your face better.

Step Four

Stop While You’re Ahead

Once you’ve finished the initial trim, brush out your bangs. If any strands stick out or look too blunt, pull them out and trim them a bit, holding your scissors at the downward diagonal angle. Try not to snip off more than a quarter of an inch of hair at a time.

Resist the urge to make the cut perfectly symmetrical, so you don’t accidentally end up with baby bangs — unless that’s the look you’re going for.

Bonus Tips!

• Cuticle scissors: If you don’t have kitchen scissors, or just want to do some maintenance, using cuticle scissors will help thin your bangs out. Pulling small sections of hair out between your fingers, point the cuticle scissors at an upward angle into the hair and gently trim just to clean up the ends. If you have thinner hair, be very careful with this step so you don’t make your bangs too sparse.

• A razor: For a more textured look, use a razor on damp bangs. Working from the middle outward, comb out strands of hair about a third of an inch thick and hold them taut between your fingers. Holding your razor upright in your other hand, move the blade down on the strand to trim the edges of each piece.

This guide is based on interviews with Jayne Matthews, the co-owner of Edo hair salons in the Bay Area; Jen Atkin, the founder of Ouai Haircare, and Christo, the owner of Christo Fifth Avenue in New York.