...
Christopher Robbins/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Bangs can be tricky to cut to your liking and sometimes you can wind up with bangs that are too thick. The best way to get rid of bangs that are too thick is to only cut part of the existing bangs and allowing the excess hair to grow out. You can also thin out your bangs by layering them to cut out some of the excess hair. Cutting your own bangs is a relatively simple process but there are some tricks you should know to avoid a bang disaster.

Fill a spray bottle with water and use it to keep your bangs damp as you trim them. Keep in mind that wet hair will “shrink” and be shorter when it’s dry, so trim a little at a time and cut the final wet length about a 1/4-inch longer than you want them dry. Some prefer to trim their hair dry to avoid a “Prince Valiant” look.

Section and pin back all of your hair that you don’t want to be bangs. If you want your bangs to be thinner, you can pin back some of the existing bangs — the hair furthest from your brow line — and not trim it so it will grow out.

Comb the hair you wish to remain bangs across your brow.

Trim the bangs with the tips of the scissors pointed vertically into the hair, not straight across horizontally. Chop small pieces of hair in little bits vertically. If your don’t want blunt bangs, trim them shortest in the center then taper them a bit longer as you trim towards your ears.

Layer your thick bangs. Take a piece of your bangs between your middle and index finger and pull straight up. Allow some of the hair to fall loose and use the points of the scissors to trim this piece of bangs shorter than the rest. Continue pulling small sections up an cutting them shorter to layer and thin your bangs.