The first, and most important, step is to invest in some high quality professional hair scissors.  I say “invest” because these are generally more expensive than your standard kitchen or office scissors, but are a long term value that will make a great difference in your bang maintenance efforts.  Professional hair shears are made from higher quality metal and are designed to snip hair, rather than bend over the blade, which can result in tearing or ripping (and a “what the heck was I thinking?” moment).

Start by dividing your DRY bangs into three separate sections.  Wet hair will fool you on the length of the hair, so dry bangs are key.  Take one section, twist it gently (one or two rotations) and snip the ends using your professional hair shears.  Don’t cut straight across, but rather vertically.  This will help prevent a blunt edge.  Repeat with the other two sections and comb or fluff your bangs and look for any stray strands that need to be trimmed.

Hair cutting professionals use high quality hair cutting shears or professional hair scissors.  The reason for using these hair scissors  and not the cheapest craft scissors at the dollar store is clear:  the better the scissors, the better the hair cut.

Professional hair scissors should be made from a high quality metal that is free from nicks or cuts.  It is important that the blades are sharp, and while they shouldn’t need sharpened after every use, a hair cutting professional should pay attention to how many cuts he or she can perform between each sharpening.

In order to keep their hair scissors in good shape, remember a few simple rules for their care.

Rule one: Always, always, always clean the hair scissors after each use.  Rinse them with soap and water to prevent bacteria and germ build-up.

Rule two: Sterilize the hair scissors with a non damaging formula.  It is not necessary to sterilize the hair shears after each use, but before doing so, be sure that the formula is gentle enough to prevent harm.

Rule three: Store hair scissors in a dry place.  To avoid moisture, keep the scissors in a holster or in a place where they are sure to stay away from water or any wet environment.

Rule four: Don’t be afraid to oil hair scissors if they are in constant use.  Proper and occasional oiling can prevent rust and maintain proper movement in the shears.

And finally, rule five: Never, ever use hair shears on anything except for hair.  These tools are called “hair scissors” for a reason and using them on anything else can damage the blades and prevent them from doing their job.