3 Ways Cutting Your Own Bangs Can End Very, Very Badly (PHOTOS)

Why do we do it? Why do we cut our own bangs? Nearly every woman I know has made that beauty mistake at least once in her life, and we nearly always regret it. Sure, there's that one friend who insists she knows what she's doing and can cut her bangs perfectly. But most of us know DIY-ing it usually leads to woe and tears.

Heck, sometimes even when someone else does the cutting, we still regret the bangs!

So let's take a moment out of our busy days to look at photos of women with very bad bangs — and while we're giggling at their hair horrors, let's also find out what you can actually do about these terrible hair mistakes.

More from The Stir: How to Get the Perfect Bangs for Your Face

Have you ever had a good experience cutting your own bangs — or only bad, bad memories? 

Image © iStock/sdominick

You Hate Your Bangs: Now What?

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Danielle Moler/Flickr

"Bangs are the hardest part of the hair to cut," says celebrity hairstylist Mitch Stone. He recommends having a hairdresser fix the damage. But if you DIY it, "always be aware that you should do it very slowly, in minute little sections, chipping away at each one to remove bluntness and soften."

"Also make sure you always cut your bangs dry," Stone advises. "They tend to shrink up, and with cowlicks, it's always an illusion if it's wet!'

Your Bangs Are Too Short

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Richie Buxo / Splash News

Remember Mara Rooney's weird bangs from Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? Hers were on purpose (we think), but this is something women do accidentally all the time.

How to Fix Too-Short Bangs

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JannHuizenga

"You can cover up too-short bangs with headbands, head scarves, and so on," says Florida hairdresser Nelson Bray. "But in the end, you're still stuck with super short bangs until they grow out."

At his salon, Indigo Bliss Hairapy, he says stylists "believe in working with what you've got. Using a good gel or wax, you can spike them up for a punkier look, slick them to the side and back for a more sophisticated look, and more."

Your Bangs Are Lopsided

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iStock.com/Preslav

You got the length of your bangs right … on one side, anyway. What about when your bangs are lopsided?

How to Fix Lopsided Bangs

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Michael A. Keller/Corbis

"If your bangs are so off-balance that cutting more will make them too short, try a thicker Kabuki-style bang," suggests Bray. "You can pull more hair from the top and even out those layers."

You Have Jagged Bangs

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Alan Marsh/Design Pics/Corbis

You thought you were cutting straight across, but no. Your bangs are a jagged, uneven mess.

Fixing Jagged Bangs

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iStock/AVAVA

"Softer bad bangs look much better than blunt bad bangs. The fringed edges hide lots of mistakes," says David Todd, owner of David Frank Salon in Scottsdale, Arizona. "If they are too blunt or thick, hold them up with a comb — not your fingers — and cut straight into the tips."

"Hair color can help a lot!" Bray adds. "Using a highlighting color can help bangs look thicker or more even." But don't try that at home — Bray strongly recommends getting highlights from a professional.