Have you ever bought a wig then put it on only to find out that it doesn’t quite look like it did in the picture? Or maybe you just want a fresh look on an old unit?
Whatever the reason, you’re probably wondering how to cut a wig. Even if you’ve tried before, it takes time to get the details just right. You can always hit up your favorite stylist for customizations, but when that’s not an option, there’s a few simple ways to update your wig from the comfort of your own home.
Here are some of our favorite tips for changing up your wigs including bang trims, texturizing, and even cutting the hair into a sassy, long bob. You don’t have to be a professional stylist to make some simple snips that transform your wig into a whole new look.
Get The Perfect Cut With the Right Tools
Before getting started trimming your wig, it’s essential to have the right tools. Of course, the first step for how to cut a wig is to have a good pair of scissors or shears. That means freshly sharpened and preferably, designed for cutting and trimming hair. A good pair of barber or hair shears can be pricey, so choose your investment based on how often you plan to trim your wigs. In addition to your scissors, here are a few other items to have on-hand:
- Thinning shears
- Rattail comb
- Spray bottle with water
- Clips
- Wig
- Pins (if you’re using a wig head)
- Wig brush
Even if you’re not a professional wig stylist, it makes a big difference when using higher quality tools. You’ll likely end up with a more accurate cut, clean ends, and a style you’re proud of.
Now that you’ve got your tools all lined up, let’s get started!
How to Cut Bangs on a Wig
One of the easiest ways to completely change your look is to cut bangs. Now, bangs don’t have to be just straight across. You can texturize them, side sweep, keep them longer, or create a baby doll look with super short, blunt bangs.
If you want bangs but aren’t sure how they’ll look, consider your face shape. Here’s a couple general quick tips for choosing a wig style to fit your face shape:
- Square or angular face: rounded or sweeping bangs to soften angles
- Round face: blunt cut to create more angles
- Heart shape: wispy bangs to give a softer, airy look
Regardless of your face shape, think about what you love and what makes you feel good. Bangs are a great way to add personality to your hair style, so think of this as a way to really express yourself!
How to Trim Bangs
To trim your bangs, you can either wear the unit, or pin it to a wig head to make sure it’s secure.
1) Gather the hair over the forehead that you’d like to cut, being sure that it’s even across your head. It may help to use a rattail comb to part the bangs away from the rest of hair.
2) If the wig doesn’t have bangs yet, wrap a hair tie where you’d like the length of bangs to be. Cut just below the hair tie so that you have the beginnings of bangs. Remove the tie and comb out bangs.
3) Gently pull the bangs down and make sure they’re smooth. Flip bangs over once towards the center of your forehead so that the bangs are evenly gathered.
4) Pinch the hair at your desired length, keeping hair taut. If your wig is curly or wavy, make sure you pinch lower than the desired length. This is because when you make the cut, the hair will bounce up, appearing shorter.
5) Use very sharp scissors to make one, very straight cut across the bangs.
6) Comb back out to see where additional trims may be needed. If one side is longer, use your shears to make small snips to the tips of the bangs.
How to Texturize Your Bangs
If you have bangs, but would like them more texturized and wispier looking, here are steps to create that look:
1) Pull a small section of bangs straight up away from your head and pinch near the ends so that the tips of bangs are above your fingers.
2) The bangs are probably shorter on one end. Take the shears and make small snips from the shorter end towards the longer end (towards your head).
3) When the bangs fall, it should have a more texturized look rather than perfectly straight across.
If your bangs feel bulky, you can use thinning shears to remove some of the hair. Before you do this, do not texturize the top layer of bangs. This could make shorter hairs stick up and be visible. To thin out bangs, follow these steps:
1) Lift top layer of bangs and place thinning shears around a small section of hair.
2) Make one cut and keeping the shears squeezed together, pull them away from the root of the hair to pull out excess hair.
3) Continue across bangs until they reach your desired density.
How to Trim Layers on a Wig
If you’re happy with the overall length of your wig but want to bring in layers and texture, it’s time to grab your thinning shears and get to work. If you have a wig head, it’s helpful to pin the unit firmly into the wig head. This will also give you a more evenly layered style than trying to cut with the unit on your head.
1) Use a spray bottle to wet the hair and comb it out, removing any tangles.
2) Choose where you want the layers to fall, splitting the top layer of hair from the bottom by clipping it up. The bottom section of hair will be the overall length of the unit. You can also create smaller sub-sections if you want more than two layers.
3) Pull the front of hair alongside of your face away from the rest of hair, creating two sections on either side of face. You will layer this last.
4) Grab a small section from the layer you want to cut and squeeze the end of that section between your middle and index fingers, as if your fingers were scissors. Your fingers should squeeze at the spot where you’d like the layer to be.
5) Using your cutting shears, snip upwards at a 45-degree angle toward your hand, being careful not to cut your skin.
6) Repeat this for the entire layer and then let the hair fall, combing as needed to check for consistency.
7) Continue this process for each layer you’re creating.
8) Unclip the two front sections and comb them straight.
9) Choose the angle you want the front sections to be, remembering that front layers are typically shorter than the rest of hair.
10) Trim the hair that falls around your face at the length you’d like the layers to fall.
11) You can create different sections if you’d like multiple front layers, or keep one layer.
12) Follow the same layering steps that you did for the rest of hair until all front layers have been created.
13) Comb out all hair and make additional trims where necessary.
How to Cut a Wig: Make it Shorter with a Long Bob
There are a number of ways you can cut and style shorter hair, but we’re going to tell you the basics for cutting a straight, longer unit into a stylish, long bob.
1) Part the hair in the way you want it to be styled and flat iron to get the hair completely straight for a nice, even cut.
2) Separate the hair into 3 sections: two sides and the back. Wrap a hair tie around each section at your desired hair length.
3) Make an initial cut straight across, just below the hair tie. Take out tie and brush hair to see where it falls.
4) If you’re happy with the length and are not creating layers, use sharp shears to even out the bottom of hair. If you want to add in layers, return to the steps above for how to trim a wig with layers.
Style Your Wig, Your Way
If you’re not totally confident in how to cut a wig or style a wig, don’t worry–Mayvenn stylists can help! Check out our hair and learn more about how to get that style you’ve always wanted.
