How to give yourself an “air fringe” and “curtain bangs” at home, according to professional Korean hairstylists

We’ve all seen the TikToks and YouTube videos of hilariously terrible do-it-yourself haircuts online. From full-on buzzcuts to poorly trimmed layers, these are just a few of the haircut mishaps that have happened during quarantine.

While many have become a victim of the “pandemic bangs” disaster, that doesn’t mean jumping on the bandwagon is always a bad idea, especially if you’re guided by professional hairstylists.

With the proper technique and the right fringe for your face shape, bangs can instantly frame your face in a whole new way and change up your look without having to spend a single cent.

To help you out, here are some methods shared by Korean hairstylists that you can use to achieve an “air fringe” or “curtain bangs” at home.

Air fringe method

 

Also known as “see-through fringe”, air bangs are a thin layer of fringe that ends around the eyebrows. It allows your forehead to peek through, thus framing your features subtly without blocking your forehead as denser bangs do.

To execute this style yourself, hairstylist @haum_h, from Instagram-famous Haum Hair Salon, recommends using a hair clip to achieve an even trim during the cutting process.

To start, take a small triangular portion of hair at the front of your head and tuck the rest behind your ear.

Next, clamp it flat with a clip such that the bangs are spread out evenly, and then twist the section around while moving the clip downwards.

You can also fix another clip at the length you wish to cut as a guide. Take a pair of scissors and trim the ends into a triangle shape. This is to keep your fringe slightly angled down on both sides.

Remove the clip and blow it out with a round brush or hair roller to give your new bangs more volume!

Curtain bangs method

 

Unlike the air fringe, curtain bangs are typically longer. They are short in the middle and extend to the ears, sometimes even to the corners of the lips. Due to its wispy nature, this fringe is extremely low-maintenance and flattering for most face shapes.

For these bangs, hairstylist @daeunnn____ uses the length of one knuckle of her finger to determine how far her fringe will part on her head. Using this as a guide, she also grabs a triangular portion of hair and combs it forward.

Depending on how long you want your curtain bangs to be, trim the bangs straight across at your preferred maximum length.

Then, using your thumb as a benchmark, grab an even smaller triangular portion of hair from that bunch with a comb. Trim it to the shortest length of your curtain bangs.

Next, hold both triangular portions of hair on each side with your fingers, and slowly trim it diagonally to create the curtain effect.

For the finishing touches, use a flat iron and some soft wax to style and add texture to your curtain bangs!

Baby hair bangs method

 

If you’re not ready to commit to bangs yet, you can try out baby hair bangs. Instead of cutting an actual fringe, this style makes use of your baby hairs to create a faux fringe that frames your face.

Hairstylist @yeovvun first singles out three small portions of hair with a clip — one from the middle of the forehead and two from the sideburns.

Pulling all three ends towards the tip of the nose, the hairstylist then uses her thumb as a guide and cuts the ends in a triangle shape.

After trimming, she puts the hairs up into hair rollers to give them a slight curl for more volume.