The Stylist-Approved Trick to Trimming Your Own Split Ends at Home (2024)

When it comes to big hair changes, we recommend saving 'em for the pros — but when done right, it's totally possible to freshen up your layers, trim your (already-existing) bangs or nix split ends at home when you're desperate and can't make it to the salon for a cut every six to eight weeks.

The key is to start small with a few careful snips — and to go slow. You can always take more hair off, but you can't add back what you've already chopped! If you're cutting your hair while it's wet, remember it will look even shorter once it dries, so snip with extreme caution. In fact, if your strands are curly or you're wavy-haired, only cut your hair when it's dry so you can get a better idea of what the final look will be. If you have straight hair, you can cut while it's wet or dampen it with a spray bottle first to get the cleanest, sharpest lines possible.

Before you get started, you'll want to invest in a pair of razor-sharp styling shears designed specifically for the task, like Equinox Professional Shears, for the best-looking cut (and the healthiest hair) possible. Dull edges on household scissors could potentially give you even more split ends (plus, ew, cross-contamination). Now that you've got the basics down, we've rounded up the best instructional videos below to help you cut your own hair at home, no matter what kind of cut you're looking for.

Anyone with straight hair can use these foolproof methods to make sure your DIY cut is nice and even. Bring hair to the front and snip at an angle or straight, depending on if you prefer a rounded or blunt shape to your cut.

If you're struggling with split, frayed ends but you don't want to lose any length (or if you don't trust yourself to give yourself a "real" haircut), this method shows you how to target split ends and snip them without changing the shape or length of your current cut. This allows you to go some extra time between hair appointments and keep your hair looking great in the meantime!

If you have thick, curly hair, cutting your hair at home is all about sectioning your layers and making minor cuts to your ends for healthier hair to extend the length between professional trips to the salon. This style is layered with bangs, but you can also just trim the ends of your hair using the same technique.

Getting a perfectly even DIY cut can be tricky, but this tried-and-true method for achieving layers at home is great for beginners. Smooth hair into a ponytail at the top of the hairline near the forehead (hence the "unicorn ponytail" method), pull hair forward and snip ends. The sharper the angle, the more drastic the face-framing layers will be.

To maintain a short pixie style, Kaye uses clippers, shears and lots of clips (and patience) on her semi-relaxed hair. Parting hair evenly, clipping hair back tightly and carefully combing through hair is crucial for this precise cut.

We repeat: Cutting bangs at home is not for beginners! But if you already have blunt bangs straight across your forehead, side-swept bangs, or parted curtain bangs, freshen up your fringe with these tips. YouTuber Stella Cini also advises against making the first-time chop on your bangs at home: "Please make sure you know what you're sort of doing before you do it — or do it like me on a wig."

This YouTuber shares her trimming technique for her gorgeous natural locks. For her, it's all about detangling and using your fingers for a more precise cut, and using already-cut hair as a guide to keep everything nice and even.

While we advise saving any drastic chops for the pros, this YouTuber makes removing about four or five inches from her hair look easy. If you're already a pro at cutting your hair at home and want to take it further, make sure you flat iron hair to ensure it's uniform and ready for a blunt bob cut before reaching for the shears.