How To Cut Face-Framing Layers At Home, According To A Stylist

Prep Your Hair

Ensuring the hair and scalp are clean is the key to doing this correctly. This will ensure there is no product build-up or sebum (naturally produced oil) weighing the hair down at the roots, which would cause the hair to lay differently after it's washed. So make sure your hair has been recently washed and is free of all products. 

Then, you will do one of two things: leave your natural texture intact and let it air dry 80% of the way, or smooth out your texture if that's how you usually wear it daily. The point is to cut your hair the way it's worn so you can notice how and where the hair wants to fall. Do not curl, straighten, or use hot tools to style your hair.

"For my curly girls, before cutting, you want to make sure your hair is prepped, "says celebrity stylist Graham Nation. He suggests starting with a moisturizing product, such as SexyHair Healthy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner, and drying as usual. "Your curls are going to react to this every day, so you want to make sure you’re starting off on the right foot," he reiterates. "Using your fingers to section, create a small horseshoe from the top of the left eyebrow to the top of the right eyebrow. This is your fringe section. Don’t use a comb because you don’t want it to be perfect. The best curly hair isn’t perfect!"

If you're wondering why we aren't cutting the hair while it's wet, it's because our hair will naturally shrink once it's dried. For a DIY home cut, we don't want any surprises. By cutting your hair while it's dry, we'll be able to cut the hair in response to its cues, not against them. It will also give you a better visual of any dried-out split ends that need to go. Simply put: leave the wet cuts for the pros.