I don’t know about you, but I have a very tumultuous and volatile relationship with my bangs.  I cycle  from obsessive need for them, to getting them, to  hating them vehemently.  I then proceed to grow them out again. Then just when I reach the happy place where the forward danglers get in line to fit behind my ears with the rest of my obedient hair I start the cycle again.  I mean if this is the biggest problem in my life I consider myself lucky, but for real what is up with bangs?!

So the bang or fringe area is probably less then 10% of your total hair mass of your head however it has the most impact of the style in your hair as it’s right at the front.  A bang creates a ton of impact to someones face.  It can make someone look younger, older, edgier, or hot mess.  If you have been considering bangs here are some things to think about.

When should you cut them.  Sounds weird but if you have never had them before its not a good idea to cut them in the middle of summer. If you’re a forehead sweater it really sucks to have stringy sweaty dangly pieces stuck to your forehead.  Humidity can be a real bummer too unless you want that amazing curly hair bang.  This would be a good exception for a summer bang. If you work out a lot many of the above things apply here as well.  As a solution you could always do a daily bang wash and style if you really want them.  I’ve been reduced to the morning brush teeth then wash bang routine and it wasn’t that bad, but see bang life cycle in first paragraph.

What type of bang to get? (in my opinion safest to almost question your life decisions level)

Face frame Layer- not quite a bang really but a fairly short  layer  that starts about mid jaw to just below chin.  It allows a bit of shape but its long enough to just get behind your ear and its fairly easy to style

Long side bang- usually starts around bridge of nose and is cut on an angle to one side or the other. Its also suitable for curly hair as well. Still fairly easy to style offering a bit of a sassiness and can add some mystery as it tends to almost cover an eye (watch out when your driving and eating)

Straight bangs- (thin) very up and coming. Reminds me of 90’s.  Its just a thin wispy section of hair cut at brow length. Fairly easy to style and offers a bit of coverage for the forehead without an over powering feel.

Curtain bang- super trendy right now. Middle cut to just longer than between the eyes and both sides of bang are left longer. Quite a thick section of hair is used. Curtain bangs can be cut at different starting and ending points but the longer you go it just turns into more of a long side bang look.  Its a bit of all in or nothing type of bang. Your cowlicks in the front can start to affect the way the bangs sit the shorter they are cut. I find I notice this way more around the right between the eyes length.  If you usually don’t wear your hair in the middle or even off centre you will have to retrain your bangs to part differently to get the full affect of these show stopper bangs.

Straight bangs- (thick) always in style somewhere.  High impact and edgy.  Can be hard to style and requires lots of maintenance.  Must be cut frequently to maintain the style and is a bit more difficult to grow out as its a pretty thick section. Styling can take a bit longer as straight ironing them too is a common requirement. Sounds like I don’t like them however I do love them!

Baby bangs- Proceed with caution. Absolutely high impact and really trendy edgy.  Usually cut somewhere in the middle of the forehead.  No cowlick will go unexposed so I recommend a seasoned hair bang person.

All bangs can be cut for the individual wearer in a way that is personalized by adding layers and texturing. Cutting length to suit bone structure and to suit the clients features takes a trained eye. After cutting the bang for the first time the hair needs another cut or two to perfect while follicles are settling into a shorter length.  So don’t give up right away.  At the end of the day I love the option for a quick impact change, and if its not your thing remember… hair grows.