Should I get bangs? Read this first

Bangs. They can detract a good four years from the face because they make you look younger, girlish even. Every woman, myself included, has one bad bangs story -- typically, it involves a do-it-yourself disaster back when she was 15 years old. What I did was follow Seventeen magazine's guide for cutting your own "wisps." What I got, in the end, was a set of sideburns. What the hell are wisps, anyway, but uncertain bangs? Sort of like the milquetoast version of a full-on commitment to forehead fringe.

Kate Moss and Halle Berry are no cowards when it comes to bangs. Both women have been spotted with a new curtain of hair above their eyes. Moss went all out with the big bang. Berry opted for a side bang that I like to refer to as the pony forelock. I once asked a stylist at Frederic Fekkai  for a "pony's forelock" and even showed him a picture of a palomino to illustrate what I wanted. Was I laughed at? Yes. Did I get a lovely forelock that I could flip to the side? You bet.

On the fence about taking the plunge? Know some facts about bangs before you commit:

1. If you have curly hair, stop reading now. Bangs work best for straight or marginally wavy hair. The whole point of getting bangs is to make life easier, so don't go for it if you will be forced to coerce severe curls or cowlicks to behave every morning.

2. Bangs can disguise a wide forehead or even a receding hairline, if cut properly. They can also make a long face appear shorter and minimize a round face. The good news is that there are as many variations on bangs as there are face shapes.

  3. Bangs, like explosives, should be handled by professionals. If you're not yet old enough to vote, go ahead and cut away. Otherwise, go to a salon and let a stylist create your new look. Always bring a picture when getting a dramatic, new look and tell the stylists how much time you can devote to re-creating that style.

4. Bangs take about three months to grow out for someone with shoulder length or longer hair. All the more reason to reread the last fact.

5. Bangs draw attention to your eyes. Notice how Moss and Berry both opted for a smoky eye to play up that feature? I like a heavily kohled punk rock eye with long bangs -- it's as tough and sexy as my idol, Chrissie Hynde.

Got a bad bangs story? Tell us about it. Don't skimp on the details. And if you know of a great stylist in Los Angeles who can cut bangs like nobody's business,  share it with us here.

Comments

[lulu brooks]

I cut my bangs when I was 5 with kiddie scissors and went all around my head and even cut a bald spot. I have a school picture to prove it! Fun story.

[Kay]

Yeah, I had bangs as a kid and then got it for the first time as an adult sometime in 98' when the look was also popular, and recently I decided to take the plunge again. Reese Witherspoon and the Urban Outfitter models were my inspiration to get it--well also the fact that I'm approaching my late 20s. It has taken years off my age and I think my sytlist Tammy of Salon Rviera in Redondo Beach did an amazing job---you can decide for yourself with the photos on my blog.

http://runoutofroad3.blogspot.com

[Liza Richardson]

summer between high school and college, i went to europe with a big tour group for 2 months. the trip turned out to be one long rush party for the soroity i later joined that fall. i guess the thetas must of had a good sense of humor because i spent the entire trip with basically no bangs -- it was a little sprout or spike rather where my bangs WERE, after i had burned them off my first night in london. i plugged in my curling iron with the electrical adapter i brought and, melt, i guess it overheated, they melted right off and stuck to the curling iron, no more bangs, just burned hair. i "rolled" with it and decided i looked punk and unique. i didn't really start any trends though since i haven't seen that look since! it was a cool look though and i may try it again someday. Liza

[Lia]

i have kind of wavy/a little curly hair but dont know if i should get side bangs. my hair isnt that curly so im unsure.