Bangs: A good or bad decision?
Multi-Masking
I’m actually not totally sure how to answer the question in the title!
I’ve concluded one main point about bangs that I consider it my duty to share with you here: Bangs are fussy.
They aren’t always on your side, you know? Sometimes they turn on you and they ambush your otherwise cute hair. Other times, they are the icing on the cake, and can perhaps even save a bad hair day.
So if you are okay with unpredictable, sometimes really fun and other times rather annoying, go for it.
To expound a bit more, I’m the kind of girl that likes to do my hair in the morning and not really think about it again for the rest of the day. I don’t have, or want, to spend time fixing it, re-doing it, or changing it. Usually I’ll pull my hair up by the end of the night, but if I put effort into styling it, I’ll likely wear it down all day.
The bangs require a bit more attention, so I find that I’m checking on them a bit more often than I imagined. I’ve also found that I look like I’m about 12 years old if my hair is styled but I’m not wearing any makeup. I’m okay with looking young, but not *that* young!
So am I glad I did it? Yes, I am. They were a fun change and distracted me from my boredom with the rest of my hair as it continues to grow. My hair has never been this long, and while I’m definitely enjoying it long, this might be a one and done hair length for me! I’m a shoulder length bob girl at heart!
Those are my thoughts on them, in case that helps you if you are deciding. The day I cut them I really had to convince myself that it’s just hair and it will grow, which is very true, but it was certainly a completely different look for me!
Read more about my decision to try bangs here!
comments
I loved when you had shoulder length hair, although your long hair is stunning as well! I recently cut my hair shoulder length and LOVE it but don’t think I’m ready for a bang. I don’t like having to fix my hair throughout the day either!
Great post!!
xo
http://www.polishedplaid.com
I LOVE your hair with a fringe (UK word for bangs!) Kate, you look young and fresh! 🙂
You’re darling with or without!
What lip are you wearing?
I love the bangs on you. I know if I gave myself bangs, I would regret the decision 3-4 weeks later when I grew tired of messing with them. But you make having bangs look tempting. Where did you get that shirt? That color is so beautiful!
I love them on you! A tutorial on how you style / manage them would be awesome! Mine are always greasy by day 2 and I end up twisting & pinning them back until my next wash.
Amy–get The Living Proof dry shampoo! It works WONDERS!
Thanks, Lauren! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
That color looks great on you!
It must be something to do with the time of year…I”ve just had mine cut back in too.
I think they look fabulous on you, but I totally get where you’re coming from. They never worked well on me and I made my stylist swear she’d never let me do them again! I just can’t deal with how fussy they can be! You’re lucky you can do so many things with your hair!
Your bangs are totally cute! I’m a victim of double bang-area cowlicks, so bangs have always been very precarious for me. I’ll just live vicariously through your bangs… 🙂
~Jenny
http://www.introvertsguidetosobriety.com/
I love you with bangs! You look absolutely adorable, they make you look so
Youthful! NEW POST- http://www.oliviaschueller.com/?p=706
I love them….everyone has the typical no bangs or long bangs. They look great. Ps I love your top…details?
My question is how do you get through the grow out stage? I’m going through the grow out phase and keep cutting them because I don’t know what to do with them in the in between phase.
I had straight across bangs for a while and felt the same way – too fussy!! They required so much more effort to look good than my normal hair, so I let them fall by the wayside 😉
Kristina does the Internets
I think you are one of the few women who can pull off bangs really well. And the length of your hair is perfect! I’m still trying to grow mine out from getting it cut shorter than I intended this past winter. You always look lovely and inspiring! I only wish I could come to you for help with my hair.
I have been wanting a pixie for years and always said “some day”. I’m thinking that day may be here. I also keep telling myself, it’s only hair. I know once I do it, I will either love it or instantly regret it. I’ll never know until I do it.
Not a big fan of them… :/
I’m the exact same way with my hair! It was the longest its ever been last winter and I always got compliments on it, but I’m a shorter hair kind of girl!
Kate you took 10 yrs off! Love them! I did d the same thing years back and I will always have bangs! You look like you lightened up your hair as well? Will you post what colors you are using now? You look great as always!
“Fussy” is a perfect word for bangs! I decided to try some about a month or so before you did and there are days when they are fab and days where I twirl them and pin them back with a bobby pin and think, “Why did I do this?” I’m afraid I’m frying them by using the straightener on them too often! You look great with or without them!
I love your bangs but I totally understand what you’re saying. I think I live my life either in a “bang” phase, or a “growing out my bangs” phase! LOL
That’s me, too, Sandy!
Love the bangs on you, but I agree that they are more work. They are definitely a big change for a lot of people, but I think you made the right choice!
Angela / Blush & Pearls
I like your bangs. I can’t not have bangs I look horrible with no bangs. Keep the bangs.
I love the bangs on you – I think they really suit your face! I’ve had bangs a few times. I have to really be in a certain mood to like bangs. And it takes a lot of work to get my hair to go forward over my forehead instead of away from it like it naturally wants to. Right now I’m in a no-bangs phase. I have, like, long face-framing bangs. I can let them fall over my forehead or really blowdry them back. And they look really cute when I have a natural curly day. I get these face framing curls that remind my friends of the hairstyles in Pride and Prejudice. 🙂
Love your bangs…I just got some again right before you did. They look fun & refreshing! I, too, would love a bangs tutorial. I think maybe you did one a while back, but it would be nice to see an updated one. Thanks!
I like them! You are lucky to wear either. I am waiting for your cutting tutorial on them 🙂
I love the bangs! This coming from someone that really doesn’t have a choice…with my big forehead I HAVE to have bangs! I agree, fussy is a great word for them! I would love to see a tutorial from you on how you do yours. You look wonderful with and without bangs!
You’ve never looked better! Bangs are adorable on you and your longer hair is beautiful
I mean, is this for real? I don’t even understand the point of leaving such a comment.
I still think you are rocking the bangs quite well, Kate!
http://www.backwardsnhighheels.com
There is this wonderful button for the admin to just erase comments and people like this. I wish I would have such a button for more ugly, poisonous people around us in the world and just reduce them to what they are…nothing of consequence!
Smile, pass it over and never even waste a thought about it Kate, they ‘ll never touch your class!
Loved your shoulder length hair as well, inspired me to have it grow longer :O)
Yeahhhhh last time I cut bangs I regretted it immediately. Then it took them forever to grow out. Will probably never do that again. Unless it’s a long side bang.
I LOVE the color of your top!
Your bangs look great!! I have bangs and absolutely HATE dealing with them, but I think I look much better with them so I deal with them!
Had bangs practically my whole life until about 5 years ago. I always thought I needed them, but not anymore. I recently had my hair cut back into an above-shoulder bob from slightly below the shoulder. Loved my hair that length, but my schedule changed and it took too long to curl it every morning. (Oldest son went to college and hubby changed jobs so now I’m back to taking my youngest to school every morning before work.) So I’m back to a bob (but not inverted this time) and it takes less time to straighten; then when I have more time, I curl it (my youngest son prefers it curled lol). Your bangs made me rethink getting bangs again but I agree they are fussy and since my goal is to decrease my “hair-fixin” time I think I’ll hold off for now.
You totally rock your bangs! I have always had some form of bangs whether it be a side bang of a full bang. There are days where I love them and then other days I can’t stand them. I found that I do this twist and pull back with a bobby pin on days I don’t want to deal with them. Especially when they have grown out and need cut!
It’s always fun to do something fun with your hair. Thankfully it’s one thing that grows if you don’t like it.
Is there a certain product that you use on your bangs?
Thank you!!!!! Your post is oh-so-timely! I was seriously considering getting bangs cut but your description of the fussiness is just what I remember from the last time I had them and how quickly I decided to grow them back out. Thank you!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!
Kate, you are cracking me up. Who would have thought bangs would cause such a tizzy?!?!?
At my appointment last week, I asked my stylist to bring back my bangs. I’m two years without and I miss them. She refused until NC decides it is no longer summer. She was right. Who wants to be sweaty with bangs? So hopefully December. We will see.
After growing out my bangs for approximately 2 super long years back in elementary school, I swore I would NEVER get bangs again. I have held true to that promise and plan to continue to go without them in order to avoid the misery of growing them out again!
I just achieved a bang grow out and fussy is the perfect descriptor for bangs. I really loved having bangs and it was such a fun distraction to let my hair grow out. But I find that I walk this ultra fine line with bangs between too little and too much hairspray. Then there’s the other line of too curled vs. too straight… Most days mine ended up pinned back with a bobby pin.
Let me second the request for more information on the cut and maintenance of your bangs. even your hyperlink to Reece showed pictures of bangs at varying lengths and fullness. And once you have them, what products do you use and how do you style them?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the bangs on you! So much so that I immediately sent your pic to my stylist and asked her if she thought I could pull them off. Fast forward a couple of weeks and I now have bangs! I don’t think they look as good on me as they do but like you said “YOLO”. I was in need of change! I was really hoping you would do a blog post going into detail about how you style them, how you do a maintenance cut on them and the tools you use (scissors). Can you tell I’m new to bangs?!? 🙂
I know what you mean, but honestly Kate, you rock bangs! With your background it can’t be that difficult for you to get them to behave. When my bangs get to be about 3 weeks old, they start flipping up on the ends no matter what I do. They have a mind of their own and it drives me crazy.
It’s a really change for you and I like how they look on you. But, I had them mys of about eight-years ago and I loved them to begin with but then not so much. You are lucky because you can trim your own bangs, but going in for bang trims was difficult to fit in before and then I’d get them and think my bangs look good but the rest of my fair doesn’t know. I try to go ever three-months for a haircut and the last month and a half, I didn’t like my hair. But if I didn’t get the bang trim, they got annoying and in your way all the time. I can imagine as a mom with small kids, bangs isn’t easy to do every day with them — finding the time. Even if you put the rest up, you still need to style your bangs and that’s annoying. Best of luck. It is only hair and I’m sure you will just grow soon 🙂 ?
I LOVE the look of bangs!! You pull it off well!
I think it depends on the hair type- my hair naturally would take a LOT of work to tame, (Yes, fussy is a perfect word!) so definitely not in my season w/young kiddos, but you look great with bangs, and they seem natural look for you!! It makes me tempted to chop mine 😉 You’re lucky to be able to go either way!
I completely understand your feeling that bangs require a little more fussing. I found that to be especially true in heat and humidity. I preferred bangs when my overall hairstyle had more layers and the bangs connected to the other layers, once I grew out the layers it just didn’t seem that the bangs blended well anymore and they just looked droopy. So I went with a long side swept bang and that has been much better for me. It’s a nice middle road.
I think bangs look cute on you, but totally agree with bangs being fussy! I like your hair long, but I LOVED it short. Your hair was really bouncy, and it really suits you! 🙂 I just chopped my hair off to a lob and I LOVE it!! My hair doesn’t feel so dragged down anymore (I have heavy, thick, wavy hair) and I feel so refreshed with a new style! 🙂
Bangs are so hard! I had them for years and loved them 80% of the time but finally got sick of them and grew them out. The growing out process is the worst though and it’s always what I go back to when I consider cutting them again. I do love your bangs though, I think they work really well with long hair.
I’m so over my bangs I cut about the same time you did. I hate “fussy”. Is there a way we can get them trimmed to blend them in more maybe to the side???
When my bangs get to be about 3 weeks old, they start flipping up on the ends no matter what I do. They have a mind of their own and it drives me crazy.
Kate, I’d really love to see your definition of a shoulder length bob please, because when I have asked for a bob cut in the past, I’ve always ended up with something too short that takes forever to grow back down again. I have also recently had a fringe/ bangs cut in and wondered why I didn’t have it years ago. Xx
You’ve lost weight!!! You look tiny in this photo!
I love the bangs on you!
Would you recommend bangs for somebody with very thin hair? 🙂
I love the color of your shirt! Where is it from?
Your bangs look so cute! I cut mine about 10 months ago and I love them! However, you’re right- their fussy. Also, on windy days I kind of regret it. But when they’re good, they’re great! So it makes up for the annoying windy/fussy days.
I’ve had bambs since the 5th grade, and I graduated high school in 2004 so you do that math ??They were originally done by a family friend who cut my hair, and I still vividly remember,bee her looking at me and saying, “Sarah, you have a big forehead. Bangs will help cover that up.” I’ve tried a few times over the decades since to grow them out, but always end up freaking out because my forehead looks so weird and breaking down and cutting them back in. So, now I’m the girl with the bangs. But once every 10 or so years, when bangs try to make a comeback, hair stylists will compliment me for my “bold choice.”I count that as a win.
I am so with you! I grew my hair out and had it long for a couple years. It looked good, but I never felt like it was ME. I always had a stylish bob, something clean, healthy and confident. I felt like an impostor with long hair. 🙂
Love the bangs on you would hate them in me!! I cute bangs a few years ago and only wore them once. Everyday I would push them back or pin them off to the side. I would love to see Kate with a shorter haircut. I don’t know how with two kids under 3 you even have the time to deal with long hair. I cut my hair once I had my daughter and love the shoulder length hair. I can blow dry and style my hair in such a short time.
I love your bangs and long hair style. I recently saw your video you posted on Facebook within the last couple of days, in which your hair is done straight. I have straight hair and seeing your hair in that way convinced me I want to give me hair a little refresh. What should I tell me hair stylist so she is able to cute my hair and bangs like yours?
Thank you!!!
Meghan
My hair is fine and I like the look of bangs, just not on me because of how thin my bangs look. Any suggestions?
HI Kate! I love these bangs. I have a question. I had bangs that looked exactly like this. When I got them trimmed, the stylist took some of the wispy longer pieces and cut those to be more bang. So now my bangs are too wide and look like someone put a bowl over my head! Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem? I appreciate any advice, but understand you’re extremely busy. Love your blog!