I need (more) advice: hairstyle/cut

[melikai]

I promise I won't ask for anymore advice....today. :)

I have sidebangs, which I cut myself - as you can likely tell. Thing is, I'm really unhappy with how they lie. They just seem blah. They don't really lie across my forehead, but look like I parted my hair on the side and randomly cut off some chunks.

So my dilemma is this:

1. Should I cut them further to the side, so that they cover my forehead more? My hair parts naturally in the middle, but I was able to train my hair to part to the side, so I could probably train it to part even further over.

2. Should I grow them out and go bang-free? I like bangs because I can hide behind them (when they work), and because I have had forehead lines since I was a teen and am starting to get other fine lines. I dislike bangs because they get greasy easily, especially when I'm always touching them, trying to get them to look proper and bang-like.

Also, if #2 is a "yes", then should I continue to part my hair on the side where it is, or grow them out but part my hair further to the side?

Without further ado, and to help you all in your decisions, here are some links to larger pictures. Thoroughly embarrassing, but there's no way around it!

(Be kind, I'm very tired today ;))


The pitiful excuses for side bangs as they are now:

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/8864/deep2fb7.th.jpg (http://img139.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deep2fb7.jpg)

http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/6399/deep4wf6.th.jpg (http://img55.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deep4wf6.jpg)

A mournful blurry face, showing how they usually lie (aka NOT LIKE BANGS!):

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/4539/deep5el2.th.jpg (http://img237.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deep5el2.jpg)

Vaguely how they'd look if I didn't have them, and kept my current part:

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/3671/deep3rd7.th.jpg (http://img366.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deep3rd7.jpg)

And finally, a picture showing sort of how it would look with my hair parted more deeply and/or with deeper side bangs:

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/1614/deep1vo5.th.jpg (http://img134.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deep1vo5.jpg)

(Here my face is saying, "Does this look a little bit like a toupee??)

Thanks for putting up with me. All I ask is that everyone be very honest.

:undecided

[yogachic]

The first few photos, your side part doesn't look as deep to me as the last half of photos. At first I was going to say, make your part a little deeper. You seem to have hair on the finer side. My vote is keep the side bangs, but I'm partial to them.

[Calista]

This is the picture I like best:




http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/4539/deep5el2.th.jpg (http://img237.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deep5el2.jpg)



From personal experience I´d vote for growing the bangs out. My bangs always were a pain in the neck for me, it´s such a relief to be rid of them! And you don´t have anything to "hide" as far as I can see. ;)

[ClareDee]

I'm generally a fan of side-swept bangs, but in this case, since they tend to lie almost completely to the side, I think you should grow them out. Maybe make your side-part a little bit deeper to compensate (but not extremely deep, or it could look unnatural and might be conspicuous).
I do like the look of the last picture, but it seems like a style that would be hard to maintain. Those bangs would have to be constantly clipped back or tucked behind your ears, to keep them off your face. I think it would end up being too maddening to keep pushing them back (for me it would, anyway).

FWIW, my bangs (mis)behaved in much the same way when I had them. I still have a hankering for a fringe because of my high forehead, but the hair ends up resting where it wants to. And they were more side-hanging than side-sweeping, for me. Only if I spent time styling them into place would they stay 'swept' for a while. In other words, I feel your pain! :rolleyes:

[FrannyG]

I've found that with our hair type, it's either full bangs or no bangs. The side bang thing just doesn't seem to work on me either, with my fine, straight hair. If you don't want full bangs, and clearly you don't, then I suggest growing them out.

[dorothea-brooke]

I also vote for growing out! You have very nice bone structure and can pull off the bang-less look very well.

As far as upkeep, I have radically different hair from yours, but I think you should listen to your hair twin, FrannyG, who knows from experience!

:flower:

[spidermom]

I think you should grow them out, too. They'll add a little thickness to your ponytails, buns, etc.

[Tap Dancer]

I've found that with our hair type, it's either full bangs or no bangs. The side bang thing just doesn't seem to work on me either, with my fine, straight hair. If you don't want full bangs, and clearly you don't, then I suggest growing them out.

I agree with Franny. You'll look good with full bangs or no bangs, so it's up to you to decide which you'll be happier with. If you decide to grow them out, now is a great time because there are so many cute elastic-type headbands out there. They keep hair off of your face and you won't get those "headband headaches" the normal ones usually cause.

[Curlsgirl]

Another vote for Franny's post! :D

[melikai]

Thanks all you sweeties!

I actually *did* have full bangs for quite a while until I changed to side swept. The upkeep with full bangs was even more annoying! :rolleyes:


Sometimes I find I have no idea how my hair really looks or if it looks okay until I see a photo, but other people's opinions are even better.

You guys are really awesome!


Edit: I took more pictures of it middle parted, now that it has dried and is softer, and I actually quite like it. So that is my big decision (lol). Growing out the bangs and middle parting.

Thanks again to all. :)

[sapphire-o]

Your "side bangs" look pretty much like my side parted hair without bangs. If you grow it out and part on the side it should still look the same, except you can tuck it behind your ear. :)

[MsBubbles]

Oh wow! I haven't seen your other posts (been away from computer for a while). You have posted a similar issue to what I was considering asking about after this past weekend. You remind me of myself: hair and face (especially the mournful photo! :)). I personally prefer your look in the 4th pic down. I ditched my bangs about 10 years ago but kept my fine, thin, flat hair about chin to shoulder length that whole time, and poofed it out with endless blow drying and velcro rollers. It was still way better looking and easier to keep than ANY kind of forehead bangs but now my hair is longer (BSL) and my bangs are about APL, I was seriously considering cutting long bangs back into it again after a photo I saw of myself this past weekend :eek:.

I am interested in other people's take on your question and photos because of your hair type, color and face shape, so thanks for starting the thread.

[Jemoiselle]

I totally agree with Sapphire-o! Growing them out then tucking them behind your ear will give you the look of the last photo, without the hassle of making sure it is laying right, or constantly having to deal with it falling in your face. I have totally been in your shoes! I cut my long grown out bangs into side bangs, that totally flopped. It was terrible, and I went to a NICE salon too! My hair is just baby baby fine, and I have a cowlick I was trying to abuse lol. Now they are grown out again and I am so much happier! You're tired pics are lovely my dear, you should see mine. Oh wait--they are so bad I don't have any!!!! LOL

Jemoiselle

[Anje]

I'm biased toward the no bangs look, myself. Grow them out -- once they're long, they go nicely into updos and make your hair look thicker, they require less upkeep, and they don't fall in your way. I agree with Sapphire-o -- you can get the same look with them grown out if you side part and tuck them behind your ear, when you want it, and you won't have the hassle of bangs the rest of the time.

[Honey39]

I can't really tell that you've GOT a fringe (bangs, sorry, UK!). So I would grow them out, personally, because they're not really adding anything to your face. You have very pretty hair, btw!

The only thing would be if you wore updos, and they looked different then, and kind of framed the face, but that wasn't an option, so I guess that's not an issue.

I'm not a big fan of fringes (bangs), though, so I may be biased here, because I grew mine out years ago!!!

[melikai]

Oh wow! I haven't seen your other posts (been away from computer for a while). You have posted a similar issue to what I was considering asking about after this past weekend. You remind me of myself: hair and face (especially the mournful photo! :)). I personally prefer your look in the 4th pic down. I ditched my bangs about 10 years ago but kept my fine, thin, flat hair about chin to shoulder length that whole time, and poofed it out with endless blow drying and velcro rollers. It was still way better looking and easier to keep than ANY kind of forehead bangs but now my hair is longer (BSL) and my bangs are about APL, I was seriously considering cutting long bangs back into it again after a photo I saw of myself this past weekend :eek:.

I am interested in other people's take on your question and photos because of your hair type, color and face shape, so thanks for starting the thread.


You're very welcome, I hope you find an answer to your own (similar) hair dilemma!
Time and again I cut bangs into my hair, and no matter what they never work out. What I'm thinking I'm going to do now is part in the middle (well, it's very slightly off the middle because that's where it parts the easiest and doesn't interfere with my stupid cowlick there!), and grow out my bangs about 3 inches or so so that they are more face-framing side pieces.
I think/hope that this will give me the benefits of bangs that I like, without the hassle.

I like the side part, and as a few of you helpful ladies have suggested, I can always part it again on the side for the look of side bangs without the hassle. The only qualm I have about the side part on me is that when it is deep I feel like I have a conehead or a toupee or something! lol

Anyways, welcome back from wherever you were and thanks for your input too!

[melikai]

I totally agree with Sapphire-o! Growing them out then tucking them behind your ear will give you the look of the last photo, without the hassle of making sure it is laying right, or constantly having to deal with it falling in your face. I have totally been in your shoes! I cut my long grown out bangs into side bangs, that totally flopped. It was terrible, and I went to a NICE salon too! My hair is just baby baby fine, and I have a cowlick I was trying to abuse lol. Now they are grown out again and I am so much happier! You're tired pics are lovely my dear, you should see mine. Oh wait--they are so bad I don't have any!!!! LOL

Jemoiselle

Thanks so much - that is nice of you to say about my pics.

And the bangs on me *do* flop - they flop in every possible meaning of the word! I share your cowlicked, fine-haired, flopping bang pain.

I didn't want to bother people with more pictures of myself, so I posted a picture with my hair middle parted in my profile. I think it looks okay and will look nice as the bangs on either side grow out a bit.

[melikai]

Thanks to everyone for your responses! I get rather obsessively focused on these things every once in a while, and you all helped me to come to a decision. I know it's just hair and parts and bangs, but I feel SO much better just having changed it, and I feel that it suits me more too!

You all are seriously wonderful and I'm so happy I found out about this place!