I love bangs but...

[MERMAIDED]

A couple of months ago I got my bangs cut and I love them. I used to have them years ago (grew them out for a change :p) and loved them even then and I love them now too. The problem is, it's summer and it's hot, plus I work in a factory so I mostly have them pinned to the side whole day. I love the way I look with bangs but at this point I'm questioning if it's worth keeping them for the sake of convenience or not. I don't feel like styling them almost every single day to make them look nice, especially if I'm not going anywhere and I sit at home the entire day.

I'd love to hear some thoughts from other forum members about this; do you have bangs, have you ever had them, why you grew them out if you did and maybe someone can point out some things I haven't thought about which would make my decisions easier. :) Thank you!

[ShilvaA]

I always had a side fringe... but it never sat right and ai could never be bothered with the effort of trying to force it to sit right. I kept promising myself to start styling it properly and never actually did it.

(It used to have a large gap... I had one small streak of hair...GAP and the the rest that would go to the side...)

I eventually decided that it was not worth the hassle, my old fringe is now collar bone length and I just want it to catch up to the rest of my hair!

[embee]

I had bangs, loved them, they suited my face really well. However..... I also had greasy skin and the bangs were *always* needing to be washed, sometimes twice or three times a day. That got very old. If I didn't keep them very clean I got zits, too.

Then I got glasses which changed my entire appearance, and the bangs kept getting caught in the hinges of the glasses and pulling. Between the glasses, the hinges, and the greasies it was just too much.

So I grew them out, which it took a long time and was very annoying because for some years they were still too short to reliably stay in an updo. Not planning to cut them in again. So easy to make, so hard to unmake! ;)

[lapushka]

I used to have bangs as a teen and I used to have to style them *every single day* - it sucked.

In my 20s, 30s, and now 40s: no bangs. I had a bout of bangs in my 20s, yes. But I grew out of them, I think with age. Also, the more I started to wear my hair in its natural state, the less bangs suited it (cowlicks, weird flicks in the bangs, no that wasn't it).

[pailin]

Sometimes I start to think I ought to have bangs to soften my face or something, until I remember all the reasons I always hated them back when I was in high school. I was never good at getting them to look good, and if I did they wouldn't stay. Also I live in a hot place now, so I'm pretty sure it's just end up pinning them back anyway. So I don't bother. But it sounds like you need to hear more from the pro-bangs side.

[Dendra]

I'm in a similar position, mine have grown to halfway down my nose. I never consciously decided to grow them out I just didn't have any hair scissors.

I'm torn because I like the way fringes look, but I dislike the feeling of something against my forehead the whole time. Especially in the heat.

Also, the last time I grew them out when I hadn't fully decided to let them go I ended up having them cut back in once they were past shoulder length. Maybe that will happen again this time because again I don't feel sure.

[Lisa Long4Life]

I've had mine for 5 years. Aapart from sometimes sleeping on my front and waking up with them sticking up or out in odd ways, I don't really have a problem with them :)

[tseh]

I had bangs many times. Sometimes straight and side-swept. I had them for a while and then I grew them out. And now I have side-swept bangs again. I like them but I have wavy hair so I style them about twice a week. Now that I don't dye my hair anymore so cutting bangs is nice change when I get bored.

[spidermom]

I had bangs for a couple of years but have grown them out. I didn't mind washing them more often than the rest of my hair, and it never took more than 5 minutes to blow them dry and style them, so I don't understand why others feel they're such a hassle. I grew them out because I was ready for a change.

[Prism]

I have bangs and I've grown them out before. I am somebody with a six-head (seriously) and a really square-shaped forehead. I've had a stylist come out and say that she thinks I should keep the bangs "because you, um, kind of have a big forehead." I don't believe that some of us need bangs, but I know what I'm comfortable with. Still, they annoy me. I have oily skin, and they get oily and clump up, and that's even with washing every day.

I'd really think long and hard about trimming your bangs again, especially if you've grown your hair out significantly. It takes soooo long to grow them. There are lots of pros and cons for bangs and no bangs.

[Obsidian]

I love bangs on me, I think I look better with them but they are a huge hassle. Not only do they curl every which way but with my oily skin, they get greasy within a hour or so and look gross. I just got tired of the constant washing, powdering and flat ironing.
Now they are down to my chin with the rest of my hair, not sure I like the overall look but most of the time my hair is up so it doesn't really matter.

[draysmir]

I'm growing out my bangs again, I like the way they look sometimes, but I find them too annoying and too inconvenient to keep them. I like my "bangs" between chin and collarbone length usually, they're long enough to go into my hair styles and not flop in my face when I have them down. :) My bangs get oily quite quickly, and I always leave them natural, so if they dry in an annoying way then I just have to pin them up. Since I've cut them in again, I probably only wear my bangs down 1-2 times a week anyway, so it really feels pointless to me to keep them. The only benefit bangs have for me is a change in my appearance. Once they're cut in though, they have served their purpose, so I immediately grow them out again. :p

[Larki]

I have bangs, and I've always had them (see here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=110540&page=366&p=3425456&viewfull=1#post3425456) and here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=110540&page=319&p=3346414#post3346414) for examples of my bangs. I don't find them hot at all in the summer (and I live in central California, it was 108F yesterday). I do get 'devil horns' if I let them grow too long or if they are greasy, they will curve out towards my ears, but otherwise they don't require any styling. I tend to do scalp only washes in the sink in between proper washes, which happen twice a week.

[Babyfine]

I had bangs/fringe for a long time but decided to grow them out to see if I could get a thicker ponytail and braid. I have BSL hair that is very fine and thin and I always thought I needed bangs for updo's and to look younger. Pre-LHC I would style them with a curling iron but I found that if I curled them with a sponge roller or large smooth metal roller I could smooth them out and get them to stay down. My current stylist has always talked me out of bangs, however, saying that I should grow them out and only keep a longer side bang if necessary(This is because bangs do take away from thickness and hair off the top of your head if you have fine,thin, hair. In fact a Rogaine stylist has suggested fine thin haired ladies should NOT have bangs per an article I read in Today called "what I wish I knew before cutting my fine, thin, hair). Recently I had my bangs completely grown out past my shoulders but got the idea in my head that I wanted bangs again so I had a side bang cut bang in(it's to my chin). I do like have the side bang with updo's, but honestly, I miss being able to put all my hair in a pony or braid, and my ponies and braids WERE thicker without the bangs. So I'm thinking of growing them out again.
Being over 60, though, I do think the bangs give a youthful effect, but I'm able to arrange my hair with a deep side part to get the same effect, so I'm gonna grow them out again.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I have bangs right now and I'm currently growing them out because 1. California is too hot right now, and bangs make it worse. 2. I've had the same bangs for 5 years and I'm ready for a change. 3. I have started to wear make up and style myself a little differently and because I wear glasses - bangs are either in the way, or just don't look right.

It's a process. I would tell anyone thinking about getting bangs to really really think about it because they are annoying to grow back out.

[lucid]

I have bangs, it suits my face the best. I have a cowlick that makes my bangs stay to the side like I want them to. So I don't have to style my bangs or anything like that. I sometimes wash just my bangs in the morning, and then let them airdry. Takes 3 minutes extra. :) I cut them myself as well, so they are super low maintenance.

[oatmeal1991]

I had very short baby bangs from about age 16 to when I started to grow them out at 24. I mainly grew them out because I felt like they just weren't my style anymore. I used to style them everyday, and that was a pain, but the last year or so of having them I embraced letting them do their own wavy thing (now I actually prefer "messier" bangs!). Sadly I don't have many tips for styling or keeping them out of the way, as mine were so short I couldn't pin them back or anything.

[Corvana]

There are clip in bangs. I debated getting some when I wanted bangs but only a couple times a week lol. Eventually I cut them in and did love them, but would have them twisted to the side more often than not. I didn't love them any less, of course, I just didn't really think about washing just them or anything, and put them up when they got gross or annoying.

If you love them, keep them. Or find some clip ins that match your hair well enough and grow out your hair. Even having them pinned back 90% of the time isn't really enough IMO to negate the enjoyment you get from them when they're styled and perfect. It's like with wearing the rest of your hair up: it's still there! It's just busy RN, come back later ;)

[Groovy Granny]

I always had bangs when I had short hair for many years, and decided to grow them out when I grew my hair long.
Occasionally the thought crosses my mind about cutting them back in, but my silver is too curly and they would be wonky 99.9% of the time :p
I brush all my hair back now, and really don't miss them or the maintenance TBH.
Go with your gut on this one,and weigh the pros and cons.....if having them is worth the effort for you (or not) :)

[Agnes Eliza]

I have had bangs since high school; a couple of times I tried to grow them out, but bangs simply suit my face better. I have had them for so many years that my established routine for taking care of them I perform as automatically as I brush my teeth, so I do not consider it a "chore" per se as I do not need to put conscious thought into it. However, most people likely would not have the inclination to take care of bangs to the extent I do. For me, though, the results are worth the effort. If you are happy without bangs as much as with them, then growing them out sounds like a good option. :)

[Emma Rose]

I cut mine on a whim last year- big mistake! I'm now trying to grow them out because there are hairstyles that in my mind I can't do. They also get super greasy really quickly.

[JadedByEntropy]

it depends on your current length and thickness Mermaid. Some people look great with them, but at shorter length like a bob with bangs is not my fancy, but I also have the 'wall of bangs' effect when i do cut them in. Some stylists don't realize bangs don't have to start even with your ears. The same oddity goes with extremely long hair in the back and bangs in the front. if its not styled correctly with the rest of your Do, it can look like its just gotten out of hand or be frumpy. I cut my own from the face-frizz-only layers that naturally poof at my face so i could brush them back into the rest like frizz or have thin bangs when i wanted to deal with them. Take note if you straighten them they might not look like your hair texture and look fake.

I've settled on having face framing layers for the variety without the cousin It appearance. I've kept my last bangs attempt at around APL so they bun

I've seen some great hair textures and styles with bangs around here.


both great options:

There are clip in bangs. I debated getting some when I wanted bangs but only a couple times a week lol. Eventually I cut them in and did love them, but would have them twisted to the side more often than not. I didn't love them any less, of course, I just didn't really think about washing just them or anything, and put them up when they got gross or annoying.

If you love them, keep them. Or find some clip ins that match your hair well enough and grow out your hair. Even having them pinned back 90% of the time isn't really enough IMO to negate the enjoyment you get from them when they're styled and perfect. It's like with wearing the rest of your hair up: it's still there! It's just busy RN, come back later ;)

[Alissalocks]

Growing mine out right now, but mine are so low maintenance that I love them. I just have had them for most of 10 years and wonder about a change, like a long, side bang. Not sure that my face can do without them, and I do love the motto, "Bangs not Botox." I may grow for a few months and cut them right back in bc I can't accept my face without them :laugh:

[lizardspots]

I have had a straight across fringe for years that I trim myself. I do have to wash them every day, but I really dislike how I look without. To me it's worth the effort of everyday washing & styling.

[ReadingRenee]

I always struggle with bangs. You OP, are so lucky that your bangs look good on you and that you like them. I always have a bang fantasy but truthfully I don't think bangs look right on me. I think if they look good on you and you like them, maybe its worth it? I don't know. I know the heat is killer for bangs. I can't stand having hair on my forehead even in cool temperatures. And, bangs overnight always made my forehead break out so I had to pin them back for sleeping. Also, my hair is wavy and traditional straight bangs just look weird on me when my hair is doing its wild, wavy fine thing.

Once I got a hair straightener styling my bangs took about 2 minutes tops, so that wasn't an issue, except I had to stop once I decided to grow them out, as I didn't want to damage them further.

Anyway good luck with your decision.

[Nebulae]

I've had some form of bangs for the most part of my life. Straight across, short and long versions of side swept, face framing ones. I've enjoyed all of them. I feel like I need some hair around my face to not look odd. :silly: Especially now that I keep it up pretty much all the time.

Currently I'm sporting blunt bangs. I do keep them pinned up more than styled down but that's because I don't want to sleep in them and after a long day when they start to get greasy they annoy me, so basically they are always pinned up when I'm at home. Some days if I'm in a hurry I keep them pinned up all day and make it part of my style. That's okay, I enjoy them when I want to!

It only takes 5 minutes to wash, dry and style my bangs in the morning. The only thing that I find is sort of a hassle is that I need to trim them often since they are cut blunt at the moment.
Side swept bangs are much less maintenance, cutting and styling wise. It's more flexible since the side swept bangs can be so many different lengths. They are also easier to pin up.

I change it up a little now and then, I'm thinking about growing the blunt cut out a little to short side swept bangs but I'm not quite ready yet. Maybe when the weather cools down, because I can't wear hats without ruining my blunt bangs... time will tell! It's the circle of bangs :lol:

[pandabarrier]

I have bangs. I find that if I keep them short, about 1cm above eyebrows, they don't stick to my forehead and don't get greasy much quicker than the rest of my hair.
But over the course of two years some of my new growth on the top of my head got incorporated to my bangs, so my bangs got much thicker than when I initially cut them in. So currently I'm growing some of them out, combing and pinning a good portion of my bangs to the back (and I still have a lot left on the forehead).

[Lady Stardust]

I've had all different kinds of fringes (bangs!) over the years, mostly side swept or rock-chick-eyebrow-grazing. I've had a short blunt cut fringe for a few years now. At first, it was a pain because it wouldn't sit straight, it always wanted to part in the middle, having been pushed out of the way for so many years before, so I would have to blow dry it. Eventually it settled down though, I never blow dry my hair anymore, it just had to be trained to go in the right direction and now it stays there!

I also noticed that it got greasy quickly when I first had it cut in. I don't notice that anymore though. I think it takes at least a few months, maybe even a year or more to really be comfortable with a fringe, for it to sit how you want it to. So, maybe you won't always have to style it, it depends on your hair type and growth pattern.

I'm not hugely attached to my fringe, I do like it but I'll probably grow it out into face framing layers when my hair gets longer, but in the meantime my fringe gets more compliments than any other part of me! If I mention growing my hair the response is always "but you're keeping the fringe, right?"

If you love the look of your fringe, stick with it and see if it behaves better in the future!

[Cherriezzzzz]

I love bangs on myself... I do not have them hubby doesn't like bangs in general LOL he likes my very long face and I like making my face look shorter! I never minded styling them cause it's so quick and then the rest of the "beast" could be in a knot and I'd still look put together! I say go with whatever makes you feel prettier! Even if only for those days at home or whatever!

[GeoJ]

I like bangs on myself, but I find them challenging because my hair is wavy. As my hair grows, they will sometimes be cut at a point in the wave where they lay nicely, other times they will want to stick up or out oddly. I suppose if I insisted that they be cut dry this problem could be fixed, but for nearly 20 years I avoided them due to the hassle of keeping them styled the way I want (that and I used to expect them, unrealistically, to lay like straight hair bangs do).

[MERMAIDED]

Thank you all for the replies! Lots of good information and tips were shared here, but yes, I will need to make the decision myself. I'm going to keep my bangs for a couple more months and style them daily and if it's too much of a hassle for me after that time, I can always grow them out. :)