Bang/fringe maintenance on 2c3a hair?

[may1em]

Hey all!

So, I have wavy/wurly hair (though I'm not doing so much work to encourage the curl nowadays - plopping got hard after BSL!). Long story short, I'm probably going to get a lesion removed from my forehead sometime this summer and may end up with a scar. The lesion hides pretty well under makeup, but the scar might not, at least until it fades.

So I'm considering bangs. I've only ever had bangs once before, and they were the eyebrow-length wispy kind. I kind of liked the look, but they had a tendency to curl funny and clump together. I think part of the problem was that they were TOO wispy, and that I'd need to cut thicker ones. I'm not making any decisions until all the medical crap is over with and I can see the final result, but I think even if my forehead does end up looking fine, bangs might be a nice, updo-softening change.

I still can't decide between side-swept bangs like these:

http://www.imageandstylenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/side-swept-bangs.jpg

or shorter ones, sort of like these (but without so much of the layering around the sides of the face):

http://franstatic.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/bangs.jpg

Ignore the heavily-styled look of the rest of the hair in these pics.

The advantage of side-swept bangs would be that they would be easier to pull back if I wanted to for some reason (like getting them out of my way for running), while shorter ones would have less of a tendency to get in my eyes. Complicating the issue is that sometimes I wear glasses.

So anyway, has anyone here with my hair type successfully managed either type of bangs? How much work did it take? I'm totally willing to invest in a tiny flatiron just for the bangs, and some hairspray just for them isn't out of the question, either.

Thanks in advance!

[Roseate]

I've had above-eyebrow bangs, and I'm now growing them out and have sideswept ones. I usually just comb through them as they dry; if they need a little more help I give them one sweep of the flatiron afterwards. Not a problem for me!

The front/top of my hair is the least wurly part anyway, so that helps.

[Sarah4983]

hi!! I (had) thick and wavy hair like you prior to flattening my hair with cone products, and my side-swept bangs never looked right until I got them cut thicker!!

I actually brought in a bunch of "scene" pictures to my hairdresser because scene cuts tend to have the bangs cut further back... she did it perfectly and i didn't have to even straighten my bangs anymore, just a 30 second blow-dry on cool.

the siggy pic on the left is when she first cut them thicker.

good luck!

Oh yeah, and my profile pic is a good shot of my "thicker" bangs also. However, now I'm growing them out... I can never make up my mind! haha

[may1em]

Good to know it's doable, and that thicker bangs behave better than wispier ones. I'll be doing the cut myself, as it's been over a year since I saw a stylist (self-trimming to the win!) and bangs you can see what you're doing.

[Heidi_234]

I'm 2c/3a-er, and to be honest - it's a real PITA to have bangs. I'm growing mine out, my bangs are missing an inch to go into the updo, so they are still annoying the hell out of me. Unless you blow fry, or flat iron them each morning you'll have bad bangs days all the time. AND it definitely won't be like the photos.
And then you decide to grow them out, they would still be a PITA more than 8 months after (first hand experience). That's all I have to say.

[Dars]

I have the first fringe and it's not hard to maintain at all. As you've said you can easily put them up for when you need them out of the way. If you don't want them to fall into your eyes you can trim them shorter and still sweep them to the side. I wear glasses too :D But I don't see how that complicates things...

They do grow out fast for me, so trimming every month or so may be needed to keep the style. I find the worst thing about doing that is the clean up to be honest.

While the hair drys if you have a side swept fringe you may need to coax it to the side you want if you have a stubborn cow lick or it just refuses to go that way. A straightener does help here sometimes, but isn't necessary.

[may1em]

3 votes "Sure! it's fine!" and 1 vote "Don't do it!!!"

Biopsy is Thursday - so I'll see. All told, it's going to be more a than month before (possible) scissor action, which doubles the two-week rule.

As a temporary thing, I've found that I can fake sideswept bangs (though in a way that covers less forehead than cut ones), but the bobby pin by my ear bothers me after a while.

[GoddesJourney]

My hair is a bit straighter than yours, but I had the first ones for a year or two and they don't behave for me either. They have to be blowfried. I refused. They're mostly grown out now. The second one (as you say, without the side layering) I've been considering myself for quite some time. I like the way they look on other people, but who knows? Lastly, that first picture is scary looking it's so heavily doctored. Eeek!

[may1em]

... Lastly, that first picture is scary looking it's so heavily doctored. Eeek!

I know. It's like she's a doll or something. But it was a good example of the kind of bangs I'm considering. :P

[Curlsgirl]

I'm 2c/3a-er, and to be honest - it's a real PITA to have bangs. I'm growing mine out, my bangs are missing an inch to go into the updo, so they are still annoying the hell out of me. Unless you blow fry, or flat iron them each morning you'll have bad bangs days all the time. AND it definitely won't be like the photos.
And then you decide to grow them out, they would still be a PITA more than 8 months after (first hand experience). That's all I have to say.

It's not a PITA for everyone just some. I have 2a to 3a hair and have had them for years. I have to do hardly anything to them. I blow dry them straightish after washing and touch up with a curling iron when they need it. You really don't know how yours will be until you try it. I have some examples in my album if you want to see. Mine are eyebrow length. I have tried longer but I always end up coming back to them at that length.

[LilyMunster]

When I had bangs, each morning upon rising I would litely mist with conditioner and distilled water and pop in a velcro roller. That short of hair barely wrapped once and I had no trouble putting in and taking out the roller without damage. Very easy option.

[Misha]

I have always had short bangs, like the second example. It is true that if you want them straight and tidy they need to be blow-dried every morning (unless you use LilyMunster's technique), and using a big round brush gives a nice effect . I don't mind doing this - it's a matter of personal preference.

Best wishes to you for your procedure.:flower:

[Heavenly Locks]

I have wavy hair and thick, blunt bangs :) Unless you are going to want to 'do' them every time it gets wet or overly humid, they will look like crap. :o

I often barrette mine back when I am not going out because I don't care if my laundry and dirty dishes get to see my 'done' bangs.

Also, they require frequent trims. I do my own :)

[MandaMom2Three]

I LOVE how bangs look, but they just don't look good on me. They would if I were willing to blow fry them or use a straightening iron, but I'm not, so they stuck out like a big old mustache :lol: I have just come to accept that bangs are a love I will never have lol

[may1em]

When I had bangs, each morning upon rising I would litely mist with conditioner and distilled water and pop in a velcro roller. That short of hair barely wrapped once and I had no trouble putting in and taking out the roller without damage. Very easy option.

Ooo. Velcro roller. I like this idea!

[may1em]

It's not a PITA for everyone just some. I have 2a to 3a hair and have had them for years. I have to do hardly anything to them. I blow dry them straightish after washing and touch up with a curling iron when they need it. You really don't know how yours will be until you try it. I have some examples in my album if you want to see. Mine are eyebrow length. I have tried longer but I always end up coming back to them at that length.

Yours look good. I'm leaning towards trying it. If I hate it, then it's headbands and bobby pins for about six to eight months until they're back at chin, which is a good face-framing length. Right now, the hair that would get cut into bangs (most of it, anyway) is collarbone length.


I have wavy hair and thick, blunt bangs :) Unless you are going to want to 'do' them every time it gets wet or overly humid, they will look like crap. :o

I often barrette mine back when I am not going out because I don't care if my laundry and dirty dishes get to see my 'done' bangs.

Also, they require frequent trims. I do my own :)

Yeah, I figure for around the house it's not a big deal. I also like thick, cloth headbands, which is a way to deal with them when I don't have time for styling. I don't have a problem with frequent trimming - I'm my own stylist anyway.


I LOVE how bangs look, but they just don't look good on me. They would if I were willing to blow fry them or use a straightening iron, but I'm not, so they stuck out like a big old mustache :lol: I have just come to accept that bangs are a love I will never have lol

Oh well. I did find a vid on YouTube where a woman gave herself fake Bettie Page style bangs using a couple bobby pins and a thin rat. Her hair was only a bit below chin, though. It looked good and was reversible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2QyEWv4WDo

[may1em]

I have always had short bangs, like the second example. It is true that if you want them straight and tidy they need to be blow-dried every morning (unless you use LilyMunster's technique), and using a big round brush gives a nice effect . I don't mind doing this - it's a matter of personal preference.

Best wishes to you for your procedure.:flower:

Thanks. :) I'm nervous, but it'll be ok.

[Chanterelle]

may1em I'm a little less curly than you and for me fringe is absolutely doable. Mine is blunt and slightly thinned out (? - don't know the correct term) at the ends. Usually I style it with a blowdryer and a round brush and don't bother to fix it with hairspray unless it's very humid or windy outside.

[Curlsgirl]

Yours look good. I'm leaning towards trying it. If I hate it, then it's headbands and bobby pins for about six to eight months until they're back at chin, which is a good face-framing length.

Thanks! I have tried to grow them out and I just don't like the way I look without them. I can't wait to see pics if you do it!

[may1em]

Well, I did it. I opted for sideswept bangs that come down to my nose if pulled straight. Most of them are off to the left, with a bit off to the right. This effectively covers the biopsy bandaid.

I was going to wait until my biopsy results came back (they should in a day or two), but I am going glasses shopping this week, and it would have been stupid to try on a bunch of glasses that looked good without bangs only to find out later that they didn't with them. Also, the bobby pins I've been using in my temporary "fake sideswept bangs" tactic have been digging into my ear uncomfortably.

Pics later (it's dark out here). The pics will have the bottom of my face covered - just not comfortable with my face on the internet.

[may1em]

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd62/may1em/Photo31.jpg

Pic!

I like it. I bought a denman-style rattail comb and some large velcro rollers for maintenance.

[Roseate]

Nice bangs! They're pretty long, too, so even if you get tired of them they will grow back fast. And your identity-hidin' scarf really brings out your green eyes!:D

[may1em]

The identity-hiding scarf is actually a really cool headband! It's one of those ones you can scrunch up for a thinner band or use as a faux-kerchief. I have two knit ones, too (one brown, the other stripes).

And my eyes are really blue - but the webcam messes them up. Thanks, though!

[ReddishRocks]

Here are my side-swept bangs, au naturale:

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x143/ReddishRocks/16nov08009.jpg

Here they are, a few inches shorter, straightened out :

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x143/ReddishRocks/2000CeleryFlauntSeashellBonBon001.jpg

I didn't have to spray mine after straightening, but it's very dry around here... I found them to be moderate to low maintenance, actually. In my case, it was a greasy forehead that made them clump unattractively... that's why they're now grown out! I'm considering going back to something like the first photo, which worked quite well since they were curly tendrils instead of sticky, flattened bits. :D

HTH! :flower:

ETA: I just realized that you've already gone and done it! They look great!!! Maybe my pics can help someone else. :)

[NamedForTheMoon]

That girl in the first picture looks really creepy!! But I love her bangs, lol.

[may1em]

I'm still loving them, though thinking of tweaking the shape a little. :)

[GlennaGirl]

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd62/may1em/Photo31.jpg

Pic!

I like it. I bought a denman-style rattail comb and some large velcro rollers for maintenance.

Lovely!!!! But I admit to being biased toward slightly long-ish bangs parted down the center, exactly like that. I very often wear mine like that, with the sides in a half-up or in two clips (one for each side).

VERY nice look w/your lovely almond-shaped eyes.

[marajade]

I'm glad you posted this thread, I was wondering about 2c/3a hair and blown dry bangs myself. I forgot that Curlsgirl has this too. My bangs area is right where I get greasy buildup really quick, but I've found taking a pea size amount of shampoo (really less than this) and using water and shampooing them right in the sink and the blowdryer and round brush works great! I do this after I hop out of the shower, and I can let the rest of my hair stay dry! Takes maybe 2-3 mins top. The blowdrying takes 30 secs. I'm trying to find a happy medium. I'd like to do CO again but my bangs hate it. They get oily and separated. I find when I shampoo and blowdry its almost like it really gives my bangs a boost. A couple times a week I deep condition them since I don't want them looking fried, and I figure they will get cut off anyway (eventually).

[bahannas]

I currently have a very layered fringe, similar to the one in the second link. I use to have side bangs, but got annoyed with them because they would curl so much. My hair is very wurly, except for on my greasy days (avatar). Anyway, it seemed like the shorter the hair, the curlier it was. I was very nervous about getting a fringe for this reason. However, I was so eager for a change that I took the plunge and got them cut. They've been pin straight ever since without any straightening or blow drying. Hopefully they'll stay like this and I won't have little curls hanging over my eyes. :rolleyes:

[bahannas]

Whoops, just now noticed the pic. Veerryy pretty! :D

[klcqtee]

I would start out with jaw length bangs. See how curly your hair gets. I know my hair is fairly obedient when it's short, and doesn't get real curly until it's longer. But if your hair gets curlier at shorter lengths, your bangs could be tight little spirals, which wouldn't really work with either of the hairstyles you chose.

At jaw length, it leaves you some hair for when you put it up, but it's easy to pin back. If you like how curly your hair is at jaw, then feel free to cut them shorter. Remember, shorter is more maintenance.