Transitioning fringe?

[Heavenly Locks]

Right now I wear a blunt thick fringe and for the last 2 years I've loved it :) It's been pretty much my signature look (http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h94/HeavenlyJumper/DSC_0009-7.jpg). I think it adds interest to my long wavy hair. However, I've been sort of itching for a change. I blogged about how much of a pain it would be to grow them out now that I am at waist length. (official pic thread coming soon on that)

However, I think I might like going for a long, side swept type for a while. Then, if I like that a lot I can blend them in when they get longer to go for a 'no bangs' type of style while they catch up with my length.

I've been cutting them myself for some time now. How in the world do I get them to look right since they're a blunt cut right now? I'm due for a trim (if I wanted to keep them blunt) I know I have to let them grow some before I can make them do anything different though.

Any tips on taking a blunt cut to a sideswept one?

This length is nice - http://www.beautysnob.com/images2009/jessica-alba-side-bangs.jpg

Plus, I was thinking, that if I end up disliking the side swept bangs that I can always cut them shorter again...

[Arctic_Mama]

I went from straight to sideswept bangs... Literally the only change was moving my part to the side (off center) and then using a blow dryer or a hair clip to dry them to the side. Pinning them while damp is the least damaging, but I don't mind using a big barrel brush and blow fryer of a section of hair that I continually trim :)

It took maybe a month or two of growth to look perfectly fine and start to naturally go to the side, and now I can't imagine going back. Once they were longer than eye length the bangs from the far side reached across my forehead enough to not constantly need brushing out of my face.

Make any sense?

[Marjolein]

Sorry, no suggestions here. But someone with the exact same hairstyle as yours (well, the length is a 'little' shorter). I'm also pretty interested in finding some solutions for when I decide to grow my bangs out.

[Lemur_Catta]

I have been growing my bangs since December (That was the last time I cut them; they were blunt, although not think). Now they have reached nose length. I wear them to the side, but it blends in very well, they doesn't really look like side-swept bangs. I am growing them to my chin, then I will trim to maintain, so that I can have face framing layers. :)

eta: as someone else said, you don't have to cut them in any particular shape, just let them grow and change your part :)

[BelleBot]

I went from a heavy blunt fringe to side swept bangs. All you need to do is part at the side and blow dry your bangs to the side, or pin them so they dry like that. It'll look better and fall more naturally to the side with a month or two of growth. But it's a fairly easy transition, no specific cut needed. I used to switch between a long heavy voluminous blunt fringe (using mousse and a barrel brush when I blow dried it), to flatter side swept fringe from day to day depending on my mood.

[FrannyG]

Just start parting your fringe to the side and style them into position. When you next trim your fringe a little, trim them over or beside the corner of one eye rather than above your nose. Then they will start to be properly angled as a side-swept fringe.

It's really not that difficult a transition. I look forward to seeing how it goes. :)

[ericthegreat]

I'm gonna chine in as the resident hairstylist here. :)

Since you currently have blunt cut bangs, if you choose not to trim them at all what will happen is that your bangs will grow out very blunt. If you don't want your bangs to have such a blunt straight line at the ends, then you could have your bangs thinned out and texturized. Don't try to do this by yourself.........its very easy to mess up bangs if you are trying to layer them. Go to a pro stylist and tell him or her that you intend to grow out your bangs and you want them to fall softer on your face and not so blunt. If you want my honest opinion, thinning out your bangs is actually a better way of growing them out, it makes them softer and allows them to seemlessly blend in with the rest of your length.

[joiekimochi]

I went from blunt to side-swept too. I just let the blunt fringe grow out, then I thinned out the hem of the fringe to make them wispier. I did that every once in a while until they became long enough to be side-swept. Also, combing them into position when wet is a must.

[x0h_bother]

I went from blunt to side-swept too. I just let the blunt fringe grow out, then I thinned out the hem of the fringe to make them wispier. I did that every once in a while until they became long enough to be side-swept. Also, combing them into position when wet is a must.
I agree with this. Grow them a little bit over your eyes, then part them to the side, and start thinning. You thin by trimming the very top layer of the bang closest to your crown, sort of "layering" it. And cut into the bang vertically, not bluntly accross, which give some volume. At least that's how my stylist does it.
Now, when I was in college and my bangs needed a side swept cut, my best friend came over, brushed my bangs out, took her fingers and held my bangs between them and made a diaganol line with her fingers, drawing with her fingers where the bang would look good cut, and literally chopped below the line. I'm not suggesting you do this unless you think you are truely skilled, but it came out surprisingly well.
ps- you will probably need to comb them to train them when the bangs are wet. I used to find the need to blowfry them in place as well. GL!

[x0h_bother]

I got thinking in another thread: would it look weird to get medium extensions to get through that "awkward" phase of growing out bangs? Like making the bangs instantly long to blend with the rest of your hair ? Hmm... Mine are right behind my ear about 1 inch and they just stick out there. I could pin them back but then, they wouldn't be bangs of course.