So you got the damn bangs. Congrats! Now it’s day three, you’re standing in the bathroom mirror, and your fringe is doing something it definitely did not do in the salon chair. Sound familiar?
Fringe (or bang, we won’t judge you by what you call it) season is officially open @ the lane, and the question we get right after “should I get bangs?” is “okay… how do I actually live with them?” Here’s the 411: the five styling rules we give every fringe client, our founder’s own tutorials, and the kit that makes it all easy.
How to Style Your Bangs: Rules From the Chair to your Bathroom
001. Style Them First: Before Anything Else
Bangs set fast. If you let them air-dry while you deal with the rest of your hair, they’ll dry however they landed. Get out of the shower and do your fringe first, every time. We’re not joking.
002. Side to Side: Then Down
Clip the rest of your hair out of the way, grab a brush and point your dryer down. Brush your bangs all the way to the left, then all the way to the right, then finish them down. Side to side breaks up a cowlick so it can’t fight you later. If you aren’t heat styling them, set them and forget them with your creaseless clips. And no, you can never have too many.
003. Go Easy on Product: Your Forehead Will Thank You
Bangs sit on your skin all day, so a little goes a long way. Start with a tiny amount, work it through the ends, and add more only if you need it. Heavy bangs fall flat by lunch.
004. Day Two: Refresh, Don’t Restart
Bangs get greasy before the rest of your hair does. You’ve got two options: a little powder or dry texture at the root, or rinse just your fringe in the bathroom sink and redo rule 001. We like to call that the “bang bath.” It will take you five minutes, tops.
005. Book the Trim: Before They Hit Your Eyelashes
If you’re pushing your bangs out of your eyes, you’re already late. Book your trim while they still look good, not after they’ve started driving you crazy.
Watch Kris Style Her Bangs
Our founder, Kris, has been wearing a fringe for a while now, and she’s made it her personal mission to answer every bang question in her DMs. Three of her tutorials worth saving:
The full routine. Blow-dry, round brush, prep spray, powder and hairspray, start to finish. In her words: “Because 90% of my DMs are asking about my damn bangs.”
The Fringe Files, Episode 001. A brush dipped in water, a thickening spray in wet hair, and a boar bristle brush. She gave it a 10/10.
The Fringe Files, Episode 002. Day-two bangs after a workout, no brush, fingers only. This is rule 004 in real life.
The Fringe Kit: Products That Actually Help
Kristina’s pick: Rōz Evergreen Style Cream
Kristina will be the first to tell you product on a fringe is tricky. In Allure’s roundup of the best Rōz products, she called bangs “the hardest place to get product right.” Her go-to is the Rōz Evergreen Style Cream. It gives her enough hold to keep the shape and get that piecey look, and enough moisture that her bangs stay soft instead of crispy. For more lift, she reaches for Rōz AIR thickening spray in wet hair (that’s the one in Episode 001).
You can snag it online or at your next appointment in-salon. We’re super excited that our shelves will be stocked with the Rōz products next week!
Then match the rest of your kit to your fringe:
- IGK Good Behavior – smoothing + prep for blunt and curtain bangs.
- IGK Beach Club Touchable Texture Spray – for wispy bangs that should look a lil piecey, never stiff.
- KEVIN.MURPHY Powder.Puff – a little at the root on day two, so your fringe stays lifted and fresh.
- KEVIN.MURPHY Doo.Over – the day-two refresh from rule 004.
- KEVIN.MURPHY Session.Spray Flex – hold that still moves, for fringe that has to survive a windy commute.
- KEVIN.MURPHY Free.Hold – the finish in Kristina’s full routine.
And the tools nobody talks about:
- Creaseless clips – hold the rest of your hair back while you style your fringe, without leaving a dent.
- A fine-tooth comb – for placing your bangs exactly where you want them before they set.
Not sure which one you need? Ask your artist at your next appointment. We’ll show you exactly what we just used on you.
Quick transparency note, ’cause we’re all about keeping it real AF: some links above are affiliate links. That means if you buy through them, we get a little thank-you in return. But the price and the product are exactly the same for you. We’d only ever recommend something we’ve used, loved, and would shove into your hands in person.
Haven’t Picked Your Bangs Yet?
Curtain, wispy, micro, blunt or side-swept? We ranked five fringes by how much commitment they take in The Fringe Forecast.
Need some inspo? Here are some recent fav fringes.
And if you want to know exactly what Kristina asks for, it’s all in her Fringe FAQ: what to ask for, her inspo, what Hayley says, her products, her must-have tools and a styling tutorial.
Ready to Get the Damn Bangs?
Our artists cut bangs for real life in Jersey City: your face, your hair type, your cowlick, and how much time you actually spend on your hair in the morning. Book your appointment here.
Still not sure bangs are for you? Start a virtual consultation and we’ll tell you honestly. And if your hair feels dry or tired under that new fringe, ask about End of Year Repair, $175 flat through Dec 31.
Now go get the damn bangs. We’ll handle the rest.
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