Hair

Hairstyle tips for growing out your bangs

Growing out your fringe doesn’t need to be painstaking (we promise!). We found 5 hairstyle tips to help your grow out old hairstyles.

by : Heather Marrin- Oct 19th, 2011

Growing out your hair can be a timely, painstaking process that comes with a few "transitional" stages – especially when you decide to grow out your bangs. We asked Sharon Lordon, lead salon instructor at Fiorio Beauty Academy in Toronto, for some
hairstyle tips to manage your fringe during that in-between stage.

1. Go for volume
"If you are not ready to show off your forehead just yet, but are still determined to grow out your fringe, use volume to mask the length," says Lordon.

How to achieve: "Use a volumizing product, and apply to all of your hair at the roots. With a round brush, blowdry bangs so hair curls under. This will make bangs appear shorter," she says. To avoid looking like you belong in a bad 80’s music video, Lordon says to make sure that all of your hair has volume, not just your bangs.

Hairstyle tips: For extra volume, back-comb at the crown and your bangs after you’re finished blow-drying.

2. Sleek and straight
"Those of you that don’t mind a little hair in your face, a sleek, straight, and textured look is trendy," suggests Lordon. Think Feist or Florence Welch.

How to achieve: "Use a flat iron to achieve maximum length, and do a rough side part," says Lordon. "Depending on the density of your hair, you may want to visit a stylist to texturize the ends of the fringe to make it softer and lighter," advises Lordon. This allows you to be able to peek through your bangs without losing length, she says.

Hairstyle tips: "It is important to always use a thermal protecting spray when flat ironing to protect the integrity of the hair," she says. Look for an oil-free spray that protects, but doesn’t weigh down your bangs.

3 more hairstyle tips for growing out your bangs on the next page …

3. The braid
Lordon says: "The braid is ideal for someone who is completely over having any fringe and would like their hair off their face." The nice part about a braid is that it can be done on any hair type, and no matter what stage you’re at in the growing out process.

How to achieve: "Part your hair to the side and then divide bangs in to three equal sections to begin the braid," she says. Weave hair together and to obtain optimal hold and results Lordon suggests applying a light wax to the palms of your hands to reduce fly-aways while braiding. There are many types of braids you can do, but for bangs the most popular is still the French braid since it holds best, says Lordon.

Hairstyle tips: "To keep a nice tight braid, continue to braid all the way to the ends and secure with a clear elastic and tuck away any strays with bobby pins."

4. Side-swept fringe
"For a proper side-swept fringe you will need to visit your stylist for the appropriate shape," says Lordon. If you are need of some photo inspiration look no further than Ashley Olsen or Emma Stone who both don the side-sweep on and off the red carpet.

How to achieve: "Part the hair to the side and blow dry using a round brush," says Lordon. When blow drying, pull the strands in the direction of your style. "If you have a cowlick, pull hair in the opposite direction until the cowlick smoothes out and appropriate volume is achieved and then sweep it to the side," says Lordon.

Hairstyle tips: To make hair stay put, use a flexible hold hairspray. "This will give you hold but not look crunchy," she says.

5. The pompadour
"This is ideal for those that want to pull fringe off their face, you can play with retro the look of the pompadour by varying how much hair is being pulled back," explains Lordon.

How to achieve: Backcomb your bangs and then comb hair straight up and fold hair back to achieve the rockabilly pompadour look. Secure hair with several bobby pins.

Hairstyle tips: Finish by smoothing a dime-sized amount of pomade on your hair with the tips of you fingers to add shine and hold to the look.

Deciding your grow out your bangs can feel daunting, but embrace an option that works for each stage of your hair’s growth, and your desired length will eventually come. When in doubt, consult your stylist to help you deal with the transition. If you’re a regular, most salons offer complimentary fringe trims.