The bang vs. no bang dispute has been raging for the past three years or so. They're notoriously hard to maintain, get greasy in about three seconds, stick up, look flat, and could go wrong in a variety of other ways. They also fade in and out of fashion fast (remember the Great Side Bang Extravaganza of '07? The Bette Page Bang of '08?) and once you cut 'em, you're stuck with 'em.
But done right, the bang adds dimension to your face and style to your hair. So, a brief bang roundup, to consider all the options before you take the plunge.
1. Short bangs.
The Bette Page-ish look. Still works on some people (I like it on un-highlighted, straight, totally natural dark hair personally) but it's the hardest to rock. For heart-shaped faces.
2. Side-swept bangs.
The easiest in terms of variety, they're long enough to pull back and blend into the rest of your shortest hair layer. These work on most face shapes... but they're a little less dramatic than short or long.
3. Long bangs.
My personal favorite, when they're done right. These bangs remind me of a French New Wave film star's like Anna Karina's, or Rachel Bilson's above-- you can middle-part them to switch things up. They should hit just at your brow line-- it's important to keep your brows waxed with this look as well as the short bangs.
4. Wispy bangs.
Wispy bangs are like starter bangs, just a few short strands of hair layered around your face. For those unsure of total bang commitment and want to take it for a test-drive.
So start Googling your fave celebrities for pictures to take to the hairdresser, guys! Don't be afraid to bang it up. Worse comes to worse, it'll grow back.
