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14 Things To Consider Before Cutting Curly Bangs

Cutting bangs is a big decision and if you have curly hair there are unique considerations that you need to take into account. Once you have cut bangs, it takes a long time to grow them out, so consider these 14 points before you make a final decision.

  1. What is your face shape? If you have a an oblong face then bangs can look great. Bangs can also look good on diamond, heart shaped, and oval faces. However, if you have a round or square shaped face, bangs can make your face look rounder and wider.
  2. Will bangs make your face look more oval? It is in our genes to see oval faces as the most attractive. The facial dimensions that we innately find most appealing are approximately 7:5 (height:width). As I mentioned above, bangs will make oblong faces look more oval, which is great. However, bangs can make square and round faces look wider, which isn’t as appealing.
  3. What is your curl type? There is a big difference between wavy bangs and super curly bangs. Wavy and swavy (straight wavy 2A) bangs can be challenging because they can sometimes look stringy. I usually cut wavy bangs thicker to make them look stronger. Super curly bangs are generally easier to style, however they have a greater spring factor. Because of this, it is critical that super curly bangs be cut when they are dry and in their natural curly formation.
  4. How thick do you want your bangs to be? Thicker bangs look better on longer face shapes. Whispier bangs usually look better on rounder and squarer faces. 
  5. How long should your bangs be? I usually like to cut bangs just below the eyebrows and above the eyelashes. However, if you have a round or square face, cutting shorter bangs can look better because they make your face look more oval.
  6. Do you want your bangs cut straight across or rounded down at the edges? I almost always advocate bangs that curve down slightly at the edges because I think this shape frames your eyes nicely. However, if you want a more retro look, bangs that go straight across all the way to the side hairlines can be fun.
  7. Will your bangs fall in your eyes? It can be sexy to hide your eyes behind wispy bangs, but nobody likes to have hair in their eyes. It’s up to you if you want to put up with hair in front of your eyes or not. Most of my clients don’t like hair in their eyes and usually sweep it to the side when the bangs are too long. But some of my clients insist on having their eyes peekaboo from behind their bangs.
  8. How often will you need a bang trim? Wavy bangs grow downward faster than super curly bangs, so wavy bangs will need to be trimmed more often. 
  9. Do you want your bangs textured or blunt cut? I prefer to blunt cut super curly bangs because texturizing these curls makes them look frizzy. With wavy hair, especially 2A and 2B, I will usually texturize the ends to soften them. I often blunt cut 3A, 3B and 3C bangs. 
  10. What is the direction that your hair is growing along your hairline? It is vital to examine the direction your hair is growing along your hairline to determine how your bangs will fall. If your hair is growing straight down toward your face then your bangs will fall straight down. However, this isn’t usually the case. If your hair is growing back up away from your face and toward your crown, then your bangs will pop up before they go down, so more hair will have to be cut into the bangs to give them weight and the bangs will need to be cut longer. If your hair grows toward the side of hair face then your bangs will probably split.
  11. What are your favorite facial features? If you have a big pretty smile, then bangs can bring attention to your mouth. Large symmetrical eyes can also be enhanced by bangs.
  12. What are your least favorite facial features? If you have a big nose, bangs may bring unwanted attention to it. I know because I have a big nose. But I am a guy and I don’t wear bangs.
  13. Is your face symmetrical? The symmetry of your face will usually be more obvious with bangs. If you have an asymmetrical face, such as one of your eyes is higher than the other, which is quite common, then straight across bangs will make the asymmetry of your face more evident. 
  14. How thick is your hair? If you have fine hair, then you will need to use a larger amount of your hair to create bangs. If you have thick hair, you can get away with creating bangs with a smaller amount of your hair. These decisions will affect the design of the rest of your haircut depending on how much hair is left behind after cutting bangs.

There is a lot to consider when contemplating cutting bangs. If you think that bangs are for you, then go for it! You will have an entirely new hairstyle in a matter of seconds.

How To Eliminate “The Shelf” In Your Curly Hair

I had a client the other day who came to me for the first time. She was a beautiful woman in her mid-20s, and when she sat down in my chair I admired her curly hair. All curly girls have a unique curl pattern and like most curly girls, she had different curl types throughout her head. She had loose (2B) curls at the nape of her neck, medium size (2C) curls at the crown of her head, and tighter (3A) curls framing her face. I love this variance in curl texture and told her that I thought her hair was beautiful. Too me, the variance in curl pattern is what makes curly hair so attractive. Your curl pattern is as unique as your fingerprint, and no one else has your exact curl pattern.  

“I hate the curls around my face,” was the first thing she said. I examined the way her hair had been cut before and I could see why she was frustrated. The tighter curls around her face sprung up higher than the looser curls below them and created a “shelf”. All curly girls hate “the shelf” which looks like an upside down letter “L” on the side of their head. 

“It seems like I always have these shelves on the side of my head,” she said in exasperation. “Can you please get rid of them?” she pleaded. 

I explained to her why her hair formed a shelf. It is common mistake that hairstylists make who don’t understand how to cut curly hair that has differing curl patterns throughout the head. 

There are three primary reasons why a shelf is created in curly hair. The first and most common mistake that hairstylists make that creates a shelf, is cutting curly hair when it is wet. The problem with cutting curly hair when it is wet is that there is no way for the hairstylists to see how high the different curls will spring up when they are dry. And the problem is made even worse if some curls are tighter than others, because the tight curls will spring up higher than the looser curls. If the curls that frame the face are tighter than the curls below them, this is a guaranteed way to create a shelf. 

The second way that a shelf is created is when all the hair is directed straight up and the hair is cut square to the top of the head. Unless you are Sasquatch and you have long hair growing on your ears and on your cheeks, then cutting your hair this way will always result in a shelf on the sides of your head. To avoid this, the hair that frames your face must be left out and cut separately from the hair that is directed upward.

I will discuss the third mistake later. So back to my client with her unwanted hair shelf problem. To eliminate her shelves, I first framed her face by taking diagonal sections from her part to her ear, directing her curls slightly forward and down and cutting with zero tension. Then I moved to the back of her head to cut her looser 2B curls. I took horizontal partings from her nape and worked my way up the back of her head always cutting with zero tension until I was satisfied with the density of the perimeter of her hair. Then I began elevating her hair and continued cutting her slightly tighter 2c curls, again using no tension. I proceeded in this way up to the top of her head being careful to leave out the curls that I had already cut around her face. 

After shampooing, conditioning and styling her hair curly, I asked her to stand up so I could do some finishing touches on her haircut. Forgetting to do this part of the haircut is the third reason that a shelf is not spotted and eliminated. I asked her to stand up, and then flip her head forward allowing her hair to hang down. I looked at her hair from this angle and cut any extraneous curls that I may have missed in the earlier part of the haircut. Then I asked her to tilt her head to each side so I could make sure that her curls fall nicely along the side of her face and the tighter curls blend in nicely with the looser ones. If there is a shelf there, then this is a sure way to spot it. 

I then asked her to sit back down in the chair, applied some Natulique Organic Ultra Shine Spray and handed her a mirror so that she could look at her new haircut.

“I love it! The shelf is gone!” she exclaimed happily.

Mission accomplished.

Why naturally curly hair should be cut dry

I’m often asked if I cut curly hair dry, and why curly product lines like DevaCurl and Ouidad do or don’t recommend it. It is almost always best to cut naturally curly hair when it is dry. There are a number of reasons for this:

1. Spring factor

Every curl has its own unique spring factor, which is the amount of distance that it will spring up after it is stretched. This spring factor cannot be ascertained when the hair is wet.

2. Curl pattern

In order to create a beautiful haircut that lasts a long time, it is critical for the hairstylist to be able to see where the curls spring to immediately after they are cut. It is common to have varying curl patterns throughout the head. When cut, tighter curls spring up more than looser curls. This can only be accurately judged when the hair is cut dry. If the hair is cut wet, then the hair may become uneven when it dries and tighter curls spring closer to their roots.

3. Shaping

My clients are often amazed when I cut their curly hair dry for the first time. The results are beautiful, and they get to see the shape develop throughout the cutting process. It is easier to see the shape of the haircut develop when the hair is cut dry because the curls fall exactly where they will remain.

4. Framing

Framing the face is much easier to do when the hair is cut dry for the same reason, the shape can be seen immediately.

5. One exception to the rule

An exception to this rule is when the hair is loosely wavy. In this case, it is often more effective to cut the hair when it is wet. This is because loosely wavy hair has a very small spring factor. Also, if you plan to straighten your hair a lot, it is best to cut it wet so that a neat perimeter shape may be created.

How do you get your hair cut? Have you been to a curly hair expert before?