Should I get bangs?
Bangs, or a fringe, are as much about upkeep as about your face. A fringe needs trims every few weeks to stay out of your eyes, some styling most mornings, and a hairline that lets it sit flat. Face shape matters too, but a fringe that fights a cowlick or never gets trimmed will not suit anyone.
This quiz weighs all of that. It suggests curtain, full or side-swept bangs, or tells you that you may be happier without. Fringe advice is a styling convention and a matter of taste, not a rule. Nothing you choose is saved or sent.
How the quiz decides
Six questions ask about your face shape, any cowlick at the front hairline, your texture, how much time you will spend styling, how often you will get trims, and whether your forehead gets oily. A cowlick, no time to style and rare trims count most toward skipping a fringe, because they make any fringe hard work. Ties go to curtain bangs, the most forgiving style, and the result says how clearly your answers agree. The weights are ours.
The four results
Curtain bangs. A longer fringe that parts in the middle and sweeps to the sides. It frames the face, works with most textures, including curls, and grows out gracefully into face-framing layers. That makes it the safest first fringe.
Full bangs. A straight-across fringe at or just below the eyebrows. It needs the most upkeep: trims every few weeks and a minute or two of styling. Stylists often suggest it for a long face, because it shortens the forehead visually.
Side-swept bangs. A long fringe swept to one side. It adds an angle, which stylists often suggest for a round face, and it can work with a cowlick instead of against it. It sits lighter on the forehead.
Skip them. If you have a strong cowlick at the hairline, no time to style and rare trims, a fringe will probably frustrate you. Face-framing layers give a similar softness with far less upkeep, and you can add a fringe later.
Fringe and face shape
The usual pairings, all conventions:
- Oval: most fringes work.
- Round: side-swept, to add an angle.
- Square: curtain bangs, to soften the jaw.
- Oblong: full bangs, to shorten a long face.
- Heart: side-swept or curtain bangs, which balance a wider forehead.
- Diamond: curtain or full bangs, which add width at the forehead.
Not sure of your shape? Our face shape calculator measures it in about three minutes, and our hairstyle finder suggests cuts to go with it.
Living with a fringe
- Trims. Most fringes need a trim every few weeks. Many salons trim a fringe between appointments.
- Oil. A fringe rests on your forehead and picks up oil from it, so it can look greasy before the rest of your hair. Washing just the fringe, or a little dry shampoo, helps.
- Texture. Curly fringes shrink as they dry, so they are cut longer and dry. Ask a stylist who cuts curly hair.
- Heat. A quick blow-dry with a round brush is how most straight fringes are styled. The American Academy of Dermatology advises limiting heat, so use the lowest setting that works.
Try before you cut
Pin the front of a longer section forward, or try a clip-in fringe, for a day or two. Start longer than you think you want; a fringe can always go shorter, but growing one out takes months.
Take it further in the HairLens app
The HairLens app builds a routine and product list around your hair type and what it reads from your photos, so a cut that suits your face also suits your hair.