WHO SHOULD RETHINK BANGS?
Written by Jessica Tellez, Hairstylist at Urban Betty
I have a client who likes to test me every now and then. She and I both know that bangs aren’t an option for her and then she’ll sit in my chair and mention the word “bangs.” We laugh about it, but in an exchange over chat a few weeks ago, she suggested a different type of bangs blog. One for the people who should heed warnings about bangs. The following is a short, but certainly not exhaustive, list that we came up with, which I think is a good place to start. At the end of this blog, I’ll share with you a story about a client and her bangs. I may get a lot of flack for some of these, but I’m coming from the perspective of a stylist.
1. POST BREAKUP BANGS
If you and your person broke up the night before, close out of the browser you pulled up to make a bang trim appointment with your stylist if you think this may even remotely be connected with emotion, rather than fashion. I know you know what you want. BUT if this is a grief stricken decision, your stylist will end up being the person to blame. While we are usually our client’s sounding boards and therapists, we don’t want to talk you off the ledge. So, rather than putting us in the awkward position of telling you “no,” take more time to consider it. It can mean daily styling, more trips to the salon, oily summer foreheads, potential skin breakouts, and a change you weren’t really ready for.
2. DIY TYPES
If you are one to watch a youtube video and swear you’re capable of cutting your own hair after a glass of wine and a particularly healthy game of hide and seek with a pair of kitchen scissors, I beg you to recall the dreaded night before picture day, circa 1st grade. Your mom and those same scissors. Your teeth weren’t the only crooked things on your face. While it’s charming and cherubic on a child in pictures, it’s hardly becoming on an adult. If you tend to be like this, fight the temptation.
LET’S BREAK FOR A QUICK STORY…
On a weekend evening, I received a text from a client. It was a picture of an empty glass of wine (and bottle) sitting near a pair of scissors. Names in this story have been changed to protect identities. The text convo corresponding to the picture went as follows:
Jane Doe: Do you remember cutting our barbie’s hair in kindergarten?
Me: Oh Jane… What happened?
Jane Doe: I know my mistakes are my own. I need to make an appointment, though, ASAP.
Me: I’ll see you in the morning before we open.
3. THE BANGS YOU LOVE AREN’T RIGHT FOR YOUR HAIRLINE
You love the bangs on that model in the magazine. You have your heart set on them. But really, truly look at your face shape. Does your hairline grow away from your face as strong as Vasily Ivanovich Alekseyev, the 1972 olympic weightlifting champion? Because if it does, you’re looking at hours of tears while attempting to style them.
4. NOT THE RIGHT FACE SHAPE
This is a tough one. If you have the confidence and knowhow with styling, most people can pull off a look with tenacity, alone. But really look at face shape. Really talk to your stylist. Make sure you’re making the right choice.
5. LIFESTYLE
Are you a wash and go type who refuses to use product? Think again. It is the goal of almost every single client to have wash and go hair. They want freedom. Bangs do not equal freedom. They equal commitment.
At the end of the day, bangs can really add to a cut. And with the right lifestyle, products, and stylist, you can have them. But be honest with yourself AND your stylist!
