I got a bang trim today.  It was my first trim since getting them on January 2^nd, so it looks like I can go about five weeks before they’re on top of my eyelids.  I could probably let them grow longer and just part them in the center a la’ Alexa Chung, but that’s not really the look I’m going for.

It hasn’t been half bad taking care of bangs this time around, honestly.  If you’re considering them, just remember that you will need to style them every day.  And if you typically let your hair air-dry, well, you’ll still want to give your bangs just five minutes of time with heat and a brush because they may not look as naturally flattering as the rest of your air-dried mermaid hair.  You may just look like you’ve got mermaid hair with a Medusa forehead.

Here are a couple extra tips for keeping your bangs in Charlotte Gainsbourg condition, should you be interested:

1. No round brushes! EVER! Unless you’re going for the perfect pipeline-shaped bangs you had when you were five, I urge you to stay away from round brushes hen drying your bangs.  I’ve found round brushes just make my bangs too, well, round.  The best instructions I’ve found on blowing out your bangs can be found here on my Pinterest.  Using a blow dryer, I’ll give them a little air from the left, then from the right, a little from straight above, and then I’ll very carefully use a flat brush (my Bass paddle brush is all I have right now, though I’d like something smaller) to pull them taut in sections.

2. Use a drop of styling cream to keep your bangs in place. While they’re still wet, I’ll distribute just a pea-sized amount of R&Co Jackpot in my bangs before I hit them with heat. Blow-drying bangs without any product can leave them almost too soft and pliable; a bit of styling cream gives them just the right amount of hold and grit that’ll last you a day or two.

3. Bangs look their best when the rest of your hair has volume. Unless you’re going for an intentionally sleek look, get out all the mousse and texturizing sprays you have and go to town on the rest of your hair.  Bangs paired with flat hair can look a bit childish, while bangs with some nice teasing at the crown look more balanced with a Bardot feel.  I’m not trying to tell anyone how to look; these are just my personal observations.

4. Dry shampoo, as you can imagine, is your best friend by day two. It’s very difficult not to keep touching your bangs because it is literally hair in your face, but a spray of dry shampoo can easily remedy a case of the 4:00pm greasies.  But don’t overdo it- I seriously get by with one spray of Living Proof’s dry shampoo in my bangs.  It’s harder to brush dry shampoo out of bangs and make it disappear because there isn’t as much hair to absorb it.

5. When you’ve had your bangs cut in a way you like, ask your stylist for the exact steps on what he or she does (and take a picture of yourself with your ideal length!). Chances are you may end up in a different salon for a quick bang trim on the fly (or at least, that’s what I’ve done).  You should be able to repeat the steps to another stylist.  Otherwise, if you give no instructions, your blunt bangs could end up wispy, your long, fashion-length bangs could end up too short, and so forth.  Pictured here, my ideal length.  And an accompanying shot of what happens when they do what most hair does- grow.

6. Careful with the flat iron. I think it’s tempting for many to air dry their bangs and then give them the treatment of death by flat ironing them into submission.  I strongly advise against this.  While you don’t want tunnel bangs, you don’t want them slap against your forehead either or with weird stick-straight ends jutting out.  I only use a flat iron for touch-ups, like after I’ve woken up and they’re bent all weird.  I try to keep the tools squared around the brush, the comb, and the aforementioned potions.

I think that’s all I’ve got from this past month of experience.  I’m excited that I have a little excuse to drop into a salon every month or so now; bang trims are typically complimentary.  And I wasn’t too ashamed to dash out quickly after this trim, considering I was left with a cowlick as high as the heavens.  No seriously, it was a half-inch higher than the rest of my hair.  I literally put my hood on as I walked out of the salon.  No one needed to see that on a Friday.  xo, MR