After spending two months in isolation with no definitive end in sight, the appeal of giving into impulse and making a drastic hair change is stronger than ever. Social media platforms have been taken over by pictures and videos of guys shaving their heads and girls dyeing their hair or cutting their own ‘quarantine bangs’. As the boredom and mundanity of life in quarantine gets to the better of people, making any change as simple as a haircut helps to make things a little more interesting.
I can understand the urge to just pick up a pair of scissors and make an impulsive chop. Last summer I decided to give in to that urge, and I got bangs after my highschool graduation without much of a forethought. I wouldn’t say that I regret that decision – it’s only hair after all – but I definitely didn’t realize how much work it would take everyday to get them looking right. I put in hours of time teaching myself how to properly style my bangs when I wanted to have them down and how to hide them on days when they just wouldn’t cooperate.
There was a bit of a learning curve in finding things to do with my bangs when I was working out or when I simply wanted them out of my face. So, for anyone who has just cut their own bangs and is feeling a little lost in how to manage them, I’ve been there, and I compiled this list of my five most essential tips for styling and hiding bangs from the first chop through the growing-out phase.
Styling Bangs
The 2-minute Blowout
Side swept bangs and 70s-inspired fringe are making a huge comeback and are what most people hopping on the ‘quarantine bangs’ trend are looking for. So, to get a more laid-back look and avoid straight-across Dora the Explorer bangs, try these simple steps:
- Straight out of the shower, section off your fully wet bangs. Pull the rest of your hair back and blow dry it after or let it air dry normally
- Blow dry the bangs entirely to one side of the forehead and then to the other, focusing the heat on the roots and repeating until fully dry.
- Brush through with a small round brush.
Luckily, this process only takes about two minutes at the most! Drying them side-to-side confuses the root and lets the bangs fall evenly rather than separating at the part. Round brushing them at the end while they’re still hot will give a very slight curve at the root preventing the bangs from laying flat on your forehead. Linked here is a video that was my saving grace in styling my bangs in a way that I was happy with.
Hiding Bangs
Getting my bangs in the summer posed some unexpected challenges. I hadn’t considered that 90 degree weather would mean that my bangs would be totally greasy by the middle of the day. I’m sure everyone who cut their bangs during quarantine will start to realize this as the weather gets warmer. There is only so much dry shampoo can do, so I had to get crafty.
Hidden Bobby Pins
The trick is to lift the longer hair up and secure only the bangs with bobby pins underneath. I find that using two pins crossed over each other on both sides works best for keeping the hair in place all day. I then let the longer pieces of hair fall over top of the bobby pins, concealing the bangs and giving the look that you just have the front pieces of your hair behind your ears.
Mini Pigtails
My tip is to incorporate longer pieces of hair into the sections so the ends of your bangs don’t stick straight up. Try to get equal amounts of hair in each section and secure them with a small elastic close to the middle of your head. I used this method countless times this year when I didn’t feel like wearing my bangs down on a night out with my friends, and I never got tired of it.
Braids
One of my favorite ways to hide my bangs when I had them and now as I grow them out is to make two 70s inspired mini braids in the front of my hair. The key is to split the bangs in line with the middle part and (one at a time) divide both sections into thirds. Incorporate longer pieces of hair into those three small sections and braid down the length of the hair. Repeat with the other side. When it comes to working out, making two full french braids starting with this same sectioning method was my saving grace.
Clips
It may take some trial and error and probably a bit of frustration, but you will find a style that works for you and will come to embrace the bit of change that a new haircut brings. And, there’s no better time than now to have some fun with your hair.
Carolyn D’auria
Edited by Sam Lacey