After around a year of contemplation, I finally decided to get bangs. And by “get” bangs I mean cut them myself with craft scissors – because how hard could it be, right? It turns out it’s actually pretty hard, but I felt prepared considering I had been watching bang cutting tutorials on YouTube for a year straight.
Now I know what you’re probably thinking because people usually associate cutting your own bangs with having a complete mental breakdown. The truth is, I was just bored of my hair and wanted to try something new (Okay maybe I was having a small mental break down).
Before I chopped off my locks I kept replaying the pros and cons of bangs over and over again in my head. I had friends who told me they were a total pain to deal with, and I had others saying they loved every aspect of their bangs.
Ultimately, the pros won and I think I did a pretty amazing job cutting them if I do say so myself. I’ve had bangs for almost a week now and it’s definitely safe to say that bangs are the best and worst decision I’ve ever made – here’s why:
The Pros
So far I’ve been amazed the most at how much cuter they make basic hairstyles look. Your everyday ponytail instantly turns into a chic updo, a messy bun you threw together in seconds suddenly looks intentional – it’s amazing!
With this being said, as long as your bangs are styled, you will almost always look put together. Whether you are at the gym or out running errands in your sweats, with bangs framing your face you will always look a little more polished. I have also found that I gravitate toward little to no makeup recently because of it!
Another pro is that bangs also take up a good amount of your face, giving your ungroomed eyebrows and forehead pimple a place to hide if need be. I decided to go for the fairly wispy bangs look and still a majority of my forehead and eyebrows are covered.
Because of this, I haven’t touched my eyebrows or put makeup on my forehead since cutting my bangs and it’s been fantastic. I’d say that it saves me time in the morning, but realistically the time I used to spend doing my eyebrows each day I now spend styling my new bangs.
The Cons
Ah, the cons. The other side of having bangs that caused me to wait an entire year before finally deciding to make the chop.
I’m the type of girl to almost never heat style my hair. I usually just apply a few products and let it dry naturally after I shower, so having to style my bangs each morning was a wakeup call, to say the least. If you are one of the lucky people out there whose bangs dry perfectly naturally, I am beyond jealous of you.
Some prefer to blow dry their bangs, others like to straighten them, but no matter which you prefer, you will almost always have to dedicate time in the morning to styling them. Mine seriously have a mind of their own and decide to stick straight up when I wake up every single morning. It’s safe to say not heat styling isn’t even an option for me.
Another potential con is the growing out process. I haven’t really experienced this yet, but so far every time my bangs have been in my way or looked a mess, I simply clipped them back. Growing out bangs can take a while. Just remember to always have pins, clips and a whole lot of patience lying around!
Finally, if you have acne-prone skin, the oils from your hair could cause pimples on your forehead. Lucky this hasn’t happened to me yet, but this is just something to keep in mind if you are thinking of getting bangs yourself.
No matter what you decide to do, I think every girl should try out bangs at least once in her life. Just please don’t do what I did and cut them yourself with kindergarten craft scissors. If you’re considering getting bangs, think about the pros and cons, then go to the salon and show your hairstylist the look you’re going for. I’m sure you’ll look bangin’ (Sorry I had to)!