Last month was a time of change for me. I re-evaluated my goals for the next few years and really thought about how I wanted to be living my life. Yeah, the idea of cutting off dead cells on your head to symbolize change is pretty cliché, but I did it and it felt good.
I have been wanting bangs for years now, but the finality of the chop was too daunting for me. I even got my mom to buy me some fake bangs from China on Amazon to help me ease into it. They didn't look super real, but they were fun and I wore them for Halloween.
Before
Finally, I went in for a long overdue routine hair trim. It was a few days before my birthday (December 30) and New Year's (the next day) and I was feeling adventurous AF.
The lady cutting my hair had really cute side bangs going on and that got my mind going. I casually asked her way too many questions about her bangs and then called my mom over for an opinion. My mom's response was something like "Do NOT get bangs you will regret it!" (Spoiler alert: I did it anyway.)
My hair got cut as normal and then my stylist asked me if she should cut bangs or not. I sat with clenched teeth as she parted my front hair apart and trimmed it to my cheekbone. At this point I was all in and insisted I was ready for the eyebrow length full on fringe.
Results
That first evening I was surprisingly thrilled, even though my bangs looked really bad that first day. Anyone else regret their haircut the first day, but then a few days later, it looks great?
I made it a point to not post anything on social media and to wait until after winter break to show my friends and classmates. When the time came, I got mad compliments. After spending three days with classmates on an overnight school trip, one of the girls showed up to school the next day with her own bangs. Talk about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.
If anyone else is considering getting bangs, my best advice is to just do it. All of my fears were completely put to rest.
Lessons Learned
I thought I would be permanently stuck with bangs for months until they grew out, but I was so wrong about this one. I only wear them down about half the time, and the other half, I sweep 'em out of my face pretty easily or pin them back.
I also thought I would be left with a greasy, acne-covered forehead from hair oils on my skin. This thought was also wrong. The key is to only wear bangs on your forehead when going out. When I'm chilling at home in sweats and when I go to sleep, I make sure my hair is slicked way back away from my skin.
Then, I was afraid of looking corny, out of fashion, or just bad. The thing is bangs are definitely in style, and they kind of always have been. I mean, look at Ariana Grande or T. Swift. I can't guarantee a fringe won't look bad on you, but you can minimize those chances by using handy dandy Google to find what type of a cut would look best for your face shape.
Lastly, you might learn a thing or two about cutting your own hair. Bangs grow pretty fast and mastering the fringe trim is not as hard as it seems. I'll admit to have given my edges a light run down with scissors every few weeks.
So, if you are waiting for a sign to get bangs, consider this it. I mean, if you are reading this article, maybe you always have secretly wanted bangs. Look up some pics of Brigitte Bardot to get some inspo and hopefully you'll be left happier and more confident with your new styling.
Your hair doesn't have to correlate with your self worth and body image, but sometimes a chop will make you feel good.