My name is Bonnie, and I have a disease called “I don’t know how to leave my hair alone.”
I have cut bangs after a breakup. I’ve cut bangs because a magazine told me to. I have grown them out, sworn I’d never do it again, and then done it again. (Doesn’t everyone?) So when I ask “should I cut bangs,” I’m not asking hypothetically. I’m asking as the test subject.
Here’s what I’ve learned, so you don’t have to learn it with kitchen scissors.
Why Do Women Cut Bangs?
The breakup chop. The first time I cut bangs was right after a nasty breakup [year]. It felt fantastic. End of one chapter, start of another, and I didn’t have to say a word. The bangs said it for me.
The fresh start. New job, new city, new birthday with a zero at the end. You can’t redo your whole life on a Tuesday, but you can redo your forehead.
They actually flatter you. Good bangs pull attention to your eyes and cheekbones. Blunt bangs look bold and a little dangerous. Wispy bangs look soft and romantic. I’ve tried both [and side-swept, God help me], and every time I felt like a slightly different woman walking out of the salon.
The forehead situation. Let’s be honest. Bangs hide lines (they’re not wrinkles, they’re expression marks, dammit). It’s the cheapest anti-aging trick there is.
Control. When everything else is falling apart, your hair is the one thing you get to decide. Vain, yes. Masochist, no.
Why Do Women Cut Their Hair Short?
Same reasons, bigger scissors. The big chop is a declaration: I am DONE with blowouts, done with ponytail headaches, done with hair in the shower drain. It can feel amazing for about a week. Then you try to put it up.
Look, if you are capable of growing long, thick, beautiful hair – it is a slap in the face to the rest of us if you just chop it off whenever you feel like it.
Why You Shouldn’t Cut Bangs (Yet)
Bangs are a part-time job. Nobody tells you this. You have to style them EVERY morning. Skip a day and they split down the middle like a bad boy band. They also get greasy by lunch because they live on your forehead. Dry shampoo becomes your best friend [the one I actually use: brand, price, where to find it].
The grow-out is miserable. There’s a stretch of months where they’re too long to be bangs and too short to tuck. Welcome to headband season. Population: you and forty bobby pins.
Your cowlick has opinions. If you have one at your hairline, it wins. Every time. Ask your stylist before she cuts, not after.
Midnight decisions are bad decisions. Emotional haircuts are like emotional texts. Satisfying for about four minutes.
Long hair does more tricks. When I had long hair, I felt like myself. I could braid it, pin it into a Bardot bouffant, or throw it in a bun on day-three hair. When I cut it, I honestly felt like I’d misplaced part of my personality. I’ve watched friends do the same thing and spend a year missing their length. Short hair is gorgeous. It just has fewer costume changes.
So Should You Do It? The Betty Test
Before you book, answer these honestly:
- Is this about a man? Wait two weeks. If you still want them, go get another man.
- Will you style them every single day? Every. Single. Day.
- Have you tried clip-in bangs? A cheap test drive [price and where]. No commitment, no regret.
- Are you seeing a stylist? Kitchen scissors are for chives. Only I can cut bangs with a Braun shaver like a pro.
And please, do NOT cut them yourself in the bathroom mirror. Your mirror is lying about where the center of your face is. I’m not paying for your emergency salon fix. (see previous statement)
My Verdict
I’m pro-bangs in certain situations on certain people. I’m also pro-waiting-until-morning. Bangs can be a fun, gutsy change, and I’ll probably cut them again. But the best haircut I ever got was on a boring afternoon with a stylist I trusted, not at midnight with a broken heart. Hair grows back, about half an inch a month. Your patience does not.
FAQ
Do bangs make you look younger? Usually, yes. They soften your face, bring attention to your eyes, and cover forehead lines.
How long do bangs take to grow out? Several months before they blend into your layers. Curtain bangs grow out the easiest.
What bangs are best for beginners? Curtain bangs. They’re forgiving, they tuck behind your ears, and they don’t punish you for skipping a morning.
Should I cut my own bangs? No. Next question.
Final Thoughts
Bangs are a mood, a statement, and sometimes a story you tell at brunch for years. Cut them, skip them, or clip them in. Just don’t do it because it’s midnight and the scissors are right there.
Then again, I said that last time too.
💋
