To cut bangs or not to cut bangs: that is the question.

[sarahmck]

Hello there,

I have a dilemma. I am 30 years old now and have had bangs for all of my life except the last few years. My hair has been long for all but about a year of the period after my mom ceded hair control to me. (She, like many of the other moms out there, prefers my hair short.) I have had a lifelong internal battle about bangs.

When I had them, I grew them out constantly through the horrible length awful stage and then I'd cut them by the time they reached my mouth. Each time, I'd be pleased with the results of the cut, but I inevitably got the bug to grow them out again and repeated the cycle.

A few years ago, I succeeded in growing the bangs out by growing out the majority of them (they had been rather substantial) and leaving a thin lower layer at eyebrow length. Once I'd done that, it was easy to grow the remaining bangs out because they were so wispy that they didn't look horrible as they grew.

Of course, now that I've gotten rid of them, I continually consider cutting them again! I had my mind set on cutting long wispy bangs when I visit a hairdresser some time this Spring. That is, until I recently became hair-obsessed and started reading long hair sites (and finally finding this one, which is my favorite by far ). I read on the GM site about how he says that hair must be one length with no bangs and parted on the right side, et cetera, et cetera. I don't know if I should buy into this, and am looking for advice.

I think that I look better with some bangs. My forehead isn't terribly high, so it just seems like I'm suited to them. Also, the area above my temples is filled with baby hairs that never have grown beyond about four inches and are a different texture (very fine) and color (much redder) than the rest of my hair. I'm considering cutting just a few wispy bangs that match those hairs in length.

So here's where you come in: I'm guessing that I'm not the only person who has agonized (well, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement) about bangs. After all, if your hair is long (mine's about waist length), growing bangs back out will be a looooong process.

Whew! That was long. Sorry, I'm a bit of a rambler. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated!

Sarah

[Lexy]

Originally Posted by Sarah

Also, the area above my temples is filled with baby hairs that never have grown beyond about four inches and are a different texture (very fine) and color (much redder) than the rest of my hair. I'm considering cutting just a few wispy bangs that match those hairs in length.

This is exactly why I finally decided to give up and cut bangs. Whenever I wore my hair up (approximately 99% of the time ) those little wispies drove me absolutely insane. I really really hate the way they look. If I had been able to grow the wispies out, then I would have kept my hair all one length, but I tried for three years and I had wispies the whole time. I finally just gave in and cut bangs this weekend.

The good thing about my bags is that my hair is straight enough that I can go without product and still have them look decent. If that weren't true, then I never would have cut them.

[oneKnight]

Originally Posted by Lexy

This is exactly why I finally decided to give up and cut bangs. Whenever I wore my hair up (approximately 99% of the time ) those little wispies drove me absolutely insane. I really really hate the way they look. If I had been able to grow the wispies out, then I would have kept my hair all one length, but I tried for three years and I had wispies the whole time. I finally just gave in and cut bangs this weekend.

This may happen to me, I've had bangs the whole time, and started growing them out last June, they're finally almost as long as the rest of my hair and long enough to put up. But just yesterday I got fed up with the tiny wispies!!
If I don't gel them up with the rest of my bangs (I put them up for work coz they still get in the way) they are just long enough to keep poking me in the eyes! I hate the way they look too! Today I trimmed them just barely short enough to keep them out of my eyes, but if I keep doing that they'll never get longer. But if as you say they will always be there anyway...I'm very annoyed by them. I dunno what I'll do. I grew out my bangs because I was going for the all-long look, and because no one over 10 has bangs around here. They made me look younger, so I don't want bangs back again.

[sarahmck]

Originally Posted by oneKnight

They made me look younger, so I don't want bangs back again.

Ha! That's one reason why I want to cut them again. I guess that with age, your perspective changes .

Originally Posted by Lexy

This is exactly why I finally decided to give up and cut bangs. Whenever I wore my hair up (approximately 99% of the time ) those little wispies drove me absolutely insane. I really really hate the way they look.

I actually like my little wispies. Maybe it's because I have a bunch of them all together and they're all just the same length, so they sort of look organized. I just want to continue them all the way across.

Does anyone put any stock in the GM philosophy that your head wants to balance itself out, so if you cut bangs, other hairs will fall out to compensate? I find it hard to believe that my scalp is that self-aware. Here's a quote from him:

(from http://www.longhairlovers.com/gm_interview.html)

First of all, Dr. Michael explained that the most important step for growing the longest, healthiest hair possible is to have hair that's all one length. That means absolutely no bangs (or "fringe", to our European friends). Dr. Michael told me, "Bangs are like worms!", which I took to mean they're a pretty bad thing. Fortunately, he explained what he meant.

"Hair is not at its strongest with bangs or layers," Dr. Michael said. "Because humans are mammals, nature will try to equalize the hair by excessively shedding in order to even out all the shorter hairs. This creates an abnormal loss of hair which leads to unhealthy, straggly locks."

[Carolyn]

If you are going to like your hair better with bangs then maybe you would like them again. If you are the least bit unsure, wait to cut them in again. You can always do it later. Don't cut anything in haste. It's all about you liking your hair, bangs or no bangs. Personally I like the wispie thing going on. I have them and don't mind them at all. I've admired the way the wispies look on other women. Think about what you liked about having bangs and what you didn't like about them. My bangs were the cause of bad hair days when I had them. I have ceased having bad hair days with no bangs. Is your forehead oily? mine is. My bangs were greasy within hours of washing my hair. I did like the way the looked when there were at the perfect length and curled perfectly. That happened like 2 days a month I'm not sure about the GM no bangs theory. I don't quite get how some hairs at one place on your head know what the other hair are doing. Why not think about a few weeks and if you really want bangs again cut in just a few little longish ones? then add more later on if you wish.

[LongRed]

Hello there,
I ALWAYS had bangs all my short haired life but when I grew out my hair,
I decided it was time to change that! I went through that very inbetween hard stage by wearing hair bands and cute clippies....I'm so glad now that I grew them out...they're finally the same length as all the rest of my hair!

Good luck with your decision!

[nastasska]

I do not believe the GM theory about fringe/bangs.I am growing out my fringe at the moment to see how I look without it but if I don't like it I'll cut my fringe back

[melisanda]

my opinion is: if you are not 100% sure don't cut them again. You can always cut them later.

I do wear bangs, grew them out once but didn't like it (I was about 13 then). I'm not sure about GM's theory. It does sound logic that when you cut layers/bangs to one length hair, your hair will try to establish balance again but I think that after some time(months), if you continue to trim them, the hair will adjust to the new situation and will stop trying to achieve balance (because it will realize it's pointless).

[Chamomile betty]

I love my bangs. I feel they give me a lot of versitility and they look great with updos.

But, if you struggle with them maybe you should think of some alternatives like wearing clips to pull a few peices of hair back.

It's really just about what you like and how you wear your hair.

Angel Hugs and Love

[RedButterfly]

I have bangs again. I tried to grow them out but the all one length look was too severe for my long face and tall forehead. I am happy that I have bangs again because they softhen my face and give me more styling options.

However, there are many people who have cut in bangs and regret it. You have to do some serious soul searching to decide if you really want bangs because they do take a long time to grow out.

Some people have been able to use a side part so that some of the hair hangs over part of the forehead to softhen the face without cutting bangs. Lady Grace from the Floorlength hair club does this.

For me, the GM bang theory isn't true. My hair didn't grow any faster when my bangs reached my shoulders. I still have the normal 1/2 inch a month with occassional growth spurts or resting periods.

I hope that helps.

[wtchmel]

I'm a bang lover. I need them, because of an elvis type of forehead. Do what you think makes you look your best. when you feel you look good, you exude 'I look good energy',LOL.Good luck on your choice.

[Anka]

Personally, I don't give 2 öre for any of the pseudoscientific theories regarding hair that is circulating. And there is one huge flaw in the GM theory. Nature strives for more entrophy and is inherrently chaotic. And all hairs at the same length means you are acctualy naturally layered. Since the only thing a hair root could possibly experience is the weight of the individual hair attached to it, then it would perhaps make sense for the scalp to have the same pressure on it's rots everywhere... ie each strand the same length, ie... naturally layered. but that would be an impossibillity, since hair is shed and grown out, so even if you never ever cut your hair, or have it break, you will end up with shorter strands.

Personally, i feel almost all people look better without bangs, but it is your hair. those wispy bangs do give you a way to both have and not have bangs though.

[EvaL]

George Michael must have had really bad marks at biology!!! Remembering 11th grade, I agree with what Anka has said. Neither hair nor skin ever "thinks". And as long as no system is affected, one hair doesnt have a clue how long the other hair is. The growth of one hair doesn't have any connection to the growth of another hair, Mr. Michael: Growth of many hairs can be affected by nutrition or hormones, but looking at the system we call "hair growth", we must come to the conclusion that it just doesn't work vice versa and therefore the balancing theory is nonsense. What's more: Nature always takes the one course that leeds to success, and, as Anka has exlained very well, it never takes the course George Michael says to be best for it.
I'm having a problem with bangs as well. It's all in my hair journal.

[rosepetal]

Originally Posted by sarahmck

I think that I look better with some bangs.

Hi Sarahmck!

I think that you have answered your own question.

[anixia]

I dont really think I believe that hair "thinks" about its length at all. :p I used to have bangs when I had classical length hair. I like bangs on me, but I hate fussing to make them look nice, I like wash and go. If you have especially nice eyes, the bangs will draw attention to them.