On the Fence About Getting Bangs? Here Are 11 Things to Consider First

Updated on Sep 2, 2017 at 9:45 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Paul Kabata

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Six years ago, I made the best decision in my hair life: I got bangs. At first, they were side bangs, only gracing a part of my tiny forehead. Since then, they've grown to become full-swept bangs, requiring a lot more maintenance and accidental trips to the hairdresser after badly trimming them. But if you're undecided on where you stand with getting bangs, you might want to consider all the items you'll need — and changes you'll have to make to your hair routine — first before making the cut.

You're going to have to become comfortable trimming your bangs.

Unless you're willing to make the time to go to a hairdresser constantly, you'll need to become OK with cutting your own bangs. Invest in the simplest kind of hair scissors like Sally Hansen Beauty Tools Do Your 'Do Styling Shears ($7), and start slow and steady.

Sally Hansen Beauty Tools Do your 'do - Styling Shears

From

$7.39

Or get ready to pay $15 or more in bang trims.

At this point in my bang life, I know I'm not that great at trimming my bangs. I've cut them badly so many times that I now know to go directly to the hairdresser to get them fixed. Unfortunately, that means spending $15 or more every two months or so, getting them trimmed and ready to go (but to me, it's absolutely worth it).

You'll also have to deal with some bad bang trims.

Sometimes, either due to my own trimming or a hairdresser saving my bangs from a trim of mine, you will end up with bangs you really hate. Thankfully, it's hair and it will grow, but it sucks for a few days.

Your life will become a mess of bobby pins.

Whether it's for working out or to style your bangs differently, you'll need bobby pins. I like to keep my bobby pins hidden, so I usually opt for Conair Curved Bobby Pins Black ($2), which are perfect for anything.

Conair Curved Bobby Pins Black - 70pk

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$2.49

Prepare to have a closet full of sweatbands.

For pretty much any workout, you'll need to get your bangs out of your face. So invest in a few good sweatbands and never forget one in your gym bag.

Washing your hair every day will become the new normal.

Working out will make your bangs sweaty, gross, and completely messy. And even if you don't work out, the simple wear of the day will make your bangs a little dirty. I tried not washing my hair every day, but it just resulted in my bangs getting super gross and feeling very unprofessional at work. So I wash my hair every day and make the time to deal with it.

But dry shampoo is a lifesaver.

Sometimes, though, you don't have the chance to wash your hair or don't feel like it. It's why I always have some dry shampoo around like Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk ($10) to quickly freshen up the bangs and pretend they aren't as greasy as they feel.

Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk, Travel Size

From

$10

Your hair will get sweaty at weird times, and you'll need to deal.

Unfortunately, bangs will sometimes do whatever they want to do. So you'll have to deal with them leaving gaps during the worst of times and best of times . . . like for me when I met Neil deGrasse Tyson and could only focus on the bit of misplaced bang hair.

Invest in some great mascara.

Nothing will make you groan more than when your bangs get caught in your mascara — trust me. You'll want something that is long lasting, won't clump, and dries pretty quickly so there's minimal damage to your look, and something like Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara ($23) does the trick.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara

From

$23

Your bangs will get too long sometimes.

Sometimes, you'll wait too long in between trimmings and they'll get too long and be in your face. It's not always so bad, though — they can be a great new look to try.

But bangs are absolutely worth it!

In the six years that I've had bangs, I've never looked back. I love how they frame my face, the texture they add to my hair and look, and that it's kind of like a hairstyle already in place.