How To Style Bangs So They Don’t Look Awkward AF

Styling bangs can be a pain – waking up with them looking like you’ve walked through a literal car wash dryer is so not the move. Luckily, there are some easy ways to counteract those wily strands and style them seamlessly. Contrary to what you may think, bang styling goes beyond just bringing a flat iron to your front ends. We’re breaking down a few ways to style bangs so you’re left with options when it comes to getting ready for the day. Bang-havers, follow along, and get ready to take notes.

1. How To Style Straight Bangs

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Before you begin styling your bangs, you want to make sure they’re fully dry. Wet or damp strands are more susceptible to heat damage from any hot tools you’re styling with. Although air drying your bangs post-shower does the trick, blow-drying them proves more effective since you can challenge your bang’s natural shape. Point your blow dryer in a downward direction, then brush out your bangs, side to side, to reel in any flyaways.

To begin styling straight bangs, reach for your flat iron. Start by straightening small sections at a time, moving across your forehead. For each section, guide the flat iron down, then slightly in towards your face to form bangs with body. For the tresses that fall on the outskirts of your bangs, try guiding them up and outwards from your face with the flat iron, for added flair.

2. How To Style Side-Swept Bangs

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Side-swept bangs are the ultimate companion for shags, mullets, and other layered hairstyles – but figuring out how to style them to best suit your personal look can be tricky. Fully straightening them makes your bangs look out of place, especially if your sweeping hairstyle includes wavy or curly textures.

There are two very simple ways to achieve fabulously laid, sweepy bangs. The first is to gather all of your bang hair, and use a flat iron or wide-barrel curler to pull them up from your forehead, and toward the back of your head. By styling them away from your face, your side-swept bangs get some volume that can be set with a light spritz of hairspray. The second method utilizes a flat iron and a similar technique to the first – split your bangs into halves depending on your hair’s part, then flat iron them slightly up and to the respective sides of your head. The result is a wispy side-swept bang style, without major volume.

3. How To Style 90's Bangs

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There are a few different styles that fall under the 90’s bangs category. Baby bangs, feathered bangs, and curtain bangs were all popular at the time, and we’re seeing them roll around in beauty trends again.

For baby bangs that need to be styled, work on them like you would straight bangs. For this look, a smaller flat iron may be easier to use, since your bangs are smaller. Start at one end of your bangs, then work your way across the forehead to tame any hairs that are running wild.

Feathered bangs are most recognizable for flipped-out ends. They’re essentially side-swept bangs, but you can go as big as you want with them, in true 90’s fashion. To effectively style feathered bangs, roll your blow-dried locks forward over a hair roller – the size you use is up to you, but in our opinion, bigger is better. You can hold some low blow dryer heat over your bangs for a quick styling sesh, or leave the roller in sans heat, while you slay your makeup routine.

Curtain bangs frame the face on both sides, and pair well with practically any hair style and texture. Style curtain bangs with a blow dryer and a wide round brush, drying each side away from your face. Play with curling the ends under for more visual appeal! Once your bangs are where you want them, finish them off with a quick hairspray.

More Tips For Styling Bangs

With hair product, less is more. None is better. Using minimal to no product, while keeping your hair clean, will reduce the chance of your bangs looking greasy and falling out of their heat-treated style.
Dry shampoo is your BFF for styling bangs because you won’t have to be stuck washing them over your bathroom sink on the daily.
Having bangs is a commitment, especially knowing that they’ll grow quicker and their length will become more noticeable than the rest of your locks. To save yourself time and money on hair trims, just pick up some small shears to trim the ends of your bangs whenever you notice they’re poking your eyes too often.