Bangs are one of those things that I bounce back and forth between every few years because of our love-hate relationship, which is a pretty good explanation of most people and their bangs relationships. I’ve learned quickly that the best bangs I’ve ever had were wispy ones, and they are the only ones I will bounce back to now. There are many different ways you can cut and style bangs, so I’ve made this wispy bangs ideas and style guide to help you find the best bangs.
Bottom Line Up Front
Wispy bangs are a great way to venture into the bang world because they are easy to style and more controllable. Some great wispy bang styles to start with would be face-framing wispy bangs for a straight-across bang look and curtain bangs for a more subtle bang. These are easier to grow if you don’t like them and create the most lived-in look out of all these bang styles.
What Are Wispy Bangs?
Wispy bangs have the texture of short and long pieces of hair that create a softer, more feathered bang. These bangs are much more manageable and easy to style than blunt ones because they are lighter weight and have more movement. You can make straight-across bangs, curtain bangs, or side-swept bangs wispy as long as they are cut correctly.
Benefits of Wispy Bangs
Easier to Maintain
Wispy bangs are easier to maintain than most other bangs because they don’t have a perfect shape, and the goal is to look lived-in and carefree. When their form starts changing as it grows out, it just makes them look even more lived-in, and you most likely will like it more after a few weeks of growing out. Because of this, you should only need to have your wispy bangs trimmed up every eight weeks versus four weeks for other types of bangs.
Less Hair in Your Face
Since wispy bangs are more segmented and spread out instead of blunt and straight across like other types of bangs, the hair moves more freely, making them easier to move away from your face. Wispy bangs are also usually done with a smaller section of hair, meaning there is less hair coming down into your face. This means that your entire face can show through your bangs, or it will show through as your bangs naturally move.
Creates a More Lived-In Style
If you like more of the carefree style, wispy bangs are the bangs for you. The segmented style created with wispy bangs is the look that most bangs have after a few weeks of growing out, so it will almost look as though you never have to try with your hair. This also allows your hair to lay more naturally, and you can get away without styling wispy bangs daily.
Less Likely to Develop Breakouts
The number one disadvantage to having bangs is the possibility of them creating an acne breakout on your forehead. This is due to the grease from your hair transferring to the skin on your face and blocking your pores. There are ways to prevent this, such as pushing your bangs back with a headband while exercising and sleeping, but wispy bangs are better for allowing airflow to your skin and not sitting directly on your face.
Selection Criteria
Trendy
Bangs tend to cycle through which type of bangs are in or out of style. Luckily, wispy bangs are trendy now, so almost any kind of wispy bangs you go for will be fashionable. There are a few on this list that nearly everyone is asking for nowadays, such as curtain bangs, and some that are modern yet classic, like side-swept bangs.
Easy to Style
Wispy bangs don’t need to be styled if you have them trained correctly to lay in the right direction since they are such a carefree style. However, if you do decide you need to style them, they are very easy to style for the most part. The textured ends make it much easier to get your hair to go where you want it to, and there isn’t much weight in wispy bangs, making the style last longer.
A Style For Everyone
I think we all know by now that not everyone can pull off every type of bang style out there. Bangs do a great job of framing your face to the point that they can drastically alter your face shape, so if you get a style of bang that makes your face look shorter and you already have a round face, you’re going not to like them. This doesn’t mean you can’t pull off bangs. You just can’t pull off those bangs. Below are different types of bang styles that work for different face shapes.
Wispy Bangs Ideas
Face Framing Wispy Bangs
Face framing wispy bangs come across your forehead and down around the sides of your face, gradually tapering off into the rest of your hair. You can make the bangs as thin or thick as you would like them, but the sides will need a bit of hair to make them blend in with your hair. These are fun if you wear your hair up often because you get those cut, short layers that fall around your face instead of the bangs just cutting off at your hairline.
These bangs frame your entire face, creating a rounder face shape. Therefore, you do not want these bangs if you already with a round face. However, they could work for square faces as they add a lot of roundness, but try not to make the bangs too straight across. The best face shape for these bangs are long faces and oval faces because they will make your face appear shorter, wider, and rounder.
Wispy Baby Bangs
Baby bangs are much shorter than the average straight-across bangs, typically starting at about mid-forehead or shorter. There are many different ways to make baby bangs, including a V shape that goes down in the center, straight across blunt and wispy baby bangs. Wispy baby bangs have a bit more movement and look edgier and messier than blunt baby bangs.
Contrary to what you may think, because they are straight across bangs, baby bangs will actually make your face shape look longer. This is one of the only straight across bang styles that people with round faces can pull off, as long as you like the edgier look. Although, I think nearly anyone could pull off this style as long as you have the confidence and fashion that goes with it.
Wispy Curtain Bangs
Curtain bangs are a trend from the 70s and have been reemerging lately as the fashionable bang style. These types of bangs are an in-between of face-framing and side-swept bangs with them coming down both sides of your face and gently swooping back into the rest of your hair. They are some of the most effortless bangs to maintain and the best option if you want the least amount of hair on your face.
Curtain bangs are so versatile that anyone can wear them, depending on how you decide to style them. The shorter you go with your curtain bangs, the shorter they will make your face appear. The longer you go with them, the more they will thin out and elongate your face shape. Therefore, long or oval faces should go with shorter curtain bangs that start at your cheekbone or higher, and round or square face shapes should go with longer curtain bangs.
Choppy Bangs
Choppy bangs take wispy bangs to the next level, with the ends being drastically different lengths throughout and styled in a spiky look. This style only works on straight-across bangs at or above the eyebrow because if they are too long, the spiky texture loses form. I find this style to be another edgy look that does stand out more than other bang trends.
Since this is a straight-across bang style, this look tends to look best on those with long or oval faces. However, you can also make baby bangs a choppy style, and then people with rounder faces could pull off this look as well. Even though this wispy bang style is one of the messiest, it does require the most maintenance because as they grow longer, they will lose the spikey texture.
Wispy Side Swept Bangs
Side-swept bangs are for those that don’t want to commit to a straight across bang and have a side part. These are easy to style, don’t need much maintenance, and are easy to grow out if you don’t like them. They are also some of the most effortless bangs to push out of your face, so you don’t have to worry about getting forehead acne and can move them back easier when you don’t want them on your face.
These bangs are great for those with round, square, or heart-shaped faces because they are longer, making your face look longer and framing your face a bit, making it look thinner. You could also make these bangs cover most of your forehead by making them shorter and parted deep on the side. This side-swept bang will also look good on those with a long or oval face shape.
Barely Bangs
If you want the wispiest bangs you can get, have only about a half-inch section of hair around the face cut into bangs. This creates a thin layer of bangs over your forehead that is nearly transparent. It is one of the most movable and breathable styles you can get, so it is great for those that worry about forehead breakouts or don’t want a ton of hair on their face.
This wispy bang look is typically worn longer and can be swept to the side, parted in the middle, or worn straight down. Therefore, almost any face shape can pull off this wispy bang style, mainly because they are so thin that they don’t obstruct your face shape much. They are also easily styled and maintained because running a blowdryer or flat iron over them takes a second.
Curly Wispy Bangs
Yes, curly hair girls can have bangs too, and I think they look incredible! Bangs on curly hair naturally tend to be wispy because of their natural pattern and movement. I recommend starting with a small amount of bangs and seeing how those work with your curls before fully committing to a thick bang section. These must also be cut much longer than bangs usually would be when wet or straight because they will bounce up quite a bit.
For those rocking their natural curl, you likely already have a round shape to your hair, and bangs will only exaggerate that rounded look. For this reason, I wouldn’t try bangs with your curly hair if you already have a round or square face. The horizontal line will prolong the width of your face and round it out more. Curly bangs look great on those with long or oval faces.
Wispy Long Bangs
The first benefit of long wispy bangs is that you can wear them in many different styles. These ultra wispy bangs come down past your eyebrows, either right at your eyes or just below them. Even though it is a super cute style, it can sometimes make them super annoying. However, you can swoop them to the side, part them in the middle to create a curtain bang look, or curl them under more to create a vintage bang.
Long wispy bangs take a ton of length off your face, so this style is best for those with longer faces. Although I recommend trying this look at first with barely bangs so you can get used to only a little bit of hair on your face first. In that case, the bangs will be more translucent, and you can try them on rounder faces. You should also know that these bangs need to be trimmed more often because they are already long, so they will lose their shape quickly.
Wispy Split Bangs
Wispy split bangs are very similar to curtain bangs, except they are short enough to have a few pieces of hair fall into the center, too, if you want to wear them as straight across bangs. These bangs are usually a bit thicker but still wispy enough to have maximum movement to split them wherever you see fit. You can barely split them so they are just laying over your brow, or you can completely part them to create closer to a short curtain bang.
Since wispy split bangs are not technically a straight-across bang, they create a bit more length in the face, making them suitable for those with slightly rounder or squarer faces. However, like all the other straight across wispy bang styles on this list, they are best for those with long or oval faces. These are some of the easier-to-maintain bang styles because they can be swept to the sides once they’re too long.
Wispy Thick Bangs
Even if you have thicker hair, you too can have wispy bangs because the wispiness comes with how the bangs are cut, not how much hair you have. I love wispy bangs on thicker-haired people because they get so much more volume out of their bangs, making them look even piecier. Make sure your stylist uses a razor and takes weight out from within the bangs to create a wispy look on thick hair.
Typically, longer lengths are best for wispy, thick bangs because they can become puffy and challenging to piece out if they are too short. For this reason, people with round faces should not try this look and would be better suited for a wispy curtain bang. I love thick wispy bangs on those with long or oval faces, especially if you add a bit of face-framing.
Wispy Bangs Style Guide
Wispy bangs are reasonably easy to style because they don’t have a ton of weight that will make them go in whatever direction they feel like going. You can easily manipulate wispy hair to do what you want it to. They also don’t have to be styled because wispy bangs are meant to look messy and carefree.
Even though wispy bangs are relatively easy to style, they will need some training to get them where you want them to go on their own. I recommend styling your bangs, following the steps below for the first couple of weeks after getting your bangs. This will train them to lay correctly and make it easier in the long run.
Materials Needed:
- Flat brush
- Medium round brush
- Blow dryer
- Heat Protectant
- Mouse or lightweight gel and hair spray
- Clips or pony holder
Shampoo or Wet Bangs
To make your bangs lay where you want them, you must wet them first so the root is movable. You don’t need to shampoo your hair every time, but I think it makes it easier to style and keeps your forehead from getting as greasy. When I had bangs, I would pull the hair I didn’t want to wash into a bun and then only shampoo my bangs in the sink with a peas size dot of shampoo.
Section Out Your Bangs
If you just sink-washed your bangs, as I mentioned above, your bangs are already sectioned out. If not, separate your bangs from the rest of your hair by pulling all the short pieces from the rest of your hair. Clip the remaining hair back like you are tucking it behind your ears or put it into a ponytail. Make sure you work on your wet bangs before the rest of your hair because they will dry quicker. You should also add all of your products to your bangs at this point.
Blowdry Your Bangs With the Flat Brush
To train your hair to lay in towards your face, you will have to glue your hair to your forehead while you’re blowdrying your bangs. This will teach your hair to bend in the opposite direction from where it is used to bending. I recommend brushing your bangs diagonally across your forehead in both directions and brushing them straight down. This will also fuse out any cowlicks that may obstruct your bangs.
Use the Round Brush to Add Some Bend
Once your bangs are near dry from the above step, you can then use a small round brush to add a bit of bend to your bangs. For straight across bangs, place the round brush under your bangs and follow the round brush with your blow dryer as your move the round brush down the hair. When adding a bend to curtain bangs or side-swept bangs, lay your round brush on top of your bangs and the blow dryer underneath them. Roll the bangs back towards the rest of your hair, following the brush with the blowdryer.
Finish Off with Hair Spray
The peiciness of wispy bangs comes from hairspray most of the time. You can create this wispy look by running your fingers through your bangs while you spray them with hairspray to create some separation. If you want more of a choppy look or points, pinch small sections of your bangs while running your fingers down the hair and spraying with hair spray.
FAQ’s
Answer: Technically, there is no difference because curtain bangs are a type of wispy bang. You can make wispy bangs with any bang style; the difference is they are cut to be piecier and have more movement. Curtain bangs can also be blunt, but they are usually wispy because they are easier to style.
Answer: Thick hair can have wispy bangs; it all depends on how well they are cut and how big of a section you take for your bangs. With thicker hair, you will have to cut in more texture to create a wispy look, and you will need to take a smaller section of hair, so they don’t become too thick. A standard bang section is about one to two inches deep, whereas thick-haired girls should only take a bang section of an inch or less deep.
Answer: Wispy bangs are much more low maintenance than blunt bangs, but all types of bangs require a bit of care to keep them in shape. Blunt bangs don’t have nearly as much movement, and wispy ones already have that lived-in look, so it isn’t as noticeable when they grow out, and you can push them to the sides more easily. It would be best if you still trimmed wispy bangs every six to eight weeks.
Answer: It depends on what look you are going for. For example, if you have naturally curly or wavy hair and want a piecier, straight bang, you will need to style them. However, if you want to work with your natural curl or wave, wispy bangs can do that. You will also need to train your bangs when you first get them so that they lay towards your face rather than going to their usual part.
Answer: Bangs almost always make someone look younger, and this is because it hides half of your face and creates a rounder-looking face shape that kids typically have. Bangs are also a great way to hide any forehead wrinkles and even crow’s feet that you may be struggling with.
Should You Try Wispy Bangs?
Bangs are certainly not for everyone, but one of the best ways to find out if they are for you is with wispy bangs. Wispy bangs are easier to grow out if you don’t like them, require less maintenance, and they’re a nicer way to get used to hair always being on your face. If you are new to bangs, you should try wispy ones before diving head first into any other bang style. I recommend going for face-framing wispy bangs or wispy curtain bangs at first.
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