How to Style Bangs

A blunt bangs look requires a little straightening.

Bangs come in many styles from short and chunky to long and wispy, but they all need the same kind of attention. Tame those bangs by following this guide. The process of styling bangs is cumulative--you must follow the directions for one step before getting to the next.

Things You'll Need

• Medium barrel round brush
• Aerosol hairspray
• Hair dryer
• Narrow straightening iron
• Spray bottle of water
• Fine-tooth comb
• Hair band/hair tie

Instructions

1. Make sure your hair is dry but your bangs are still wet. If they have dried off with the rest of your hair, re-wet them using a spray bottle of water.

2. Comb the bangs away from the rest of your hair using a fine-tooth comb. You may even choose to tie back the rest of your hair with a hair band to concentrate on the bangs.

3. Lift your bangs using your round brush and begin to blow-dry on low. Keep the brush moving while drying and don't concentrate on one area too long. Doing so can make your hair look dried out and damaged.

4. Set your straightening iron to medium heat and smooth your hair, starting as close to the roots as is comfortable and moving quickly toward the ends of the hair. Use the fine-tooth comb again to comb hair straight down and into place. If this finishes off your style, you've achieved a blunt bangs look.

5. Take your round brush again and place it underneath the bangs. Lightly spray with aerosol hairspray and then brush through, turning the brush under as you pull it from the bangs. Let the hairspray dry and repeat the brush movement. If this is the look you wanted, you have created wispy bangs.

6. Take your fine-tooth comb and make a part in your bangs. It may be a middle part or a deep part, but it often goes with the natural part of your hair. Brush the two sides of the part apart and then run your fingers through each side. If this gives you what you were looking for, you were looking for natural-looking side bangs.

7. Take the fine-tooth comb again and smooth each side of the bang against the tops of your forehead, closest to the hairline and running down toward the outer edges of your eyes. You can choose to tuck the bangs behind your ear or clip them in place with a bobby pin or other styling accessory. Apply a small dab of gel to finish. If this is how you wanted to look, you wanted a sleek side bang.

Tips & Warnings

• Bangs are tricky. Not every look will work for everyone. Try out a few different styles and you'll find they'll work differently with the pattern of your hair.

• Styling bangs with curly hair takes extra attention. Make sure to spend extra time during the straightening phase to get the perfect look.