A good bang puts a smile on the face of the dowdiest of girls. Choppy bangs change your look by focusing attention on the face and add fierceness, mystery, sexiness, and glamor to your look. Who doesn’t want that? They are trendy too, with models and celebs queuing up for the look. Follow Nick Arrojo’s haircut and styling tips and opt for choppy bangs this fringe season.
1. Punk-Inspired Bob with Choppy Bangs
Short layers and choppy bangs transform chin-length looks from demure to daring. Disconnected lengths — short on top and longer underneath — have a bold, punk-influenced feel. The top layers remove bulk from the sides and can be worn sleek, tousled, or even spiked into a mohawk. The shape opens the face, accentuating the eyes and cheekbones for a flattering, edgy variation on the bob.
Instagram / @nickarrojo
Haircut: Ask your stylist for an outline that falls above the shoulder, with a clean edge that’s the same length all the way around the head. Add short choppy bangs and textured layers that are cut in opposition to the head-shape, creating a flat, lean silhouette.
Color: A light color all over or a few highlights through top will accentuate the disconnection and heighten the drama of the look. Keep variation subtle, within 1-2 levels of the base shade.
Styling: To style at home, mix a dime each of texture paste and hair creme. Apply to damp clean strands, massaging in from roots to ends. Dry naturally or smooth-out with a paddle brush. Finish by making bangs nice and messy with your fingers.
2. Choppy Micro Bangs
Bangs and warm weather don’t always work together, as those who live in year round warm weather climates will testify. In hot and humid conditions, your fringe can get stringy, sweaty and sticky, which is not much of a feel-good combo. The surprising solution is to go shorter.
Bangs that sit an inch or so above the brow are less heavy, less prone to curling, and look piecey, not stringy when they separate. The trendiest shapes go micro, sitting an inch or less above the brow.
Instagram / @nickarrojo
Haircut: Ask your stylist for bangs that sit between the brows and the center of the forehead. Any shorter and they’ll become baby bangs.
Styling: To style short bangs, use a comb instead of a brush. Hold the comb on top of the bangs and slowly run it toward ends, following with your dryer. Use a product like ARROJO Texture Paste for effortlessly messy bangs with a cool matte finish.
3. Short Choppy Fringe for Fall
In the summer, bangs can be frustrating. They get sweaty, frizzy, and flyaway. But as the weather cools, adding some fringe is a fun and easy way to update your look. Keep your bangs short and piecey and you’ll get the face framing benefits without the hair in your eyes.
Instagram / @nickarrojo
Haircut: Short fringe is lighter so it doesn’t create heat and sweat the way a longer fringe can, it is also less prone to unflattering splits. It is also less severe and works well even if you have strong features like a prominent jawline or wide nose.
Styling: Short fringe is easy to style because the reduced length minimizes curl pattern. Even if you’ve struggled to style other types of bangs, a short choppy fringe should be a breeze.
4. Curly Choppy Bangs
The wonder of long bangs are well known and well worn. They look great on some people. But, like any beauty trend, they don’t work for everyone. If you’ve embraced the long bang you may find yourself fighting forehead grease, feeling unpolished, or constantly trying to get those wispy strands out of your face. You may think the solution is to grow out your new fringe. But I’ve got a better idea. Go shorter. Yes, short bangs are really magic.
Short chppy bangs fringe accentuate your cheekbones. By lifting the design line up and away from the brows, the fringe makes eyes look bigger and cheekbones appear higher and more defined.It can also elongate the face. This is especially true of choppy bangs that are shorter through the center and longer at the edges. Shorter bangs also minimize strong noses and flatter square jawlines.
Instagram / @nickarrojo
Haircut: Short fringe makes hair seem thicker and fuller. Even very textured bangs will have more bulk and substance than longer variations. They’re a great balance for textured styles like the shag.
Styling: Styling a textured choppy bangs can be as easy as following your regular curly or wavy girl routine.
5. Low-Maintenane Choppy Bangs
If the commitment of bangs concerns you, that’s another reason to go choppy. Not only will a dead straight line be the neediest in terms of trims, it is harder to style perfectly straight one-length fringe. With choppy bangs, they are meant to be messy – no harm, no foul!
Instagram / @nickarrojo
Styling: Bangs go forward and down and should be smooth or lightly textured. To create these effects a comb or paddle brush with a lightweight styler is your best bet. We recommend blowdrying bangs before the rest of the style. Apply a product like ARROJO Set and Style Spray for lightweight hold and shine and apply hot air as you brush or comb bangs side to side to side, until about 80% dry. Finish blowdrying by directing hair as you want it to fall, either straight down or to one side. This professional technique for smooth and manageable bangs should take 2-3 minutes at the most.
Bangs have the power to change your life; and with great power comes great responsibility. Bangs need love. You will need to get them cut at least once a month. Follow @nickarrojo and @arrojonyc for more hair tips and inspiration.
