The Best Fringe for Your Face - Boston Salon Owner Offers Insight

I received this great article and wanted to share it with all of my readers.  I hope you enjoy!!!

It seems as if bangs are a trend that never seems to fade away.

For the past few years, we’ve seen the resurgence of bangs as a beauty must-have, time and time again. From Michelle Obama’s debut of fringe in January to Hayden Panettiere’s recent blunt bang moment on David Letterman, bangs continue to stay relevant on the beauty and celebrity scene.

Over the past 20+ years that Mario Russo, owner & lead stylist of Salon Mario Russo in Boston, has been styling hair and operating his two eponymous hair salons, he’s seen countless women sit in his chair and ask what type of bangs are best for them. As a result, he decided to share with us his go-to guide on how to choose the best bangs for your face type and hair type, and what to ask your stylist for so that you end up with the fringe you desire.



The Blunt Bang
Posh yet oh-so-bold, the blunt bang is one that makes a statement.

Face Type:
For someone with an oval or square face, blunt bangs can be very flattering. To make the style less severe, angle off the sides of the bangs to be a bit longer than the rest of the fringe. This will help to better incorporate your bang into your hairstyle.

Hair Cut/Hair Type:
If done correctly, blunt bangs can compliment both long and short haircuts. Typically, blunt bangs work best on women with thicker hair, so that there is enough hair to work with to really define and shape the bang.

Ask Your Stylist For:
Heavy fringe that dusts just below the eyebrows.


The Side Swept Bang
Versatile and unassuming, the side swept bang compliments many different face and hair types.

Face Type:
A round face can benefit from a side swept bang because it creates a flattering, angular look that will help to make your face appear longer.

Hair Cut/Hair Type:
Whether you have thin or thick hair, side swept bangs can easily be styled and blow-dried off to the side of the face. Make sure your bang is cut thick, so that it doesn’t appear too soft or too wispy, which for a round face, can be unflattering. Side swept bangs work well with both long and short haircuts, especially cuts with layers and angles that provide the hair with more shape and definition.

Ask Your Stylist For:
Soft, feathered bangs that sweep your cheekbone. Ask for a side part verses a center part to create more definition.


The Wispy Bang
Playful and youthful, wispy bangs can be a great choice for someone who doesn't want to commit to a full bang.

Face Type:
Heart-shaped faces can benefit from wispy fringe because of the way the hair is layered and feathered. This texture softens the shape of the face and wispy bangs are easy to style in multiple ways – off to the side, towards the face or back.

Hair Cut/Hair Type:
Thinner hair is ideal for light, wispy bangs because it can easily be cut and shaped to compliment the rest of your hairstyle. A mid-length cut with layers and angles is my favorite style to compliment a wispy bang. The combination of the light bang with a layered cut makes for great movement in the hair.

Ask Your Stylist For:
A soft bang that can easily be styled off to the side or pinned back. Incorporating an angular shape to the bang will make it most flattering when worn to the side. The shortest part of the bang should hit around your eyebrow, while the longest should hit around your ear.