FOR THE NYC GIRL

I went to visit a girlfriend recently at a leading Magazine publication firm in NYC. While I waited, I observed the women coming and going and I wondered what it must be like for a woman working in an industry where Image is paramount to their lives (and the lives of their readers) and how difficult it is to stand out in a building full of Savvy New Yorkers. As my girlfriend appeared through the deluge of savants I noticed her Bangs (fringe) that we had cut and how chic she looked. I thought—that’s it! Granted, a great haircut is an amazing way to turn heads, but bangs are a non-drastic and very chic update to just about any hairstyle. They allow women to wear their hair long or short while flattering the face. Of course, we all know that some hair types cannot wear bangs but lets focus on those who can for now.



Here are some tips on styling and getting a good bang! Well…you know what I mean :)



1) During my extensive Google research I happened upon several videos for cutting your own bangs. HONEY, if you live in Timbuktu maybe you can cut your own bangs, but if you live anywhere near a salon you should treat your self to a professional trim.



2) If you see someone on the street with great bangs, ask them where they get their haircut. Great bangs are a sure tell-tale sign of a good stylist.



3) Take pictures of bangs that you like to your hairstylist—it will be very helpful.



4) Bangs, like any cut, are a work of art; it takes sectioning the hair off of the face, then sectioning the bang and cutting thin sections at a time. If you see a stylist taking your entire bang and getting ready to cut, quickly excuse your self, grab your belongings and take your bangs back before its too late.



5) When looking at a client’s face I evaluate the strong areas and weak areas. Lets face it—some of our features are better than others. For example, if your forehead is too small but your cheekbones and jaw line are prominent, short cropped bangs could make your face look too heavy.. Why not do a lighter bang and create an opening to expose more of your forehead? This way the face Is elongated.



6) If you have a cowlick in your bang area and have trouble blow drying it try this: take a small flat brush and dry your bangs in both directions across the forehead with the tip of your hair brush. The idea is to soften the root of your bang by breaking down the base of the cowlick. When it softens and you see that the bang is a bit more manageable, take a round brush of your choice and continuing shaping the bang if needed.


7) If you have super straight hair with short bangs you may notice that even when you use a round brush the hair falls flat anyway, try this: apply a volumiing product on the root area, then without using a brush, hold the dryer and literally blow your bangs in the direction you want them to go, focusing on the roots. This is a trick I do in the salon for difficult bangs. Its simple and it works.



I read in a magazine that the best way to find a great hairstylist is to get a bang trim from them first. Well, what if they do an okay job? I guess you are stuck with this "thing" in your face for some time. Is it worth it? You be the judge.

Copyright © 2009 Antonio Gonzales, All Rights Reserved


I wish you all great bangs!