After many years of being scared of fringes (and a few false starts), I now have a side fringe and it's one of the best hairstyle decisions I ever made. Luckily for you, you can skip the dodgy hair cuts and cut straight to the good stuff with these tips from top London stylist Karine Jackson. Here's what she had to say...
"Looking at your face shape is important: There's a fringe to suit every face shape but make sure you get it right or you'll hate it! It takes a few weeks to get used to a fringe as it can feel strange to have hair on your face. Give it at least 2 trims before you decide to grow it out again most people find that once they're used to it they love it."
Keep reading to discover the right fringe for your face shape and hair type...
FRINGE TYPES
Short and choppy: If you have a small face a short fringe will look great.
Short and straight: Great for a smaller face with smaller features.
Sweeping fringe: Good to soften a harsher face.
Long and textured: This is good to give round faces a more flattering shape.
The flick: Can widen a small face.
The big fringe: Amazingly, this can give you extra height!
MATCH YOUR FRINGE TO YOUR FACE SHAPE
If you have a big forehead then a short fringe can make it look bigger.
If your features are big, for example your nose, then a sweeping fringe can take away from this.
FRINGE MAINTENANCE
Regular fringe trims are important
- every 3 weeks is about right. Fringes are great if they're well
looked after. They can quite easily look greasy if too long and unkempt
if not... We offer our clients complimentary fringe
trims in between hair cutting visits. This also ensures we don't have
to cut it too short just so it will last. Beware of salons that do
this!
FRINGES FOR COW LICKS
If you have a strong cow-lick there is no point trying to have a dead straight fringe.
If you have a gentle cow-lick: to style your fringe put a water-based gel on the roots of your fringe
and rub the roots with your fingers. This confuses the root area and
the follicles don't know what direction to lie in. Now blow-dry into
your desired style aiming the hairdryer down the hair shaft - this will
keep your fringe looking great all day.
STYLING TIPS
To get a really straight fringe always aim the hairdryer down the hair shaft but don't move the hair too much as this will create body.
If you want a flick, use a round brush and roll into the hair
going backwards. Put the heat of the hair dryer on it, then let the
round brush cool down a little before you take it out.
HATE IT? HERE'S HOW TO GROW IT OUT
If you're going to grow your fringe out, start by working it in with your style. If your hair is long, it's good to blend the growing-out fringe with the sides by putting shape in the length at the front.
If your hair is short then it's important to choose a style that takes the growing-out fringe.
Her final words of wisdom? Don't use a fringe to hide behind - this looks terrible! Use it to bring out your best features.
If you'd like Karine herself to give you great bangs, visit KarineJackson.co.uk to find out more.
Celebrity fringe inspiration: Rihanna's eyeball skimming fringe | Mena Survari, Liv Tyler and Melanie C go for heavy bangs