How to Cut and Style Wispy Bangs

Publish date: 2024-11-01

Getting bangs is a commitment. It's a scary decision and anxiety is high until the final moment. It doesn't matter if you show your stylist a dozen pictures or wear clip-ins for a day, you never really know what they're going to look like until after your hair is chopped off.

The truth is, while all bang types look amazing, there are some styles that are more foolproof than others. Curtain bangs are a great starter bang because they're longer and grow out seamlessly, however wispy bangs are universal, complementing any haircut or length.

"From shaggy and layered to one length, wispy bangs can transform any cut," says Dhiran Mistry, a stylist at David Mallett Salon New York. "Especially if the hair is really fine because they add shape to the front without layering the hair too much."

Wispy bangs also play well with a number of hair types, from straight to curly. However, if your hair is super thick and prone to frizz, they may be difficult to keep in place so your stylist might recommend an alternative style.

It turns out that wispy bangs should actually be easy to style. "Hair should complement you and make your life easier, not more difficult," says Mistry.

With that in mind, keep scrolling for all the wispy bang inspiration you need before booking that salon appointment.

Zendaya

Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images

Zendaya served up a major hair moment when she paired her mid-length coils with curly bangs, proving that wispy bangs work for all hair textures.

Alexa Chung

Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Alexa Chung's bedhead lob and wispy bangs nails two big hair trends at once.

Dakota Johnson

Steve Granitz/Getty Images

When it comes to bangs, Dakota Johnson's hair always tops the list. Here, she styled her fringe in a soft center part, which keeps the focus on the pieces framing her face.

Jeanne Damas

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Getty Images

Jeanne Damas is a textbook example of effortless French girl hair, a look that for many involves, well, some styling. Her almost baby-length wispy bangs and two tendrils make the classic bun look so much cooler.

Jessica Biel

Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

When you're styling wispy bangs, Mistry suggests spritzing them with a salt spray for texture. To keep your bangs piecey, "I'd avoid using a brush and if you want them a little more stuck together, a little pomade or hairspray will help."

Jennifer Lopez

chrisappleton1/Instagram

Jennifer Lopez's center-parted wispy bangs look amazing when your hair is worn up in a high ponytail or down in loose waves.

Constance Wu

John Shearer/Getty Images

It doesn't matter if you go blunt or thin with your bangs, but a little bit of forehead peaking through is what makes them wispy.

Elizabeth Olsen

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Celebrity hairstylist Mark Townsend softened up Elizabeth Olsen's long, blunt cut with a fresh set of thin, tapered bangs and few short, face-framing layers.

Halle Berry

Randy Shropshire/Getty Images

Wispy bangs aren't just transformative when you wear your hair down. Case in point: Halle Berry accessorized her topknot with a long piecey, face-framing fringe.

Reese Witherspoon

Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images 

Reese Witherspoon's buttery blonde locks are a trademark, and more often than not, so are her bangs, Here, she wears long wispy bangs swept to the side that blend evenly into her long hair.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qrrSrbClnV6YvK57x5qgq2ejqcatsdJorqKroK56o63NoKo%3D