Before you get the chop, sit down with your stylist and talk about your hair type and face shape. Consider the time of year – in summer, a fringe can create a heat furnace on your forehead – and lifestyle; if you’re a gym-goer, having sweaty bangs may not work,” explains Laura Spinney, styling director and cutting educator at Sydney’s Acadèmie Salon.
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I have a cowlick – can I still get a fringe?
Absolutely. To tame the cowlick, point the hairdryer downward “and use a comb to move the fringe back and forth, from left to right to middle, to soften the cowlick”, says Spinney. Start with cool air so you can get really close, then switch to high heat. We like the Dyson Supersonic hairdryer, which lets you quickly change air temperature with the press of a button, and is designed to give hair both lift and shine.
How to wash, dry and style your fringe
1/ Use a round brush (smaller if you want a bend; larger if you want a straighter finish) plus a blow dryer with a nozzle. “This allows you to directionally dry your hair with cool and warm temperatures and really stretch out that hairline as soon as it has been washed,” explains Spinney.
2/ “Depending on the thickness of your hair, dividing your bangs into two or three sections gives you an even stretch and reduces the chance of kinks at the roots,” says Spinney. “Don’t give up after the first go – you can always wet it down and start again.”
3/ For the smoothest result, dry your fringe first, from wet to bone-dry, and deal with the rest later.
Fringe essentials
1/ Dry shampoo to add texture and spot-clean. “It’s not a cleansing substitute, but you can delay shampooing by two days – any more and you will start getting build-up,” warns Spinney. (You can always wash your fringe and tie the rest back for one more day.)
2/ Fringes require trimming every two to three weeks, and no stylist has ever recommended clipping your own. “When you’re standing close to the mirror and your fringe starts to get shorter and shorter, it’s a problem,” warns Spinney. “Get your stylist to do it – it’s free!”
