The Best Bangs to Flatter Your Face and Hair at 50-Plus

A long face. Bangs with a strong horizontal line counteract downward facial lines and sagging at the jawline and neck. This means any bangs with an across-the-forehead look — feathery (like Birkins), wispy or chunky — stop droop in its tracks and redirect attention to your eyes. 

An angular face. Voluminous bangs like curtain bangs, bottlenecks and full, blunt bangs soften the effect of a broad forehead or a high forehead impacted by hair loss. They can also balance a strong, boxy jawline, a too-thin face or an assertive chin that’s become more prominent with age, whether squared or pointed, whether your face is slim or wide.

(From left) Curly and wavy hair textures, like those of Valeria Golino, Penelope Cruz and Helena Christensen, look great with a tousle of bangs.

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3. Choose bangs in sync with your hair texture

Stylish bangs can now be straight, wavy, curly, piecey, wispy or bendy. This is good news for women over 50 who may have avoided cutting bangs in the past and missed out on the hairline-filling, flattering effect of a little forehead embellishment.

When it comes to hair that’s curly or very wavy — whether short, medium or long — it’s easy to integrate bangs into your look. For example, curly bangs can dangle onto the forehead or be twisted into an existing layer of curly hair to blend in. Curtain bangs offer another solution for wavy or textured hair, especially if you like to wear it back in a ponytail or up in a claw clip, since they add a soft, modern, “piece-y” look around the face.

4. Let bangs disguise hair thinning and loss

The challenge for those with thin hair and anyone with a widening part or receding hairline is how to wear bangs without emphasizing those concerns. You want to achieve enough camouflage and a stylish look without sacrificing too much hair in the bang section. If your thinning hair is chemically processed, minimize the use of hot tools to style your bangs. Here are three ways to solve such problems and wear bangs:

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Snip full across-the-forehead bangs to conceal a hairline that has moved further back. Long, feathery bangs can provide enough coverage, even when thinning complicates the receding. Your stylist should personalize the bang proportions to suit your face and hair. For example, she might start the bang a little further back to compensate for a low forehead, or expand the width to balance a thin, long face.

Count on sideswept bangs to hide receding hair at the temples and equalize its density. It’s not unusual for women to say one side of their hair or one temple is thinner than the other. In this case, be sure to part your hair on the fuller side so your bang “swoop” is thicker and gives your hair a more even look. Not parting in the same exact spot is also key if a widening part is also an issue here. Try parting it on the side as above, but angle it so the back end of the part is toward the crown.

Let curtain bangs cover thinning at the temples. They’ll also visually provide a subtle upward lift that counteracts downward expression creases and very long hair that may be unintentionally dragging down your face. The length of the curtain varies from cheekbone to just above lip level and can work for a bob, a lob or long hair.

(From left) Isla Fisher and Cameron Diaz have low-commitment bangs; Want to see what you’d look like before a big cut? Try DaleVAccessories Clip-In Bangs French Bangs.

AARP (Getty Images, 2; Courtesy DaleVAccessories)

5. Choose low-commitment bangs for a tryout

If you’re considering cutting bangs either for the first time or for a repeat visit, take the now-you-see-them, now-you-don’t strategy. This means choosing a bang style with an easier grow-out route. Long sideswept bangs and curtain bangs offer the safest test run. They require minimal upkeep, as you can wait longer between trims than with other styles.

If you’re into a full bang, ask for feathered or texturized ends instead of a blunt bottom line to ease any potential grow-out. Artificial bangs are another way to test your bangs potential. Styles like the side-bang easiFringe(HD) I HF Synthetic Clip-In Bangs ($86, wigs.com); full-fringe Headcovers Unlimited Modern Fringe Clip-In Bangs by Hairdo ($33, headcovers.com); and DaleVAccessories Clip-In Bangs, French Bangs ($31, etsy.com) all clip in for an evening or event. They can give you a pretty good idea of whether to green-light a real commitment. If you plan on trying fakes, know that they require enough hair at the hairline, both to give the snap-ins something to grip and to avoid stressing your real hair.

Learn easy ways to style bangs.

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6. Learn the bang-styling tricks that solve problems

You don’t just wake up with perfect bangs and leave the house; they add extra minutes to your hair routine. Sometimes women give up on bangs because they lack the time management skills to pull them off. Here are the tricks to know this time around:

Re-wet bangs to reshape them. When texture or shape goes awry, just wet any type of fringe and blow-dry that section to refresh their volume and shape.     

Mist with dry shampoo to freshen bangs. A mid-shaft-to-roots spray will absorb excess oil, especially in the summer or after a workout.

Do a bangs-only shampoo. Sometimes even a dry shampoo won’t help. A quick between-showers shampoo of the bang area alone can give your entire head of hair a boost. 

Use a round brush to shape a full bang. To help bangs lay evenly and shapely rather than flat against your forehead, use a round brush when blow-drying the section.

Use a paddle brush to get a smoother, straighter bang. Use the paddle brush to lift the bangs as you blow-dry, and direct the dryer nozzle downward (with the hair between the brush and the nozzle, like a sandwich). Then use your fingers to loosen and ruffle the bangs into shape for a contemporary look. 

Blow-dry bangs to the left and then to the right to shape. This is the secret to blowing wavy or curly bangs smooth and sleek. It’s also the best way to keep a front-of-hair cowlick from disrupting the look of your bangs. 

Trim bangs on dry hair to avoid shrinkage. If you trim your own bangs or go to a salon for a trim, be sure it’s done on dry hair with your bangs styled the way you normally wear them. No one wants too-short bangs!

Use a round brush for curtain bangs. Curtain bangs are best styled when blown out with a one-inch round brush. You can flip them away from the face for a statement, or inward for a more blended, face-framing look.

Give bangs a feathery look. Hold the scissors vertically when doing a DIY trim, and make tiny nips at the ends of the hair instead of cutting in a straight-across line.

(From left) Styling products and accessories can tame unruly bangs. Opt for items like OGX Bond Protein Repair Heat Protect Multi-Tasker Spray; Living Proof Perfect hair Day(PhD) Style Refresh Mist; Nexxus Mousse Volumizing Foam; Locks & Mane The Sonja Multipearl Headband; and the Scunci Print Satin Most Comfortable Headband.

AARP (Ulta, 2; CVS, 2; Kohl’s)

7. Minimize or banish bang frizz

Humid or rainy weather can be a challenge for bang-wearers. Women say, “That’s when I bring out the headbands!” That solution has never been more stylish for mature women who now have a wide range of sophisticated head bands to choose from. Plain, stretchy, neutral bands are great for the gym or lazy days at home, but bring in some chic alternatives too, like the Scunci Print Satin Most Comfortable Headband ($6, cvs.com); Locks & Mane The Sonja Multipearl Headband ($28, ulta.com); or Simply Nova Headbands, Set of 2 in Tortoise ($28, anthropologie.com).

Or weatherproof your bangs with a simple prep. Start with freshly shampooed wet, blotted bangs that have been primed with a heat-styling mist, heat protectant/primer or a mousse such as Living Proof Perfect Hair Day (PhD) Style Refresh Mist ($18, kohls.com); OGX Bond Protein Repair Heat Protect Multi-Tasker Spray ($12, ulta.com); or Nexxus Mousse Volumizing Foam ($5, cvs.com). Blow-dry this section first. The longer you wait (like after you finish the rest of your hair), the more your bangs will begin to set into their natural, springy, frizzy shape instead of a smooth one. Use a small round brush and the nozzle on your blow-dryer, and be sure to aim the nozzle downward while you dry. This will concentrate the heat on the bangs and prevent hair from going its own way.

(From left) Monica Bellucci, Gayle King and Julia Roberts

AARP (Getty Images, 3)

8. Grow out or change your bangs gracefully

A full-bang regrowth can take anywhere from four to six months — about half an inch per month. While you can go cold turkey and use those same frizz-beating headbands in tip 7 to ease a grow-out, there’s another solution.

To make the process a little less painful, convert your bangs style while they grow. For example, when long, full bangs become too long to wear down, start sweeping them to the side. If you keep trimming them very slightly at an angle, the bangs will transition to a sideswept bang which can easily be blended into the side of your hair. Or, once the sideswept bang reaches cheek level, try parting them in the middle for a curtain-bang look. And remember, by making your bangs part of the solution, you may even discover a better bang style along the way.