Now Is A Better Time Than Ever To Try Bangs. Here's Why

Trend-wise, there's no escaping the influence of the nineties. Many of the fetishes that were all the rage in the post-Cold War era are steadily making their way back into the current decade's dernier cri. Almost every season, there's one '90s defining look that comes back into vogue — from clothing to makeup to hairstyles. And for 2023, it looks like the '90s hair trend that's making a big comeback is — the bangs. This hair look is catching on big time all over social media.

Leading the pack is Khloé Kardashian — who rocked a clip-in bang at her Sorbet photoshoot. The influencer wrote in her Instagram post caption: "I am surprised with how much I liked the bangs even though they changed the shape of my face. Would you ever get bangs?" In the comment section, Khloé's mother — media personality Kristen Jenner — wrote: "I'll have what she's having!!! ❤️" Another celebrity who got netizens all hyped over bangs was Jenna Ortega. The "Wednesday" actor was seen rocking the red carpet at the Golden Globes 2023 with a fresh auburn bob featuring rock 'n' roll-inspired curtain bangs. 

Actually, bangs are not so much a seasonal fad as they are a timeless haircut. Bangs can alter your face shape, which makes them high-risk. But that's also the reason why the fringe makes it into the top hair looks year after year. Here's why 2023 is time to feed into the bang trend all over again.

Bangs are the in-thing for 2023. Now, any type of fringe can lend a modern touch to your haircut, but it looks like curtain bangs — the fringe standard in the nineties — are winning many hearts. Popularized by beauty icons the likes of Brigitte Bardot and Farrah Fawcett, curtain bangs are a feathered haircut with wispy ends parted down the middle and swept to each side. This styling creates length-varying, curtain-like hair pieces that blend effortlessly into the face, giving it an added dimension and balance that complements all hairlines.

Celebrity hairstylist Dom Seeley tells Glamour: "It has a flowy vibe. It's not a solid bang or fringe, but it's also not just face framing. It's somewhere in the middle and it suits the majority of hair lengths too." Highly versatile, curtain bangs suit all types of face shapes and hairstyles — from shaggy lobs to updos. If longer curtain bangs can produce an elongating effect and make the face look more slender, shorter curtain bangs can contour your face and accentuate your cheekbones. A great advantage of curtain bangs is that they don't require much upkeep. "[Curtain bangs] are super low-maintenance because [they] flow into your hair naturally and you can style them however you want," celebrity hairstylist Michelle Cleveland tells Good Housekeeping.

Keeping bangs part of your everyday look doesn't have to be a struggle. As far as styling goes, curtain bangs look their best with a center part as opposed to side parts. The problem is bangs are easy to separate, so your bangs need to be trained to fall exactly where you want them to. One way to do this is to grab a blow-dryer and blow the curtain bangs out and curl them under toward the face. Then, part the sides and blow each side out and further away from the face. Throughout the day, spray hairspray on your bangs to keep them bouncy and in place. 

If you like to frame your hair with bangs but don't like the commitment they entail, you can opt for clip-ins instead. "They're the perfect way to completely change up a look without any long-lasting consequences," hairstylist Bradley Leake tells W. Leake says he usually uses one set of clip-in extensions and cuts them into bangs to the desired length when styling temporary looks for his celebrity clients. To help the bangs match effortlessly into the rest of the hair, Leake suggests spritzing on some root touch-up spray. Or, you can simply secure your natural hair with bobby pins, clip the bangs into place, spritz on dry shampoo to make the fringe seam look less fake, and pull some of your natural hair strands over the bangs.