How to Style Curtain Bangs

Curtain bangs offer a chic style that frames and flatters just about every face and hair type. As the name suggests, curtain bangs start short in the middle and gradually get longer towards the sides, making them easier to maintain over time. Unlike the blunt, straight lines of traditional bangs, these often side-swept bangs offer a softer, gentler look. If you’re new to bangs, this subtle hair trend making waves from TikTok to Instagram makes a great place to start.

This post offers handy hair care tips, useful tools, and inspirational photos to help you style curtain bangs and decide if curtain bangs are right for you.

What Are Curtain Bangs?

Just as curtains frame windows, curtain bangs frame your face with a soft touch. This style of bangs (or fringe) starts high in the center and gently sweeps towards the sides. Often parted in the middle, shaggy curtain bangs offer a versatile look that you can style in multiple ways. They are simple to maintain and the long, wispy layers make them easy to grow out.

What Hair Types Are Best for Curtain Bangs?

Curtain bangs can work with just about any face shape, hair type and length. From short hairstyles like pixie cuts to long, thick hair, a professional hairstylist can help you find the best curtain bangs for your hair type and offer suggestions for styling.

When it comes to styling, you have options, too. Curtain bangs are versatile, allowing you to style them in different ways depending on your hair length and type. So you don’t have to wear them the same way for each occasion. Because your hair type, length, and texture impact how you style your hair, be sure to discuss your options with your stylist.

You can style your curtain bangs in a few simple steps. You may want to test different tools to determine which technique you like the best. Popular options include a round brush, velcro rollers, a blow dryer, or a straightener.

If you have naturally curly hair, you can use a diffuser and curling gel to keep your natural curls in place and reduce frizz. If you have naturally fine or thin hair, you can use volumizing products or add volume by how you style them. These next sections walk you through the possibilities.

Round Brush

This technique requires only a hair dryer with a nozzle and round brush. The longer your bangs, the larger the brush you’ll want. If you don’t know which size to use, start with a medium brush and move up or down in size as needed.

How to style:

Separate your damp bangs from the rest of your hair.
Spray on heat protectant and styling products.
Pull the bangs up and back, placing them over the round brush. Roll your hair around the brush, away from your forehead, and blow dry. Periodically push the brush out and rewrap your hair around the brush to expose more hair to the heat.
When dry, part your bangs and arrange them on the sides of your face.
Use a texturizing spray or hold spray if you’d like.

Flat Iron

To style curtain fringe with the flat iron, you can choose from various techniques depending on the look you want to achieve. As with the round brush, feel free to experiment with different ways to use your straightener. Whenever you use a flat iron, make sure to start with dry hair and use heat protectant.

How to style:

Separate your bangs from the rest of your hair, then separate them at your part. Add heat protectant. Your bangs should be dry.
Position your straightening iron so that it points towards the back of your head (parallel to your part).
Clamp the first side of your bangs and move the flat iron in the shape of an arc (up then down) away from your part. Then, flick your wrist and pull the flat iron away from your face.
Repeat on the other side.

You may need to repeat this movement a couple times until your bangs look how you want. To give your fringe a slight curl — a great option for those with longer layers — try twisting the iron as you slide it. For more of a curl, hold the straightener at a sharper angle (more than 45 degrees).

Curling Iron

Styling curtain fringe with a curling iron follows a similar process as styling with a flat iron. You should also use a curling iron only on dry hair and after applying heat protectant.

How to style:

Separate your bangs from the rest of your hair, then separate them at your part. Add heat protectant. You should use a heat protector and your bangs should be dry.
Hold the curling iron at a slight angle and curl your bangs backward, away from your face.
Release them and see how they fall. Touch up the bangs as needed. If you want a softer look, brush out your fringe.
Repeat on the other side.

Without Heat

If you prefer to let your fringe dry au naturele, try using velcro rollers on slightly damp hair. You can use a single roller, or you may need two, depending on the length and thickness of your hair.

How to style:

Separate your bangs from the rest of your hair and dampen them.
Place the roller on the top side of your hair near the ends of your bangs. Roll it down and backward toward your forehead.
1. For more volume, roll the opposite way. Place the roller on the underside of your bangs near the ends and roll it down toward your forehead.
Let your hair air dry. Once dry, remove the roller.
Part your bangs to the sides and spray them with hairspray.

Velcro rollers also offer a great way to refresh limp hair that may need a little touch-up or volume boost.

Curtain Bang Style Inspiration

While Farrah Fawcett and Bridget Bardot may have made them famous, curtain bangs are inspiring modern looks across social media. They come in all sorts of styles — retro and modern, short and long, curly and straight — that your hairstylist can tailor to your style and face shape.

Short Curtain Bangs

Short curtain bangs offer an edgier spin on the curtain bang style. Whether you go for a blunt bob with curtain bang shag or layered hair with face-framing fringe, short curtain bangs let you turn up the volume on your style. Short curtain bangs can have a middle part, side part, or no part, but they all require a little more maintenance than longer curtain bangs.

Long Curtain Bangs

Whether you have curly hair or straight hair, long curtain bangs can add a romantic touch and a sense of movement to your style. The low-maintenance long layers also allow you a bit more time between visits with your hairstylist.

Curtain Bang Maintenance

Because curtain bangs already have that shaggy, grown-out look, they don’t require a much maintenance. Curtain fringe may be a better choice if you’d rather not do the upkeep on traditional, blunt-cut bangs.

Styling

The looser, longer layers of curtain bangs make styling a breeze. You can opt for minimal-effort styling options like simply using a hair dryer or velcro roller.

Trimming

While traditional bangs can require a salon visit every month, you can let your curtain bangs grow out for 8 to 10 weeks for longer fringe or every 6 to 8 weeks for shorter face-framing layers.

Are Curtain Bangs Right for Me?

Curtain bangs make a great style choice if you’re looking for a low-maintenance change of pace. From round faces to more angular shapes, curtain bangs help to accentuate or offset angles and cheekbones to balance out your unique face shape. Anyone with any hair length can try out the style to see how it suits them. Thanks to looser, shaggier layers, the more versatile curtain bang can make it easier to change up your hairstyle than traditional bangs.

Less maintenance than regular bangs: Besides requiring less frequent visits to your stylist to maintain, the long layers of curtain bangs make it easier to grow out if you want a different look. However, unless you have naturally curly hair, this type of bang requires a certain amount of styling time each day.
Easy way to spice up your hairstyle: Curtain fringe makes an easy way to perk up your look and try out a fun trend.
Heart-shape, round, and rectangle faces pull off this look the best: While all face shapes can try out the curtain bang, those with heart shape, round, and rectangle faces usually pull off this look best. Talk to your stylist about the best hairstyles for your face shape.

If you’d like to see yourself in curtain fringe, StyleSeat can help you find a local stylist to give you just the look you want.