Side Fringe

Q: How do you know if a side fringe will suit you?

A: Well, the rules of flattering styles are pretty finite. Unless you have an oval face, with perfectly balanced features (in which case you can wear any style equally well) you need to pay attention to your facial shape and features when deciding on your hair.

As for a fringe (or bangs) you need to consider your forehead. Do you have a low forehead (a narrower distance between your hairline and eyebrows)? Depending on how low it is, you may not want to wear a fringe of any kind. Likewise, if your forehead is extremely high, with a widow's peak or a squared forehead or protrusions at the corners, you may find that side fringe only makes this appear more pronounced.

Without any severe flaws to compensate for, you can usually find a variant of a style element that will work for you. For example, perhaps a woman with a high, squared forehead could opt for a fringe area that tapers from a normal length on one side to a long, side fringe, thus giving her the benefits of the coverage for her high forehead and the look she wants in a side fringe style.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that to look good all they have to do is find the right style for their stylist to copy, or they think that they just need to leave it all up to the stylist to make them look good. If the stylist is someone you’ve been seeing for years, this might work for you, because the stylist probably knows what you will and won’t like. However, these attitudes are often the seeds that grow the disasters we here about from clients.

Remember that you and your stylist must work together to create the look that not only flatters you, but that you will like. No matter what the look you’re going for is, your stylist should always be willing to give you an objective opinion, and offer alternatives or variations on a theme that you can be happy with if the style you want isn’t going to flatter you.

If you want to play with your hair and see what a side fringe might look like on you, pull your hair back in a headband and bring the ends of the hair forward over your forehead and hold them at the length and position you think a side fringe should follow. Pay attention to the shape of your face and what parts of the face the side fringe accentuates. This should show you if any of your features would preclude a traditional side fringe style, and you can discuss with your stylist alternatives that may give you the look you want.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

The different types and styles of fringes

Will swoop bangs look good with any face shape?

Do girls with widows peaks look good with side bangs or is that a no-no?

How to cut a fringe