on growing out my fringe

Since making the drastic decision to grow out my fringe for the first time in over a decade, a lot of you have been approaching me and asking me for pointers on how to do it. Let me start out by saying that it is NOT easy. I've been growing my bangs out for over three months now and they're still in this stage of incomparable awkwardness. Some days though, my bangs (or more appropriately, lack thereof) look fantastic, and in the battle to grow them out, you'll soon see that those are the days that keep you going. (I may be making this sound really overdramatic but let's not kid ourselves: it's an epic fight.)

Let's start at the beginning. When I first started, my fringe was very, very short. When I colored my hair black back in February, I decided that the drastic change in color wasn't enough and I made a pact to stop trimming my bangs. I decided to start with a center part. In retrospect, this was a terrible decision because it looked SO. DANG. AWKWARD. (See photo above.) Even if you want a center part, my advice would be to start out with a side-swept fringe. It'll appear a little more natural until your bangs grow out long enough to blend in with the rest of your hair. It may seem like it's taking a step backwards but in the beginning, you may need to take a pair of scissors and trim your bangs and the layers around them just to blend them in a little bit. (Particularly if you had them cute straight across.) If you're not comfortable with this, see a stylist, it'll be worth the money.

Hair clips will become your best friend for a little while. There's no shame in having a little help while you're growing out your bangs! As soon as I get out of the shower, I clip my bangs back so that they'll dry the way I want them to and not be all over the place. For the first few weeks, I did this even when my hair was dry. It sounds a bit strange but you kind of have to "train" your hair to go where you want it to go. Barrettes and hairpieces are also helpful on days when your hair isn't behaving. Cute and functional all in one.

If you've been reading this blog for a while than this will be no surprise to you. If you just started, you may be mildly disgusted. (You've been warned.) Wash your hair as little as possible. The extra texture from the natural oils in your hair will make it a lot easier to control. It'll be more prone to staying in place and you'll have fewer fly-aways. For days when you need a little extra something, I LOVE Lush's Sea Spray. 

No matter how difficult it may be, do not give up! If you give in and take a pair of scissors to your fringe, just think about having to start from square one again. It's not fun, am I right? I'm glad that I started growing out my bangs back in February because by the time the summer humidity will be in full-swing, they'll be long enough that the frizziness won't be a huge issue. (That's the worst part about having bangs in my opinion-- the humidity, sweat, etc... It's just not good!) Just like anything else, it's an adventure, and although growing out your bangs is a change that occurs at an almost glacial pace, it's a good change for someone like me who is TERRIFIED to cut my long tresses into a short and trendy haircut. Slowly but surely I'm acquiring my (for now) dream 'do!

xo,

e.m.