How do you dry curtain bangs?

For a more textured look, you can let your curtain bangs air-dry. But for more volume, try using a round brush , blowing the nozzle upward on the bangs while you curl with the brush.

What products do you need to style curtain bangs?

Texture spray is always a good idea for those with some natural curl. Otherwise, a shine spray or a gel (to smooth flyaways) will work wonders.

42 Chic Curtain Bangs Ideas for All Lengths and Textures

Lana Condor posing in a hairstyle featuring curtain bangs — @katthompson / instagram

Curtain bangs live forever on the list of hot hair trends and are a super easy way to test the waters if you're nervous about getting bangs. These soft, face-framing bangs are cut shorter at the front and remain longer at the sides, allowing for a graceful grow out. Better yet, this fringe accentuates just about every popular haircut—from shags to pixies—as well as updos like ponytails and buns. For everything there is to know about creating and maintaining the perfect curtain bangs, we chatted with celebrity hairstylist and R+Co Collective member Ashley Streicher and professional hairstylist. and SACHAJUAN Education Director Colin Ford. Keep reading for a round up of 42 stunning curtain bang styles.

Meet the Experts

Ashley Streicher is a celebrity hairstylist and R+Co Collective member.
Colin Ford is a professional hairstylist and Education Director at SACHAJUAN.

How to Maintain Curtain Bangs

Once your fringe has been snipped, it's all about maintaining the look. "The best way to maintain curtain bangs is to keep them the perfect, most effortless length, which means trimming them often," Streicher says, noting that you can even trim them yourselves with a pair of sharp eyebrow scissors (like Tweezerman's Brow Shaping Scissors & Brush). "I'm not against trimming them a tiny bit between appointments," she says. "Because [eyebrow scissors] are small and sharp, you can easily cut into your bangs, maintaining the perfect shape."

Not quite confident in your self-trimming abilities? No worries, as you can always visit your stylist for a touch-up. "You should get your curtain bangs trimmed every six to eight weeks to maintain their shape and length," says Ford. "This helps keep them looking fresh and prevents them from getting too long and heavy."

Byrdie Tip

Not sure you’re cut out for curtain bangs? Streicher says anyone (read: any hair type) will look good in the style.

Curtain Bangs Inspiration

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Face-Framing Fringe

A person having their hair styled with curtain bangs seated indoors receiving attention from a stylist — @serenapagee / instagram

With curtain bangs, even the most effortless updo feels elevated. Serena Page's look is living proof.

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Messy Bun and Curtain Bangs

Matilda Djerf with messy updo and long curtain bangs — Matilda Djerf

Play into the softness of curtain bangs by pairing them with a loose, messy bun.

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Piece-y Fringe

Kim Kardashian posing in a strapless outfit with curtain bangs hairstyle — @kimkardashian / instagram

Even the smallest bit of fringe adds dimension and intrigue to your style. Curtain bangs complement Kim Kardashian's flowing waves so well.

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Old Hollywood Bangs

Lana Condor with curtain bangs hairstyle — @katthompson / instagram

Lana Condor's curtain bangs add old Hollywood appeal to her voluminous blowout. So chic.

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Baby Curtain Bangs

Put a twist on classic curtain bangs by going a touch shorter. "Baby curtain bangs" typically fall anywhere from above the brow to the upper lash line. If you have fine hair, Ford notes: "They can create the illusion of volume without being too heavy."

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Bombshell Bangs

Lala Anthony's bombshell updo includes face-framing curtain bangs that elevate the look to the next level.

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Full Coverage Curtain Bangs

Curtain bangs are versatile—you can wear them parted in the middle or draped across your forehead like Ciara.

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Voluminous Curtain Bangs

Kaley Cuoco with face-framing bangs — Getty Images / David Livingston / Stringer

First things first, you want to start with a good base. This means not only asking your stylist for curtain bangs but explaining exactly what you want in the process. It’s helpful if you can bring a picture of your desired look, too, as they’re less likely to go off-track with styling when they have a clear-cut image to reference.

Here, actress Kaley Cuoco shows us one way to style curtain bangs. Her hairstylist curled her face-framing strands a bit to add a touch of volume and bounce. To recreate the look, grab your blow-dryer and a round brush. "After shampooing your hair, and applying your favorite styling product, use a round brush while blow-drying to create volume and shape. Focus on bending the bangs outward for that soft, curtain effect," says Ford.

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Perfectly Parted Curtain Bangs

Naomi Campbell with curtain bangs — Photo by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Naomi Campbell sports curtain bangs in the chicest way. All you need to do is pull your hair back into a ponytail and let your fringe take center stage.

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Widespread Curtain Bangs

Halle Berry with curtain bangs — Robin L Marshall / Stringer /Getty Images

There are many different ways to wear curtain bangs—they don't always have to splay across your forehead. Here, you can see how wearing the fringe to the outer edges of your forehead creates a whimsical, laidback look—especially when worn with a Brigette Bardot-inspired half-up.

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Versatile and Wispy

Kerry Washington with wispy bangs and wavy bob — Getty Images

This nice thing about curtain bangs is that there are many different ways to wear them. Pictured, Kerry Washington wears hers with some wispy texture to compliment her wavy bob.

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Bouncy Curtain Bangs

Heidi Klum's curtain bangs have tons of bounce. This glamorous style is perfect if you plan to head to a fancy event.

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'80s Curtain Bangs

Sandra Oh with curly bangs — Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

We're getting retro Joan Jett vibes with this '80s-style pseudo-mullet. Here, styling is all about an air-dry (maybe with some added texture spray).

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Curtain Bang Combo

Selena Gomez with curtain bangs — Tibrina Hobson / Getty Images

Why settle for one type of bang? This shag cut has curtain bangs that are sandwiching some flip-y front fringe.

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Textured Fringe

Quinta Brunson with swoopy bangs — Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Add some body and bend to your curtain bangs like Quinta Brunson by wearing them with a casual swoop to one side.

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Relaxed Curtain Bangs

Alexa Chung with messy curtain bangs — Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

Coarser hair type? Curtain bangs are still worth considering. In fact, thanks to your hair's texture, you might even find it easier than some finer-typed tresses to actually maintain the signature curtain part. Ford says, "they can help frame the face and lighten the overall look."

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Side-Swept Curtain Bangs

Yara Shahidi with curly fringe — Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Exhibit A that a wide range of hair types can wear curtain bangs. Oftentimes, people think that curls are an automatic opt-out of any type of fringe but, as you can see here, it's actually a great style to pair with the hair type.

Byrdie Tip

To keep your curtain bangs looking their best, Streicher says to keep a dry texture spray on hand. “R+Co BALLOON Dry Volume Spray is the ultimate bang spray,” she says. “It keeps them fluffy with volume and absorbs any oils from your forehead that could possibly cause separation."

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Fanned Curtain Fringe

Billie Eilish Wolf Cut Shag — Max Mumby/Indigo /Getty Images

A Marianne mane if we've ever seen one. Here, it's all about the light fan of fringe across the forehead so no area is fully without a few strands of hair. So effortlessly chic, no?

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Curly Curtain Bang

Rihanna with curly fringe — Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / Getty Images

Curtain bangs work with all hair lengths—we especially love this long hair updo transformation (here, Rihanna wears a pineapple style) that proves their versatility.

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Subtle Wave Curtain Bangs

Jameela Jamil with thick curtain bangs — Araya Doheny / Getty Images

Long hair and curtain bangs can make quite the pairing. Here, we're shown how waves can come into the picture, too, further proving that curtain bangs may very well be the most effortless fringe style there is.

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Air-Dried Curtain Bangs

Speaking of waves, check out the air-dried texture of these curtain bangs. It creates a wavy allure that looks even better thanks to the well-maintained ends.

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Natural Curtain Bangs

Logan Browning with curly bangs — Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic / Getty Images

This shaggy chop is made even better with some light fringe that's right on the cusp of curtain and full-on bangs.

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Curtain Bang Pixie

actress with curtain bangs — Getty Images

This close-crop pixie cut blends up to a longer front, which is the perfect opportunity for styling in some curtain fringe.

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Soft Curtain Fringe

Gabrielle Union with curly shag — Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic / Getty Images

This lob-length shag paired with wispy curtain bangs is bold and understatedly beautiful.

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Wispy Curtain Bangs

January Jones with curtain bangs — Steve Granitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images

If you have thick hair, you might be concerned about ultra-heavy curtain bangs. Thankfully, your stylist can tailor the style to your hair type so that if your bangs feel too heavy, they can always get thinned out. January Jones show that even thin curtain bangs can have major impact.

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Ambiguous Curtain Bangs

Darryl Hannah with side swept curtain bangs — Angela Weiss / Getty Images

Curtain bangs don't always have to be so obvious—waving out the hair hides the curtain bangs in a sense here, which is perfect for days when you want to give the bangs a break (or if you're in the process of growing them out).

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Sophisticated and Sleek Curtain Bangs

Priyanka Chopra wavy shag — Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images

Curtain bangs work with all textures. Priyanka Jonas offers a prime example, shown here with loose curtain bangs and a wavy but very sleek 'do.

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Wide Curtain Bangs

Christie Brinkley with layered haircut — Dia Dipasupil / Staff / Getty Images

Fluffy, soft hair is a trend we're seeing popping up on social media time and time again. Pair it with curtain bangs, as this person did here, and you have yourself a stylish cut everyone will want to cop.

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Eye-Grazing Curtain Bangs

Camila Cabello with long wispy bangs — Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images

This look shows how just a small flick of the ends of your fringe can add so much character to your style. And even when grown out, bangs can lend a sultry edge to any length..

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Curtain Bangs and Topknot

Paz Vega with bangs and a top knot — Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images

Topknots always look great, but adding some face-framing fringe really takes the classic style to a new level.

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Fluffy Texture

Natasha Lyonne with fluffy fringe — John Shearer / Getty Images

Another beautiful example of fluffy texture and a stylish curtain fringe.

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Curly-to-Straight Curtain Bangs

Click through to see how curtain bangs work for both curly texture and straightened hair. The versatility meets no bounds.

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Mid-Length Curtain Bangs

Georgia May Jagger with '70s curtain bangs — David M. Benett / Getty Images

Curtain bangs can be short, long, or somewhere in the middle. We like how bang icon Georgia May Jagger shows how mid-length bangs can create a flowing '70s vibe.

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Pixie Goals

Joan Smalls with textured curtain bangs — Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage

A short pixie feels retro when you add a simple curtain bang. If you want to make it edgy like Joan Smalls, use a pomade to add texture and sweep your bangs to one side.

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Lots of Layers

Jennifer Lopez with swoop bangs — Amanda Edwards / WireImage / Getty Images

This long, layered cut met with tousled roots is glamorous and carefree all at once. We love how J. Lo's highlights add even more impact.

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Classic Curtain Bangs

Constance Wu with short curtain bangs — John Shearer / Getty Images

A classic curtained fringe makes an otherwise standard cut that much more eye-catching. For this look, use a straightener to smooth things out and apply a product such as Redken Shine Flash Shine Spray for added sheen.

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Long and Face-Framing

Rihanna with long bangs — Photo by Neil Mockford/WireImage

Rihanna's long fringe is worn across her forehead but with a trusty round brush, they could easily frame her face like traditional curtain bangs.

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Intentionally Messy

Dakota Johnson with messy fringe and updo — Getty Images

Dakota Johnson is the queen of bangs. Sometimes she rocks a wispy fringe and sometimes it's a laid-back curtain bang. This look is a combo of the two, and we love how effortless it looks with her slightly messy updo.

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Sleek Curtain Bangs

Elsa Hosk with sleep curtain bangs — Michael Loccisano / Staff / WireImage

A curtain bang is scary—we totally get it—but Elsa Hosk is proof that taking the leap may just serve you well. Here, Hosk went the sleek route, rather than the shaggy. The look is pure sophisticated, thanks to ends that flip inward and bangs that slightly flip out.

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Blunt Bangs

Winnie Harlow with curtain bangs — Rosdiana Ciaravolo / Getty Images

Blunt curtain fringe and a touch of texture can do so much for someone's mane. Make like Winnie Harlow and try a half-up do that really draws attention to a blunt and just-slightly-curtained bang.

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Curly Curtain Bangs

Curtain bangs may have a different structure and lay differently on wavy and curly hair types, yet they still look completely awesome.

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Curtain Bang Bob

Rashida Jones with bangs and a short bob — George Pimentel / Getty Images

As we've been saying, curtain bangs work with all hair lengths, even a classic bouncy bob. Just ensure the ends of the bangs curl under the same way as the ends of the bob itself.

FAQ

How often do curtain bangs need to be trimmed?

According to Ford, get your curtain bangs trimmed every six to eight weeks to maintain their shape.
How do you dry curtain bangs?

For a more textured look, you can let your curtain bangs air-dry. But for more volume, try using a round brush, blowing the nozzle upward on the bangs while you curl with the brush.
What products do you need to style curtain bangs?

Texture spray is always a good idea for those with some natural curl. Otherwise, a shine spray or a gel (to smooth flyaways) will work wonders.