Yes, this means that I am once again on a mission to grow out my bangs. :D I had been keeping them long, between my mouth and my chin, but then I got my hair cut to a mid-neck-length bob and gradually trimmed them shorter and shorter. Sigh. My ranking in the F.L.A. is between Private First Class and Corporal. I'm hoping my bangs will reach the tip of my nose in November.

It is funny for me to look back at pictures when I was in my mid-20s and see that I had hair between shoulder and APL with bangs, and they looked just fine. But now, bangs don't seem to work very well for me. They misbehave because my hair is curlier in my late 40s than it was back then. I also know that I have less hair overall. But I am still determined to grow it out and my bangs with it.

Here is a picture of my hair about a year ago before I cut it. My bangs were long and blended better into the rest of my hair.



And my current length is below.

Lovely pic. All the best with growing out your bangs. I'm afraid that I'm someone who desperately needs bangs (and desperately loves the look of no bangs).

It will be a long road, but I am ready to grow them out again and actually not have bangs.

I would NOT think that you desperately need bangs. You would be gorgeous without them just as you are with them. I believe that every woman is beautiful without bangs, that each woman has her own beauty--but most of us are so used to ourselves with bangs that it's scary to think of growing them out. And just pulling them back with our hands or clips doesn't give us the full picture of how we would look without them. I looked at pictures of myself in my photo albums yesterday, and it appears that we were trying to grow my bangs out from about 5 to 7 years old. Wish we had kept going!

Fox told of growing out her bangs in her journal: http://www.longhairloom.com/foxjournal.htm
It was helpful for me, and especially the photos she shared. Have you ever started growing out your bangs before? Martine wrote an article about growing out bangs back in 2004 that I also found helpful: http://www.network54.com/Forum/255478/m ... ut+Growing

If you ever decide to grow out your bangs, I would love to support you. We could grow them out together!

Yes, this means that I am once again on a mission to grow out my bangs. :D I had been keeping them long, between my mouth and my chin, but then I got my hair cut to a mid-neck-length bob and gradually trimmed them shorter and shorter. Sigh. My ranking in the F.L.A. is between Private First Class and Corporal. I'm hoping my bangs will reach the tip of my nose in November.

It is funny for me to look back at pictures when I was in my mid-20s and see that I had hair between shoulder and APL with bangs, and they looked just fine. But now, bangs don't seem to work very well for me. They misbehave because my hair is curlier in my late 40s than it was back then. I also know that I have less hair overall. But I am still determined to grow it out and my bangs with it.

Here is a picture of my hair about a year ago before I cut it. My bangs were long and blended better into the rest of my hair.



And my current length is below.

But didn't really notice a huge difference in growth or thickeness than when they were shorter-but then again-maybe I didn't give it the chance to thicken up-it's possible it may take years when you think about it. I'm sort of on the fence about the GM theory. It does make sense, but I hadn't heard any other trichologist or anyone else in the hair growth industry mention it. But then again, George Michael was a medical doctor and went to medical school so knew a lot about the human body and cells and stuff-something most in the hair care industry don't.
BTW Inch by Inch I think you look great without bangs, you've got that wave thing going on so you'll do great!

It will be a long road, but I am ready to grow them out again and actually not have bangs.

I would NOT think that you desperately need bangs. You would be gorgeous without them just as you are with them. I believe that every woman is beautiful without bangs, that each woman has her own beauty--but most of us are so used to ourselves with bangs that it's scary to think of growing them out. And just pulling them back with our hands or clips doesn't give us the full picture of how we would look without them. I looked at pictures of myself in my photo albums yesterday, and it appears that we were trying to grow my bangs out from about 5 to 7 years old. Wish we had kept going!

Fox told of growing out her bangs in her journal: http://www.longhairloom.com/foxjournal.htm
It was helpful for me, and especially the photos she shared. Have you ever started growing out your bangs before? Martine wrote an article about growing out bangs back in 2004 that I also found helpful: http://www.network54.com/Forum/255478/m ... ut+Growing

If you ever decide to grow out your bangs, I would love to support you. We could grow them out together!

For your confidence in me. However my mother, my friends at school, and now even my grandchildren all think I look far better with bangs. I've tried to twist and clip them back but I look so much older with them off my face. If there was an easy way to get through the growing out phase without having to clip them back out of my eyes, I might just consider it, but, alas, as soon as they reach my eyes I'm reaching for the scissors.

...just sweep them to the side if that would work. Don't you have wavy/curly hair? I do, and my bangs sweep to the side and hang on to the rest of my hair for the most part, particularly if I use a BBB to smooth them in. If I do an updo, sometimes I will leave them out and curly as accents, but still swept to either side. (See below, June 2009, Odessa, Ukraine, by the Black Sea.) I know that your friends and relatives are used to seeing you with bangs, so they would naturally say that you look far better with them. My sister says she likes me better with bangs. But then I posted a picture of myself without bangs (they were longer and just swept into the rest of my hair) here on the Loom, and everyone said they liked me without. I don't like myself with my bangs pulled back, either. As far as looking older without, only you can judge. But I have a feeling you're being a wee bit too hard on yourself. You have to do what makes you happy, of course. But if you desperately love the look of no bangs...I will encourage you if you decide to grow yours.

But didn't really notice a huge difference in growth or thickeness than when they were shorter-but then again-maybe I didn't give it the chance to thicken up-it's possible it may take years when you think about it. I'm sort of on the fence about the GM theory. It does make sense, but I hadn't heard any other trichologist or anyone else in the hair growth industry mention it. But then again, George Michael was a medical doctor and went to medical school so knew a lot about the human body and cells and stuff-something most in the hair care industry don't.
BTW Inch by Inch I think you look great without bangs, you've got that wave thing going on so you'll do great!

Ooo, good for you for growing them out so long! I have never actually had no bangs, but below shoulder would be close to that in my book. I do wonder if it would take a few years to feel the difference in thickness. Were you doing GM's other suggestions at the time: brushing bent at waist with a BBB, washing bent at waist, no layers, etc., etc.?

I am not sure what to think about GM's theory of hair equalizing itself, but I would think that hair all one length would be more protective and allow the hair to be stronger. (Of course, there will be hair at varying lengths all over the head at any given time, but I'm sure he means the bulk of the hair being one length.) And I have read elsewhere that the follicle stimulation from brushing with a BBB bent at the waist has helped hair to grow a bit thicker, as well as shinier. Someone else said that she loses fewer hairs per day. I am all for the benefits! GM maintained that once bangs were past chin length that hair shedding would reduce. Also, that the longer the hair, the fewer hairs that fall out. Sign me up!

Thank you so much for your sweet compliment. I really am hoping I'll look OK without bangs. My bangs are wavy, so they are happy to blend into the rest of my hair when they are long enough. I just need to keep growing them now and not cut them. That is my mission.

I wasn't brushing, but I do now but not the GM way. I bought a BBB for fine, delicate curly hair from Morrocco Method(they don't sell the same one now) called a Blonde BBB. I brush about 10-15 strokes in the morning mainly for scalp health. I just think the length of my hair is too fragile for that kind of brushing so I kind of follow a hybrid GM/curly girl routine. (LOL!)
Mainly I think our scalps benefit from brushing but the hair follicles can get worn down from too much brushing, especially if you're a finey.
What I do is shampoo every 2-3 days. On shampoo day, I gently detangle first with a comb and then bend over and brush mainly concentrating on the scalp.
then I shampoo, condition, and put in my styling product, scrunch and set my waves and don't touch until evening.
Then I gently detangle with a wide tooth comb(before bed)otherwise I wake up with tangles. When my hair gets longer I will probably braid before bed.
When I wake up I brush 10-15 strokes,bent over, and spray in my curl refresher(jessicurl's Awe inspiraling or CHS volumizing spray.) and style either up or down. Sometimes I can get third day hair but usually I'm washing again by day 3. I would like to stretch my washes.
My hair is still too short and just too fine to go too long yet.
I used to get short bangs, now I keep them between chin and shoulder length. that way I can still curl them and keep them as face framing layers.
Right now they are too short to fit in a pony or braid so yes my pony is thinner than it could be.
I'm not sure about the equalization theory, either. I would be more inclined to believe it if I saw others besides GM embracing it.

...just sweep them to the side if that would work. Don't you have wavy/curly hair? I do, and my bangs sweep to the side and hang on to the rest of my hair for the most part, particularly if I use a BBB to smooth them in. If I do an updo, sometimes I will leave them out and curly as accents, but still swept to either side. (See below, June 2009, Odessa, Ukraine, by the Black Sea.) I know that your friends and relatives are used to seeing you with bangs, so they would naturally say that you look far better with them. My sister says she likes me better with bangs. But then I posted a picture of myself without bangs (they were longer and just swept into the rest of my hair) here on the Loom, and everyone said they liked me without. I don't like myself with my bangs pulled back, either. As far as looking older without, only you can judge. But I have a feeling you're being a wee bit too hard on yourself. You have to do what makes you happy, of course. But if you desperately love the look of no bangs...I will encourage you if you decide to grow yours.

are good and recommended for wavy/curly hair especially.
this is what I do now. I seem to need softening around my face, especially now the wrinkles/sagging is coming in. the no-bang look
Didn't even look good on me when I was younger.

...just sweep them to the side if that would work. Don't you have wavy/curly hair? I do, and my bangs sweep to the side and hang on to the rest of my hair for the most part, particularly if I use a BBB to smooth them in. If I do an updo, sometimes I will leave them out and curly as accents, but still swept to either side. (See below, June 2009, Odessa, Ukraine, by the Black Sea.) I know that your friends and relatives are used to seeing you with bangs, so they would naturally say that you look far better with them. My sister says she likes me better with bangs. But then I posted a picture of myself without bangs (they were longer and just swept into the rest of my hair) here on the Loom, and everyone said they liked me without. I don't like myself with my bangs pulled back, either. As far as looking older without, only you can judge. But I have a feeling you're being a wee bit too hard on yourself. You have to do what makes you happy, of course. But if you desperately love the look of no bangs...I will encourage you if you decide to grow yours.

Are not wavy. My hair gets waiver as it gets longer. When I used to wear it short it would be straight to a out collar length with the ends flipping put. My bangs lie fairly straight.

Maybe if I had an accountability partner - someone to remind me daily to step away from the scissors - I might be able to grow them and see what they look like longer. But it will be a long haul. I have only just trimmed them again.

Ah. That is the way my hair used to be. It would curl on the ends and be straighter nearer to my head. My bangs would behave and lie nicely...except for what my sister and I called our wings, right near the temples. I found out in adulthood, when my hair started being curlier and I was growing out my bangs, that the wing part was the start of a ringlet. I never knew!

Jules, if you would like to grow out your bangs to really see what it is like to have no bangs, I will be your accountability partner. I would think there would also be others here who would love to help you out. I think we'll need to research some ideas for dealing with growing-out bangs. Fox comes to mind; she shared her story here on the Loom with some pictures. Here it is:http://www.longhairloom.com/foxjournal.htm
I can look through this F.L.A. board, too, and should probably do a search for other ideas. Maybe there are videos out there.

Anyway, let me know if you want to go for it! I know you can do it! You just need support and lots of determination. I am pretty much at the beginning of growing my bangs out, also; they're about an inch from the tip of my nose.

Step 1: Back away from those scissors!

are good and recommended for wavy/curly hair especially.
this is what I do now. I seem to need softening around my face, especially now the wrinkles/sagging is coming in. the no-bang look
Didn't even look good on me when I was younger.

My bangs seem to do that pretty well when they're longer. I think with growing out my bangs, I'll just have to wear my wrinkles proudly. I have earned them, after all. I'll just keep eating lots of butter in hopes that my skin won't sag too badly.

I wasn't brushing, but I do now but not the GM way. I bought a BBB for fine, delicate curly hair from Morrocco Method(they don't sell the same one now) called a Blonde BBB. I brush about 10-15 strokes in the morning mainly for scalp health. I just think the length of my hair is too fragile for that kind of brushing so I kind of follow a hybrid GM/curly girl routine. (LOL!)
Mainly I think our scalps benefit from brushing but the hair follicles can get worn down from too much brushing, especially if you're a finey.
What I do is shampoo every 2-3 days. On shampoo day, I gently detangle first with a comb and then bend over and brush mainly concentrating on the scalp.
then I shampoo, condition, and put in my styling product, scrunch and set my waves and don't touch until evening.
Then I gently detangle with a wide tooth comb(before bed)otherwise I wake up with tangles. When my hair gets longer I will probably braid before bed.
When I wake up I brush 10-15 strokes,bent over, and spray in my curl refresher(jessicurl's Awe inspiraling or CHS volumizing spray.) and style either up or down. Sometimes I can get third day hair but usually I'm washing again by day 3. I would like to stretch my washes.
My hair is still too short and just too fine to go too long yet.
I used to get short bangs, now I keep them between chin and shoulder length. that way I can still curl them and keep them as face framing layers.
Right now they are too short to fit in a pony or braid so yes my pony is thinner than it could be.
I'm not sure about the equalization theory, either. I would be more inclined to believe it if I saw others besides GM embracing it.

...you have going there. I know that GM himself would say to brush more, but it's something you would need to hear from a GM salon owner who has had experience working with clients with fine hair. Maybe you should contact one of them.

Yes, this means that I am once again on a mission to grow out my bangs. :D I had been keeping them long, between my mouth and my chin, but then I got my hair cut to a mid-neck-length bob and gradually trimmed them shorter and shorter. Sigh. My ranking in the F.L.A. is between Private First Class and Corporal. I'm hoping my bangs will reach the tip of my nose in November.

It is funny for me to look back at pictures when I was in my mid-20s and see that I had hair between shoulder and APL with bangs, and they looked just fine. But now, bangs don't seem to work very well for me. They misbehave because my hair is curlier in my late 40s than it was back then. I also know that I have less hair overall. But I am still determined to grow it out and my bangs with it.

Here is a picture of my hair about a year ago before I cut it. My bangs were long and blended better into the rest of my hair.



And my current length is below.

I really can't tell you have bangs in it. My hair waves a lot like yours.

I didn't realize this board even existed but I seriously need to sign up!

It was so pretty last year in the Aspen and Crested Butte areas at the end of September. Below is a wider view of the Maroon Bells--fall colors and snow! (I wish now that I hadn't cut my hair!)



I have been surprised when growing out my bangs that they actually blend in with the rest of my hair. I always thought it would be really hard to grow them out. It's probably because they are curly/wavy.

Ooo! If you want to grow your bangs, sign up!

Yes, this means that I am once again on a mission to grow out my bangs. :D I had been keeping them long, between my mouth and my chin, but then I got my hair cut to a mid-neck-length bob and gradually trimmed them shorter and shorter. Sigh. My ranking in the F.L.A. is between Private First Class and Corporal. I'm hoping my bangs will reach the tip of my nose in November.

It is funny for me to look back at pictures when I was in my mid-20s and see that I had hair between shoulder and APL with bangs, and they looked just fine. But now, bangs don't seem to work very well for me. They misbehave because my hair is curlier in my late 40s than it was back then. I also know that I have less hair overall. But I am still determined to grow it out and my bangs with it.

Here is a picture of my hair about a year ago before I cut it. My bangs were long and blended better into the rest of my hair.



And my current length is below.

I'm even considering this. But I'm thinking maybe I will try and grow them out. I'll never know if I don't try. Pinned back I don't like but I've read that that looks different to when your hair is all the one length. Besides, I believe there are different ways to style hair to give softness around the face. If I don't try now, I probably never will. And I can always cut them back in again, can't I? I've never even had long bangs so I have no idea what I'm in for.

I'm feeling almost brave enough to post a picture of myself without bangs ... but, no, I don't want to scare anyone.

Dear Jules, you might say that I'm too biased because I don't have bangs myself, but I'm convinced that no one actually needs bangs. Sure, they may suit some people more than others, but they are not necessary. So why not try to grow them out? It's easy to cut them back if you decide that the no-bangs look is no for you.

Also, you do not look scary without bangs

I'm even considering this. But I'm thinking maybe I will try and grow them out. I'll never know if I don't try. Pinned back I don't like but I've read that that looks different to when your hair is all the one length. Besides, I believe there are different ways to style hair to give softness around the face. If I don't try now, I probably never will. And I can always cut them back in again, can't I? I've never even had long bangs so I have no idea what I'm in for.

I'm feeling almost brave enough to post a picture of myself without bangs ... but, no, I don't want to scare anyone.

Mine are currently very awkward and I'm having a challenge styling them but hopefully this stage will be short lived and I can go for the sideswept look soon.

I remember pics of you and there was nothing scary about you! I know it can be hard when you are used to a certain look. The same thing happens if I wear makeup every day. The day I go without I feel I must look a fright but I know plenty of women who never wear it and I never think they "need" it. We just tend to judge ourselves harshly. Anyway, just to say I'm sure you're beautiful either way!

Yucchi and Ohtawen for the votes of confidence. I slid off the wagon and cut my bangs again and then immediately regretted it. So I've set myself a challenge. For the next 30 days I will wear my bangs pinned back apart from a few wisps. I've found if I twist and pin as in the video that was shared on the main board by Inch by Inch that they stay in place and the height from the twists gives me some interest around my face (in other words, I look less moon faced). Of course I have to pin my bangs near my face before I add in longer lengths to twist but it works and looks professional. I do use those snappy clips rather than bobby pins to hold it at the back but that's only because bobby pins have always given me a headache.

I have read that going to a wispy bang makes growing out bangs easier and less of a shock so I'll try this for a while before deciding whether to grow it all out or keep these wisps. This is a huge change for me - and for my family who have seen me with the same bangs forever. I suspect wisps will be easy to grow out after dealing with growing out heavy bangs.

Oh, and to my surprise, I got a compliment from a total stranger today when I was taking my MIL shopping so perhaps hardly any bangs doesn't look so bad on me after all.

Yes, this means that I am once again on a mission to grow out my bangs. :D I had been keeping them long, between my mouth and my chin, but then I got my hair cut to a mid-neck-length bob and gradually trimmed them shorter and shorter. Sigh. My ranking in the F.L.A. is between Private First Class and Corporal. I'm hoping my bangs will reach the tip of my nose in November.

It is funny for me to look back at pictures when I was in my mid-20s and see that I had hair between shoulder and APL with bangs, and they looked just fine. But now, bangs don't seem to work very well for me. They misbehave because my hair is curlier in my late 40s than it was back then. I also know that I have less hair overall. But I am still determined to grow it out and my bangs with it.

Here is a picture of my hair about a year ago before I cut it. My bangs were long and blended better into the rest of my hair.



And my current length is below.

I am a complete newbie to the Loom and to the FLA. I've decided that my New Year's resolution is to grow out my bangs, so I'm hoping that some of you might be able to give me the encouragement I'll need to Keep Going. I'm currently growing my hair out from short, after having had long hair for years, and it's now about jaw length. I've had bangs for many, many years, and have attempted to grow them out many, many times. I always end up getting fed up with my bangs when they get to that awkward, in-between stage, and then reach for the scissors. My hair is 1b-c/f/ii and it's very healthy and shiny, thanks to about two years of conditioner-only washing and air drying. I've read all the comments and articles here about growing out bangs, and I know that I won't be able to really tell whether or not I like the no-bangs look on me until I've persevered with the growing-out process. I also know how annoying I'm going to find said process, so I hope that I can call on people here for encouragement and motivation.

Well, everyone, my bangs are now past my chin. I will continue letting them grow; it will be nice when and if they ever reach the length of the rest of my hair. Has anyone else continued growing their bangs/fringe out?