I’m thinking of growing out my bangs. Am I too old?

[Ginevra]

There have been instances in which I started to grow them out but they get to the driving-me-mad point (too long to be bangs, too short to pull back) and I flee back to bangs. But I just went to a new stylist who wondered if I had ever considered growing them out. She curled my hair with a particular technique I really loved the look of. In the days following the haircut/curling, I began to look very critically at my flowy hair and my short little bangs and...it doesn’t make that much sense, honestly. Women whose hair I admire nearly always have no bangs and all the hair has the long, flowy look I enjoy. (This was true even all the way back when I used to watch the TV show Facts of Life and I loved Lisa Welchel’s beautiful hair!) 

At 48 yo, is it sort of backwards to grow out bangs? A lot of women are going shorter and more layered at my age, and there’s undeniably some benefit to covering a forehead at this point, lol, but I have a tiny forehead, so...meh, maybe that’s not an important benefit for me. I also wear my bangs angled to the side, so some of my forehead shows anyhow. 

I’ll post a picture if I can. Opinions welcome, and tips for dealing with the annoying phase if I do grow them out. 

Edited September 18, 2019 by Quill
Add photo

[Catwoman]

I don’t have bangs, so take my opinion for what it’s worth. 😉

You have gorgeous hair and a nicely shaped face, so I think you would look great with just about any hairstyle you choose. I definitely don’t think you need to restrict yourself to having bangs if you’re in the mood for something new!

[Robin M]

I'm almost 60 and still have bangs. Have hair cut so they feather back or hang straight depending on how I dry my hair.  Go with bangs if it makes you happy. 

[ktgrok]

Do it. No harm in trying and given how you wear them I don't think it will look much different, just better. 

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[J-rap]

You think bangs are more appropriate for older women?  I think either way works.  I've always thought the bang-less look looked classy, no matter what the age.

Anyway, you could give it a try.  It's a lot easier to grow them out and change your mind, then to cut them short and wish you hadn't.   You could try layering a little more on the sides with longer bangs that you could actually pull back if you want, and leave just a few wisps of bangs in front.

[Selkie]

I vote grow them out, but I've never been a fan of bangs. 

I'm 50 and have never thought about covering my forehead! My forehead isn't wrinkly (yet), so I guess it has just never occurred to me.

[Momto6inIN]

I'm 45 and i don't have bangs. I also do not have a hairstyle at all, really - I just keep it in a ponytail or a braid down my back. I refuse to have one of those old lady hairstyles. I want to look like an old hippie with my gray colored braid someday LOL

I think you'd look good with no bangs, but it looks nice the way it is too. If you do decide to grow it out, I'd invest in some clips or headbands or something to keep the in betweenish stage from driving you crazy!

[Scarlett]

5 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

I'm 45 and i don't have bangs. I also do not have a hairstyle at all, really - I just keep it in a ponytail or a braid down my back. I refuse to have one of those old lady hairstyles. I want to look like an old hippie with my gray colored braid someday LOL

I think you'd look good with no bangs, but it looks nice the way it is too. If you do decide to grow it out, I'd invest in some clips or headbands or something to keep the in betweenish stage from driving you crazy!

This is me.  I will never cut my hair short and I haven't had bangs since the year ds19 was born and I never will again.  

Quill your hair is absolutely gorgeous.  I doubt it will look 'bad' either way, but I would definitely try bangless for a bit.  

[Forget-Me-Not]

19 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Do it. No harm in trying and given how you wear them I don't think it will look much different, just better. 

 

Agree. Look up a photo of Connie Britton (played the mom on Friday Night Lights). She’s in her 50s and has long hair without bangs.  

[Scarlett]

4 minutes ago, Forget-Me-Not said:

Agree. Look up a photo of Connie Britton (played the mom on Friday Night Lights). She’s in her 50s and has long hair without bangs.  

Quill kinda favors her.

[catz]

I'm 49 and I haven't had bangs for many years.  Ideally I keep my hair layered and between chin and shoulder length.  But it just varies depending on how on the ball I am at keeping on top of haircuts.  Bangs are too high maintenance for me and I feel like on me they only look good at 1 length which I'm at for like 2 days.  Annoying!  

[Familia]

@Quill and @Arctic Mama , you are pretty ladies!  Quill, I think you would look pretty as well without bangs.  You have such thick hair, it almost seems like it would be difficult to keep back while growing out.  

[LucyStoner]

I’m hitting 40 next year, have never had bangs and am unlikely to start now.  In fact my hair is usually a little longer in front than in back.  

Wait.  Here’s a picture of the last time I had bangs.  So...1985.  🤣

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Familia said:

@Quill and @Arctic Mama , you are pretty ladies!  Quill, I think you would look pretty as well without bangs.  You have such thick hair, it almost seems like it would be difficult to keep back while growing out.  

I think that’s why it makes me insane when it is in between. It may be the only hair accessory that will make it through the in between stage would be a Buff-style headband, so I could completely push it off. 

[Farrar]

I haven't had bangs in ages. No one told me old people have to have bangs.

I think we're probably all doing aging wrong. Good for us.

[moonflower]

I don't have bangs, I am 35.  I don't plan on ever having them really as I like being able to put everything back in a braid or ponytail.

My 7 year old has bangs.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Arctic Mama said:

Crisscrossed bobby pins work well and are fairly invisible, but I think some wide headbands would look wonderful on you.  Kind of like these?

https://www.amazon.com/Elastic-Turban-Headband-Twisted-Accessories/dp/B074TTLHTM/ref=sr_1_24?keywords=wide+fabric+headbands&qid=1568847448&s=gateway&sr=8-24

They’re extremely comfortable and not too trendy or young.  I’ve seen some middle aged and older ladies rocking them, and they don’t clash with a more preppy/polished look, generally.

Yes, those are great! I have one headband like it that a friend gave to me in a care package during my cancer recovery. That thing was awesome, especially after surgery when it was a good five or so days before I could wash my hair. 

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I haven't had bangs in ages. No one told me old people have to have bangs.

I think we're probably all doing aging wrong. Good for us.

I remember the suggestion that bangs were good from that time on here when we discussed the book How to Not Look Old. I had bangs anyway, so it’s not as though I did get bangs because of that book, (after all, I haven’t had Botox injected into my earlobes so my diamond studs will stick out straight, lol) but I did always remember it said yes for over 40 women with bangs. 

(The other thing I remember from that book was it suggested the best skirt length was just above or just below the knee, never midi and not maxi, and that the best shape was pencil. It’s funny I still remember that so specifically!) 

[gardenmom5]

I think older women with bangs look more odd than those that don't have bangs.

My hair's on the way down again.   at the stage where I want to cut the back due to layers - but I can almost pull it into a pony again, so I'm waiting some more.....

I personally hate bangs.  they get in my eyes, and make my forehead break out.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, LucyStoner said:

I’m hitting 40 next year, have never had bangs and am unlikely to start now.  In fact my hair is usually a little longer in front than in back.  

Wait.  Here’s a picture of the last time I had bangs.  So...1985.  🤣

I love how the back row of kids are *standing* on chairs. It was the one time they were allowed. And that girl in the center looks like she just stepped out of Flashdance. And that photographer really missed it when he failed to straighten the blind. Tsk, tsk. 

[mommyoffive]

4 hours ago, Catwoman said:

I don’t have bangs, so take my opinion for what it’s worth. 😉

You have gorgeous hair and a nicely shaped face, so I think you would look great with just about any hairstyle you choose. I definitely don’t think you need to restrict yourself to having bangs if you’re in the mood for something new!

 

Agreed, I haven't had bangs since early grade school.  I would love them now to hide the lines.  But my hair is curly and when it is short it just gets so crazy.

I love your hair now.  You are beautiful.  I think the bangs look like they are long hair tucked behind your ear.  But I don't think you are too old to grow them out.  That wouldn't ever occur to me.  Do whatever you want.  

Growing out stage, pins.

[Arcadia]

They are useful for covering up “railway tracks” (forehead wrinkles). It would probably take at least a year to grow back my bangs from before chemo. My fringe/bangs was chin length.

Deleting photos later (ETA:deleted). 

ETA:

The photo wasn’t showing the bangs clearly since I flip mine up so only wisps are showing. Not Æthelthryth the Texan’s fault.

 

 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Arcadia

[Arcadia]

4 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

@Arcadia I adore that your dh participated in the photo op. 🙂

 

Both are mine 😂  One is taken in Feb, and current one was a few minutes ago at the library. My hair is black, grayish white and with red streaks. 

ETA:

My husband’s fringe reach to his eyebrows. Our kids have longer fringe.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Arcadia

[Corraleno]

No advice, just wanted to say that you are absolutely beautiful, you have amazing skin and hair, and you do not remotely look 48! 

[LucyStoner]

7 hours ago, kand said:

 I literally had to scan this picture really carefully for myself, because I swear I was in this class in 1985 😂. 

 

Every American child of the 80s was in this class.   And every school library had that dark orange carpet. 

The class was a K-1 split, which is why some of the kids are like me and barely 5 and some are veritable giants at closer to 7.  This was kindergarten for me, I can tell by the dress. I went to that school for K and part of 1st grade and my 1st grade school dress had a blue sweater top so this must be K. That was a good year.  My teacher was named Tom and he later was a finalist for the national teacher of the year award.  My mom always put me in a church dress for school pictures.    

Edited September 19, 2019 by LucyStoner

[Melissa in Australia]

I cannot have them as I have a great big cowlick and my hair would stick up awfully . My hair is all waist length. Almost half of it is grey. I am mid 40s

 

[mom@shiloh]

I was in my fifties when I grew my bangs out. The growing out part drove me mad, but now that it's over, I don't think I'd ever go back to bangs.  For me, they were just too much work. I could get by with combing the rest of my hair and tucking it behind my ears when I didn't want to fuss with it.  The bangs?  They just didn't always behave. Without bangs, I can go six months between haircuts if I want to. The bangs needed more maintenance. 

[Guest]

43 minutes ago, mom@shiloh said:

I was in my fifties when I grew my bangs out. The growing out part drove me mad, but now that it's over, I don't think I'd ever go back to bangs.  For me, they were just too much work. I could get by with combing the rest of my hair and tucking it behind my ears when I didn't want to fuss with it.  The bangs?  They just didn't always behave. Without bangs, I can go six months between haircuts if I want to. The bangs needed more maintenance. 

This is part of what I hope to accomplish. I have had a two-step process coloring my hair - highlights with a toner finish - for the past several years, but I want to quit that. I have some grey, but not a lot and I do not want to go to permanent hair color and all the maintenance and expense that entails. The main part of my hairstyle can go months without professional attention, but the highlights and the bangs drive me back to the salon. I can trim the length of my bangs myself, but the texturizing to keep them from being heavy on my forehead is not something I can do myself. So, yes, that is part of why I want to grow them out: to reduce maintenance. 

It’s very encouraging to me to hear you were in your fifties. 

[Wheres Toto]

On 9/18/2019 at 6:31 PM, Familia said:

@Quill and @Arctic Mama , you are pretty ladies!  Quill, I think you would look pretty as well without bangs.  You have such thick hair, it almost seems like it would be difficult to keep back while growing out.  

Your hair look and like mine and this is what I was thinking.

I'm 50 and have bangs but I've always had bangs.  The very few times I haven't they don't last long.  I need bangs.  I think I have a really high forehead and I do have a widow's peak so it just doesn't look right.     To me bangs are easier because with bangs I have to actually do something with my hair for it to keep it out of my face and have it look half-way decent.  And I won't, so pulled back in headbands is about it and that's just not a good look - flattened by the band on top and long and full in the back.  Or I'm constantly adjusting the headband to get that softer pulled-back look.   

I will never get the short old lady hair cut.   Eventually I may stop the bangs and the layers and wear a long braid all the time.  

 

 

Edited September 20, 2019 by Where's Toto?

[RootAnn]

My advice for growing them out probably won't help because it seems like you probably go out in public AND care about what other people think plus you likely go to your hair dresser regularly.

My bangs frequently (3 times a year at least) grow out past annoying stage because I usually only get out for a hair cut once per year (twice if I'm really on top of thngs). When this happens, I push them to the side, braid them with the rest if my hair, or use a pin/cloth headband. The problem is that my face looks even fatter than it is without bangs so I always eventually trim them back in. They soften my face & make it appear less round. But I don't care what people think of me most of the time so I only trim them when I'm sick of taking time on them. Got to that point yesterday so they are trimmed again.

[MysteryJen]

Like Melissa, I have a cowlick right in the middle of bangs. I had them as a girl and they always looked terrible and tried them again in a fit of stupidity in my late teens. 

I haven't had bangs since then- long wavy hair with grey in about 30% of it- it is almost always pulled back in the summer.