Before booking in for a hair appointment to cut your fringe, you should probably weigh up the pros and cons.
Pros being that fringes are the epitome of chic and the hallmark of French cool-girls and models we desperately want to emulate. But should knowing that fringes look great be all that it takes before committing to the cut? Ask anyone who has ever had one and they’ll stop you in your Pinterest-scrolling tracks to say: “Ugh, probably not.”
You see, it’s one thing to come to the decision that you’re going to finally experiment with cutting a fringe as a fashion statement, but wearing and maintaining a fringe is a whole other story.
Scroll to find out which things you should know about before getting a fringe cut:
Fringes require plenty of upkeep
Fringes are needy. They require trims and tweaks every three to four weeks and, unless your best friend or relative is a hairdresser, that comes with a hefty price tag.
They need to be clean pretty much all of the time to look good
Given that fringes rest over your face they’re much more susceptible to the moisturisers, makeup and oily residue that build up on our foreheads over the course of the day. Which brings us promptly to our next point…
Spot washing will become the norm
Unless you’re prepared to wash, blowdry and style your hair at the start of every day, you’ll need to become an expert is spot washing, pronto. We’re talking bending over the vanity, rinsing, shampooing, followed by more rinsing of that 50mm-squared section of scalp, every morning. That, or dry shampoo which still doesn’t excuse you from, well, just keep reading…
You’ll need to style them every day, probably more than once
As well as frequent salon trims, fringes need work at home each day to ensure they’re sitting in the desired shape. And for those among us with thick hair, don’t even think about styling it the night before to save time in the morning. All it takes is a couple of minutes of restful slumber to completely reassign the direction in which your voluminous roots will now sit.
They need blow-drying before the rest of your hair
Given the lighter weight of your fringe relative to your remaining head of hair, they tend to dry quickly which is why you need to intercept with a round brush and blow-dryer pretty much immediately after you shower. Best not to test us on that one.
Read next: Expert tips to manage your fringe
The type of fringe you want, might not want you
Unfortunately, fringes can’t be made to order as there are so many factors such as hair type and texture, plus the all-important getting-the-right-fringe-for-your-face-shape consideration that calls upon the expertise of a professional prior to your haircut. We can’t all look like Brigitte Bardot and it may take upwards of five fringe attempts before that reality really sinks in. Be prepared for that.
They’re not something you can DIY
It’s up to you whether you want a softer, more versatile fringe, or a blunt one for an edgier finish but when they say ‘fringes aren’t created equally’, they really aren’t created equally. No two fringe styles are cut using the same techniques, therefore, when it comes to what suits you best, talk to your stylist and for crying out loud, put the scissors down.
