What curtain bangs are
Curtain bangs are a fringe that opens in the middle and falls away to both sides, like a pair of curtains. Hence the name, and hence the hairstyle you have almost certainly seen without knowing what to ask for.
The shortest point usually sits around the eyebrows, with the length sweeping out to roughly the cheekbones. That diagonal line is precisely what separates them from a blunt fringe.
Technically it is an extra layer in your hair rather than a separate block. On mid-length hair the bangs add noticeable volume around the face.
It also explains why they are so forgiving. A blunt fringe lives or dies by a millimetre, while your curtain bangs have room because the line is already moving.
Where the trend comes from
The modern wave started around 2020 and travelled largely through social media. Fashion journalism described the curtain fringe in late 2020 as a distinctly TikTok-driven trend.
That the timing coincides with the period when many people were at home reaching for scissors is no accident. It is a fringe forgiving enough to attempt yourself.
You will read everywhere that the style dates back to the sixties and seventies, with particular actresses named as its origin. Honestly, that story is not well supported anywhere, so I will stick to what is certain: the current popularity is recent.
How they are cut
Cutting dry is the rule here, not the exception. Wet hair stretches under tension and springs back, and on a fringe of a few centimetres that is the difference between right and too short.
The section is taken as a triangle from the crown forward, not as a straight strip. That shape decides how much hair is in the fringe and how far it runs out to the sides.
The cut itself is not one straight line but a series of small vertical snips. That softens the bottom edge and lets the fringe move rather than sit there as a border.
Finally the centre part is set by where your hair naturally separates. Forcing a parting where your crown will not allow it never survives past the first blow dry.
Face shape: what actually holds up
Almost every article about fringes sorts faces into shapes and attaches haircuts to them. Fair is fair: there is no research behind that, it is styling convention.
That does not make it nonsense. It makes it a collection of practical experience rather than a law, which means you are free to ignore it.
What genuinely makes a difference in practice is something else. Where your crown sits, whether your hair at the front falls left or right, and how much volume you naturally have at the roots.
Those three decide whether a fringe stays where it was put. A face shape at most decides how it reads, and that is a matter of taste.
Curtain bangs by hair type
Hair type decides how much work they are, so here is what you need to know before you book. The shape itself suits nearly everyone; the upkeep varies a lot.
- Straight hair: the easiest, because the fringe falls where you put it. Also the quickest to go flat if your hair gets greasy fast.
- Wavy hair: the happiest combination, since the wave softens the diagonal line by itself.
- Curly hair: possible, but cutting dry is compulsory and the curl spring has to be accounted for.
- Fine hair: gives lovely volume at the front, but keep the section small or the rest gets too thin.
- Thick hair: needs weight removed from the inside, otherwise the fringe sits forward as a block.
With curly hair you often hear that curtain bangs only work if you blow them straight. That is not necessarily true, but it is true that the shape has to be cut on the curl rather than on the stretched length.
Styling with a round brush
A curtain bang has to fall back and outwards, and that does not happen on its own. Without styling it hangs straight down and you effectively have an overlong blunt fringe.
The standard movement is blow drying with a round brush, pulling the fringe to the opposite side first and only then turning it back to its own side. That is what creates the lift at the roots.
Count on one to two minutes each morning. That is the honest price of this fringe and the reason some people give up on it after a few months.
On humid days it gets harder, as with any fringe. Light heat protection and touching your hair as little as possible is the best advice then.
Trimming and upkeep
Whether this cut is for you often comes down to the trim: count on one every three to six weeks. Hair grows about a centimetre a month on average, and on a fringe that shows immediately.
That average is not the same for everyone, incidentally. Measured values run from a little over half a centimetre to more than three centimetres a month, and thicker hair grows faster on average than fine hair.
In practice you notice it in how quickly the fringe drops from your eyebrows to your eyes. The moment you start sweeping it aside to see underneath, it is time.
The trim itself takes ten minutes and costs little length. It is the shortest appointment in the trade.
Growing them out when you are done
This is the biggest advantage curtain bangs have over a blunt fringe. They grow out without ever reaching a stage where it simply cannot be worn.
The reason is the diagonal line. As the fringe lengthens it merges with the layers around it and gradually turns into face framing.
What helps is trimming only the shortest point while growing out and leaving the sides alone. That keeps the shape intact while the length increases.
Count on several months before the fringe has fully joined your cut. During that period a clip is always still an option.
Combining with layers and face framing
Curtain bangs rarely stand alone. They work best as part of a layered cut, because then the fringe has somewhere to run into.
Without layers around them you get a visible break between the fringe and the rest of your length. That is exactly the look people mean when they say a fringe looks stuck on.
In colour terms the combination with face framing is a natural one. Lighter pieces close to the face reinforce the framing the fringe already creates.
Do bear in mind that the fringe is cut more often than the colour is refreshed. Otherwise you eventually trim away exactly the piece the highlights were in.
Cutting them yourself and why it fails
Curtain bangs are the most self-cut fringe and also the most corrected. Two mistakes explain nearly every case.
The first is cutting wet. Wet hair stretches, and what appears to sit at eyebrow level pulls up a centimetre or more once dry.
The second is cutting straight across in one horizontal line. That leaves a hard edge, precisely the opposite of the soft effect you were after.
Then there is the triangle. Taking too much hair forward means eating into the sides of your cut, and you only notice when you try to tie your hair up.
If you try anyway: dry, in small vertical snips, and start longer than you think. You can always go shorter, never longer.
What it costs
With Hanna Valiullina the fringe is part of the haircut. A women cut starts at twenty five euro and a trim is thirty euro, home visit included.
A fringe-only touch up in between is possible as well. Since that is a short appointment, it is agreed beforehand rather than charged at the full rate.
Budget eight to sixteen fringe appointments a year if you want to keep the shape sharp. That is more than the rest of your cut needs.
Curtain bangs at your home
Hanna Valiullina cuts curtain bangs at your home in Papendrecht and the surrounding area. For a fringe alone, a chair and a socket are enough.
With a fringe in particular, being able to do it at home is genuinely practical. It is a ten minute appointment you would otherwise have to leave the house and park for.
The shape is set on dry hair in daylight, because that is the only way to see where your hair really falls. Read about the rest of the cut under haircuts.
For an appointment or advice first, get in touch. All rates are under services.
Frequently asked questions about curtain bangs
What are curtain bangs?
Curtain bangs are a fringe with a centre part that opens to both sides and frames the face. The shortest point usually sits around the eyebrows and sweeps out towards the cheekbones or lower.
How often do curtain bangs need trimming?
Count on every three to six weeks. Hair grows about one centimetre a month on average, and on a fringe that is exactly enough to shift the shape.
Do curtain bangs suit my face shape?
The advice to pick a fringe by face shape is styling convention rather than an evidence-based rule. What does count is where your hair holds volume, where your crown sits and whether your hair naturally falls forward or to the side.
Do curtain bangs work on curly hair?
Yes, but cut dry and with the curl spring accounted for. A curl can dry considerably shorter, so what appears to sit at eyebrow level when wet lands much higher once dry.
How do you style curtain bangs?
Blow dry them back and outwards with a round brush so they fall away from the centre part. Without that movement they hang straight down and you lose exactly the effect you had them cut for.
Are curtain bangs easy to grow out?
Yes, and that is one reason they are so popular. Because the shortest point already sits at the eyebrows and the rest sweeps out, they merge into the layers around them on their own.
Can I cut curtain bangs myself?
It is the most self-cut fringe and also the most corrected one. The two mistakes are cutting wet and cutting straight across in one line, and both are hard to repair afterwards.
What does a curtain bang cut cost?
With Hanna Valiullina a fringe is part of a haircut, where a women cut starts at twenty five euro. A fringe-only trim is possible too, and that is agreed beforehand.
The essentials
Curtain bangs are a centre-parted fringe sweeping out towards the cheekbones, and that is really all you need to know to ask for them. That diagonal line makes this take on bangs more forgiving than a blunt fringe.
They are cut dry, in small vertical snips, from a triangular section taken at the crown. Cutting wet is the most common mistake.
Count on a trim every three to six weeks and a minute of blow drying each morning. In return they grow out into your layers almost effortlessly.