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How To Grow Out Bangs Without the Weird Phase

So you’ve decided to grow out your bangs, but you’re having nightmares about that crazy in-between phase. You know the one I mean — when your bangs hairstyle is only halfway grown out and you have no clue how to style it.

Ah yes, been there.

But, luckily there are a few great ways that you can style your hair to ease into growing it longer. In fact, there are enough ways to style it that you can mix it up everyday. Now do you feel better? Okay, let’s get to the nitty gritty on how to style growing out bangs.

How to style growing out bangs 4 ways

1. Side swoop

If it’s good enough for Beyoncé, it’s good enough for us. After tiring of her bangs, which were in a short crop, she says she just used the side swoop to grown them out. Easy enough, right?

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It might take a few weeks to master it perfectly, but start with a small fine-toothed comb and pull your hair to one side. Right at the root where you pull it, spritz some hairspray to force it to stay to one side. You might need to use a bobby pin until it’s long enough to tuck behind your ear.

2. Half up/half down

We love the way hair looks half-up, half-down. When done correctly, it makes hair look so healthy and full of volume. This is a great way to style bangs that are not quite grown out, too.

It just takes a can of hairspray and a few bobby pins. First, blow-dry your hair, focusing on rolling your bangs to the back with a round brush as you would do with the rest of your hair (as opposed to rolling them forward to style them as traditional bangs). Then, put your hair half-up, half-down.

You should have little wisps of hair that don’t quite fit into your barrette or hair tie in the back. For those, loosely tuck in the longer ones with a bobby pin and just spray the shorter ones back. You should get a nice, relaxed look that isn’t too tight or hard to maintain.

3. Middle part

A middle part was super trendy last year and is a great way to help your bangs blend in with the rest of your hair.

Just take the front part of your hair and split it right down the middle. Twist each section back just a bit and secure with a large bobby pin. Leave the rest of your hair long and gorgeous, and no one will know you’ve got bangs at an odd length.

4. Bump It

What can we say, we love a good bump. It’s such a fun, retro style that can easily be modernized. Of course, it’s also a great way to sneak in some awesome style when growing out your bangs.

Just pull your bangs back, spritz them with hairspray, give them a little bump or slight wave, and pin them back. As your hair grows, the bump will eventually get larger and will only look better with time.

Growing out bangs FAQs

I’ve grown out bangs more times than I can count. I’m actually growing them out right now (2020) — after being unable to get to the salon for two months, I figured I could just let them keep growing. As of September, they’re almost just long enough to tuck behind my ear, which basically means I’m home free. But being in the midst of the process inspired me to update this post with a few FAQs about how to grow out bangs. Here are the questions I get most often!

1. How long does it take to grow out bangs?

Depending on how long the rest of your hair is, it could take 10 to 12 months or longer to grow out your bangs. If you had short, blunt bangs, the hardest part will be months two through six, when your hair isn’t long enough to tuck behind the ear.

2. What is the best way to grow out bangs?

A stylist can help you blend them into side bangs first, then layers around your face. Personally, I just let mine grow out without getting them cut at all. Keep chic hair pins, headbands, and hats on hand for the days when those bangs just won’t lay down.

3. What else can I do to help my bangs grow out faster?

Hair is fragile, and it gets more fragile after 40. Take care of yourself and you take care of your hair, too. Eat healthful foods, take your vitamins, and stay hydrated. Manage your stress with exercise and meditation.

4. Is it harder to grow out bangs after 40?

Catherine Brock with bangs partially grown out
Here, my bangs fall right at my cheekbone. I have fine hair, so I can push it over to the side.

In my experience, no. It’s not harder to grow out bangs after 40. My bangs definitely appear to grow slower than other sections of my hair, but it’s always been that way. (I make that statement based on my color line, which shows me exactly how much my hair has grown. Incidentally, I’m also growing out my hair color at the moment, which possibly has made me more patient about my bangs.)