The hardest part about having bangs? Keeping them looking as good as they did the day you left the salon.

As someone who had a full fringe as a child, grew out of it temporarily as a teenager, and went back to it as a young adult, the struggles of having bangs have always been about its length and its loyalty. One week, your fringe falls perfectly across your forehead. The next, it’s grazing your eyes, going oily before lunchtime, or sticking up in different directions.

Add Philippine humidity and unpredictable weather, and it turns into a daily battle.

Then comes the temptation to reach for the scissors. A few quick snips in front of the mirror seem harmless enough—until one side ends up shorter than the other, and your full fringe suddenly becomes a pair of accidental microbangs.

A salon trim might be the best way to fix a fringe gone wrong, but it’s not always practical. Between busy schedules, Metro Manila traffic, and the cost of upkeep, so many of us end up trimming at home anyway. 

To learn how to do it without regret and when it’s worth booking a salon appointment instead, Allure Philippines spoke with professional Renz Pangilinan for his tips on keeping bangs looking their best. 

Why do bangs get so oily quickly?  

Your bangs aren’t being dramatic—they’re just picking up oil from two places. According to Pangilinan, these are the scalp, which can oil up like the rest of your hair, and the skin of your forehead, which comes into frequent contact with your fringe. 

Add in a commute and the humidity of Metro Manila, and your fringe is bound to be the first part of your hairstyle to lose its shape. “Ang bilis niyang maging limp,” says Pangilinan. “But it’s normal naman, so it’s just nicer to have fresh bangs.” 

Which bang styles are easiest to maintain?

When asked which bang style is the hardest to maintain, Pangilinan immediately points to micro bangs. “It’s not like it grows faster,” he says, noting that even a small amount of regrowth becomes noticeable because of their short length. “You just see it growing right away, because it’s just right there on your forehead.” 

The easiest styles to live with, he says, are slide-swept bangs and curtain bangs. But his favorite approach is to treat bangs as a progression: “You can do like a whole transition from like micro to curtain to side. Parang it’s nice, no?”

If you have thin, fine hair, Pangilinan also shares a trick to make bangs look fuller. “You can always put a clip-on inside yung sa bangs mo, para mas thick. If you want fuller bangs but you don’t have the hair for it, you can always put clip-on bangs inside.”

Finding the right bangs for your face shape

When asked about his style philosophy, Pangilinan says that bangs are all about framing the face and slimming down the face. He prefers styling bangs that are shorter in the middle but are longer on the sides, creating a softer frame around the temples.

He particularly likes Korean-inspired fringe styles. “They keep the middle short, ‘yung bangs nasa gitna lang. And then it fans out [in a wisp] like that,” he says, describing how the fringe gradually fans outward. 

How to refresh oily bangs without washing all your hair

If it isn’t a hair wash day but your bangs are oily, Pangilinan says you can separate them from the rest of your hair and wash only that section. “You can use a shower cap for the rest of the head, and then labas mo na lang yung bangs po and then clip it there. Para when you shower, sabay na siya sa face. Shampoo, conditioner mo lang ng konti yung bangs para lang ma-refresh siya,” he says. 

Since bangs go limp so quickly, washing just your fringe as needed can help restore freshness without requiring a full hair wash. You can also use dry shampoo to absorb excess oil between washes. Apply sparingly near the roots to avoid product buildup that can weigh the hair down. 

How to trim your bangs at home without regretting it 

Pangilinan doesn’t recommend cutting your own bangs but acknowledges that people do it anyway. “Kung kailangan mo sya, parang it’s better na you trim it slowly, he says.”

Here are Pangilinan’s suggestions on how to trim your bangs at home: 

Section first. Pangilinan says to make a triangle-shaped section for the bangs, then cut the middle section first, followed by the sides.

Angle your scissors instead of cutting straight. Pangilinan suggests angling your scissors upwards and making small, controlled snips rather than cutting straight across your forehead. This technique can create a softer edge and make minor unevenness less noticeable.

Account for how your hair dries. Pangilinan says cutting your hair when wet is much easier to control, but hair can appear shorter once it dries, particularly if it’s naturally wavy or curly. When you trim, leave more length than you think you need and reassess once the hair is completely dry.

Go slowly. If you rush through cutting your fringe, you’re more likely to end up with an uneven result. Pangilinan’s rule: “slowly but surely.” 

The biggest mistake people make when cutting their own bangs 

An impulsive trim might seem like an easy way to refresh your look, but correcting an uneven fringe can be more complicated than expected.

“You can never grow the hair back instantly,” says Pangilinan. “It’s best to go to the salon, where they offer bang-only trims at a lower price, so might as well just go to a professional.” 

How to keep bangs in place despite Philippine humidity

Bangs have their good days and bad days. On good days, they hold shape, frame the face perfectly, and stay put. On bad days, they have a mind of their own, parting in the middle or side with an obvious split. 

Pangilinan especially points out cowlicks, sometimes referred to as puyo in Filipino, which can cause bangs to split or grow in an unwanted direction. Here are his tips for keeping your fringe in place through humid weather and daily commutes: 

Hold their shape with a strong-hold hair spray. “I really like using a strong-hold hair spray,” says Pangilinan. “Especially on the top of the bangs so it doesn’t move.” His rule of thumb is to use the spray sparingly—the stronger the hold, the less you need, so it won’t weigh your fringe down. 

Fix cowlicks while the hair is damp. Since damp hair is easier to reshape it’s best to spritz some water on your bangs before styling them with a blow dryer. “So kunyari, may puyo ka, put a clip when you’re drying it,” says Pangilinan. “Then blow dry your hair in the opposite direction of where your bangs are styled, para magbuo siya and para hindi siya maghati.” 

Keep a hair roller handy. Pangilinan is a big fan of rollers for restoring volume and shape after wearing helmets or hats, particularly during commutes. “Okay nang mukha kang shungas on the way,” he jokes. “Pero pagdating mo ng office, maganda ka.”

Should you get bangs?

“I think everyone should get bangs,” says Pangilinan, noting that it just depends on choosing the right style. He doesn’t think that a specific style fits one hair type and believes that anyone can style their bangs the way they want. 

“I think it just needs to be harmonious with the whole hairstyle,” he points out. For wavy hair, he says a slight wave in your bangs will look more natural. For straight hair, Pangilinan suggests avoiding bang styles that are curly and round. 

He also advises treating bangs as an experiment, just like any other hairstyle. “Feeling ko, at least once in your life, you have to have bangs. Just have fun with your hair. It can always grow back.” 

If you’re nervous about committing to bangs full-time, Pangilinan recommends trying an AI app to see how it would look first or testing clip-on bangs. “The clip-ons I’m talking about aren’t the toppers, as in bangs lang siya, which are much nicer than the toppers.”

Bangs will always have an annoying and awkward regrowth phase—that’s part of the whole commitment to it. But between the shower-cap rinse, wet-hair blow dry, and the rollers, there’s plenty of ways to keep your fringe looking its best from one trim to the next. And then when the urge to snip hits again, remember Pangilinan’s rule: slowly but surely. 

Still, bangs are still one of the easiest ways to change up your look. As Pangilinan puts it, “Have fun with your hair. It can always grow back.” 

Just remember: When the urge to reach for the scissors strikes, sometimes the best beauty decision is knowing when to put them down.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bangs pick up oil from two sources: the scalp, which oils up like the rest of the hair, and the skin of the forehead, which the fringe touches constantly. Hairstylist Renz Pangilinan notes that Metro Manila’s humidity and daily commutes speed up the process further.

Hairstylist Renz Pangilinan says side-swept and curtain bangs are the easiest to live with day-to-day, since regrowth is less noticeable than with micro bangs. Micro bangs are the hardest to maintain because even slight regrowth shows immediately at their short length.

It’s possible but risky. Pangilinan recommends sectioning the bangs into a triangle, cutting the middle first, angling scissors upward instead of straight across, and trimming hair while wet but leaving extra length, since hair appears shorter once dry. His rule: go slowly.

Separate the bangs from the rest of the hair using a shower cap on the back of the head, then shampoo and condition just the fringe while showering. A dry shampoo applied sparingly near the roots between washes also helps absorb excess oil.

Hairstylist Renz Pangilinan recommends a strong-hold hairspray used sparingly at the roots, fixing cowlicks by spritzing bangs with water and blow-drying in the opposite direction while damp, and using a hair roller to restore shape after wearing a helmet or hat.

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