If you’ve found yourself lusting over photos of Sabrina Carpenter’s bouncy hair and voluminous bangs, you’re far from alone. Her bangs dare I say, defy gravity, while most fringes end up falling flat. What’s the secret to infusing your bangs with life and volume? We asked our experts for their top tips.
Featured experts
- Giannandrea Marongiu is a celebrity hairstylist
- Paul Labrecque is the creative director, master Stylist and colorist at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa
Get subtle layers
Bouncy bang prep starts in the salon. Creative director, master Stylist and colorist Paul Labrecque says having subtle layers in the bangs will help add volume. He recommends having them point cut by an expert at the salon.
Always start with clean bangs
Labrecque says it’s essential to keep bangs free of any oil at the root if you’re trying to get some lift. If the rest of your hair is clean, he says just quickly washing your bangs will make a huge difference.
Celebrity hairstylist Giannandrea Marongiu also recommends starting with wet hair then slightly blow drying the bang about 50 percent by simply blowing hot air from side to side before applying products and taking the next steps.
Use a volumizing product
“A great root lifter like my Paul Labrecque Volume Style Spray ($28), which includes hops to help each strand swell up, will help your bangs have an extra lift and look as full and lush as possible,” says Labrecque.
Marongiu recommends a mild, lightweight volumizing spray that works with your hair type. He prefers Esla Italy Volume Supreme Elixir ($34) and Nouvelle Volume Root Spray.
Go slow
Once you’ve applied your volumizing product of choice, Marongiou directs you to wrap the hair around a mid-sized round brush and “blow dry the section very, very slowly with the blow dryer set at mid-speed and heat upwards toward the front.” He notes that this step requires gentle action and should be repeated until the bangs are dry. Marongiou adds that you could also use a diffuser for this step.
Use a Velcro roller
When the bangs are freshly blow-dried, wrap hair with a mid-size Velcro roller without a clip, instructs Marongiou. “Make sure all the ends are smooth inside the roller.” Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then remove the roller and adjust the shape to your liking. If you have layered bangs, he recommends the same technique but with three rollers.
