Curtain Bangs - The Blending Game

By: Michelle Ranney

Sensei Shears Director of Education

Curtain Bangs are sweeping across salons due to the versatility of this technique. You can vary the lengths to fit the style your client is going for. This makes it an easy “Yes!” for those usually afraid of taking the plunge into “bangs”. Start your guide lines at or below the chin for more of a framing curtain or use any other facial features; such as the mouth, nose or eyebrows for a more lifted variation. Don’t forget to communicate with your client about their morning routine when settling on what length and style of curtain bangs to cut. These questions include “Do you want to be able to put your hair behind your ears still?” and  “What size(s) of round brushes do you currently have at home?”. Clients aren’t always factoring these elements in when bringing in a picture of a hair style they like. I’ve found these two questions are great conversation starters to make sure its a look that’s going to work for them and they have the tools to have it looking its best each day.

The two of the most important elements of any curtain bang are cutting the hair DRY and using the right shears. You want the hair to be soft and wispy and cutting it wet or too blunt will make them look rigid and heavy. You can save yourself time and headaches by doing it dry the first time and either slide cutting or point cutting away the length rather than cutting it blunt and trying to soften it after the fact. I prefer using a slide cutting shear with its rounded blades to softly point cut in the initial guide line and shape. I do all of my refining and finishing with the Sensei 23 tooth Seamless Blending Shear to further soften them to create the soft wispy ends my clients are looking for. The softness the blending shear creates also gives your clients the versatility to swap their parts anywhere they want and the hair will still lay beautifully because they are no blunt lines to conflict. Don’t confine your clients to only using a middle part! Some clients may want this look but have stubborn parts or hairlines. Curtain Bangs should be a versatile style all it needs is good communication and the right tools.