Edgy

If you flirt with the idea with bangs every fall, but the style always feels like too much of a commitment, “torn bangs” might be your solution.

Curtain bangs have stuck around through multiple trend cycles, but those who have tried them out know that’s not typical to wake up feeling like a stage-ready Sabrina Carpenter. Thankfully, now there’s a variation that’s meant to work with a little bedhead.

Torn bangs have an answer to every anti-bang argument. They’re light and versatile, easy to style (and just as easy to skip styling), and designed to be as “out of your way” as a hairstyle in the bang realm can be. Best yet, they might even eliminate some contouring from your morning makeup routine. This style has face-framing superpowers, and is known to make your eyes and cheekbones pop.

What are torn bangs?

Torn bangs are often less about the cut, and more about how you shape and place your hair. The look involves a long fringe with an organic central parting. While curtain bangs are often carefully trimmed, tapered, and feathered out—and can take a lot of daily fuss to create that sleek, swooping look—torn bangs are low maintenance by design. The idea is that you’ve split your fringe down the middle on the go, rather than carefully sculpting out your face-framing pieces.

The trend is textbook boho-chic, and looks best when it’s a bit tousled. Slightly turning out the ends of your bangs—following the natural shape that your front layers would dry in if you tucked them behind your ears while damp—helps to accentuate the style.

Are torn bangs right for me?

Like curtain bangs, torn bangs are loved for their face-framing potential. It can be tricky to tell which type of bangs will work best with your face shape, but torn bangs are universally flattering. By nature, the hairstyle sculpts around the natural contours of your face and draws attention to the eyes. When you’re at the salon, make sure to ask your stylist to thin out the ends of your bangs and trim the longest pieces to just beneath your cheekbones.

If you typically opt for more textured, undone hairstyles, torn bangs will fit right into your routine. They might take a little mussing and shaping in the morning, but they’re nowhere near as demanding as sleek, blunt forehead bangs. Because they’re meant to add movement to your hair, they also work great with wavy and even curly textures.