Bangs Are Getting Bolder in 2026
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We spent 2025 seeking quiet comfort because *gestures at everything.* Trends were easy, low-key, and minimalist. But this year it’s time to turn up the volume again. The bang trends of 2026 are a foray into a bolder, more confident year.
You’ll see some familiar looks here, like the curly fringe and curtain bangs, but it’s as if they woke up in 2026, downed a quad latte, and are ready to fight the power. The curly fringe is full, and so bouncy it’s practically daring you to challenge it to a dance off. Curtain bangs are hyper-customized to suit your face, not just to blend in. And you’ll see some unapologetically dramatic and sexy new trends—we’re talking sleek bowl-cut bangs, cool-girl wispy bangs, and cheeky microbangs.
We asked the experts which bang styles they predict they’ll be cutting in 2026, which could be our loudest, most confident year yet.
Airy curly fringe
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Thelma and Louise both had versions of this tousled look when they set out for a girls’ weekend. That should say all you need to know. A bouncy, airy, curly fringe is one part flirty, three parts power move. Sure, her hair catches the light in a romantic way, but don’t let that fool you into thinking you can rob her blind.
“While curly bangs are visually stunning, they’re [also] a great way of embracing natural texture,” says Devin Graciano, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist. Rogerio Cavalcante, a New York-based hairstylist, recommends asking for curly bangs to be cut for your natural curl pattern, “shaped or trimmed dry so we can see how they fall—avoid cutting them too short when wet.”
Bowl bangs
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In 2026, we’re reclaiming the bowl cut. No longer the goofy crop you get from your mom with a pair of kitchen scissors over a mixing bowl, bowl bangs are sleek and modern—think full, blunt bangs cut in a Michelin-starred kitchen. (No real kitchens or bowls, we promise.) Look to Lady Gaga’s recent Mayhem-era style or the Thom Browne spring runway for inspo.
Suzette Boozer, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist, notes that while these bangs are best for straight-hair types, textured or curly hair can also pull off this look, just with a different effect: “It doesn’t read as a true bowl cut. Instead, it gives a softly tapered side and a higher, rounded, layered curl pattern,” like an ’80s shag.
Micro bangs
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These cheeky micro bangs topped our experts’ predictions for 2026. Throw a dart, and you’re bound to hit a celebrity wearing this Audrey Hepburn-esque fringe (don’t actually throw darts at people). Zoë Kravitz, Kristen Stewart, Lily Allen, and Quinta Brunson have all had their bangs chopped above mid-forehead. “The overall effect is light, airy, and almost fairy-like,” says Casper Baggette, a New York City-based hairstylist.
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“Micro bangs can be applied to so many different classic hair styles, lengths, and textures to add a cool-girl vibe to your preferred hair length,” adds Graciano. “But one thing to keep in mind with micro bangs is that you will need to commit to frequent trims and styling to keep the style looking sharp.”
Curtain bangs
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In 2026, curtain bangs are not a one-cut-fits-all shape anymore. Instead, they’re like custom architecture—a dream home of your making vs. a builder-grade condo—cut to suit your unique face shape, hair color, and vibe. If you want more of a romantic cottage in the countryside, cut pieces at eye length and tousle, à la Imogen Poots. If a London townhouse is more your speed, you’ll want them classically soft and orderly, like Daisy Edgar-Jones’s fringe. And if a glam, mid-century ranch is where you’re at for 2026, think longer, deeper swoops, like Sabrina Carpenter’s.
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Though curtain bangs are highly customized, rest assured that they’re suitable for just about anyone. The look “works beautifully on straight- and wavy-hair types, and on anyone who wants more lift and bounce in the front,” says Katie Brenner, a Denver-based hairstylist.
If you’ve never ventured into wearing bangs, this is a great first step. “Start long,” advises Stephanie Angelone, New York City-based hairstylist. “If you love it, you can always go shorter.”
Wispy bangs
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There was a time (the ’80s) when nary a school prom happened without a feathery, wispy bang. But in 2026, the wispy bang is no longer cutesy and best paired with a pink taffeta gown; it’s sexy, grown up, and refined. It’s noncommittal in a cool “I don’t need anyone but myself” kind of way. Not really a whisper, but a snarled “Be careful, I bite.”
Cavalcante recommends this cut to anyone with fine-to-medium hair, so the bangs stay light and airy. But those with coily hair can also snip a few singular curls and separate them with their fingers to get the same laissez-faire, unbothered look.
Meet the experts:
- Stephanie Angelone is a hairstylist based at RPZL salon in New York City.
- Casper Baggette is a hairstylist based at Salon SCK in New York City.
- Suzette Boozer is a Los Angeles-based hairstylist and curly-hair expert for Dippity-Do.
- Katie Brenner is a Denver-based hairstylist and global artistic director for Oli G.
- Rogerio Cavalcante is a hairstylist, founder of Brazil Edition hair care, and owner of The Second Floor Salon in New York City.
- Devin Graciano is a Los Angeles-based hairstylist and CEO of Goldie Locks.