19 March 2024

All you Need to Know about the Fringe

It can be flirtatious, bold, and full of personality. Every fringe has its own identity: its rules, its trends, its icons. It is reinvented every season and shows its myriad faces with just one objective: letting every woman find the one that suits her best.

We fall in love over and over again. There’s not doubt about it. But we have to understand the complexity, so that it does not become a serious fashion faux-pas. We talked with Gonzalo Zarauza, director of the Centro Beta in San Sebastián and an expert image consultant.

What role can a fringe play in a woman’s look?
The fringe is one of the hairdressing elements that has the strongest impact on the face, because it grows around the forehead and can cover it totally or partially. It has always been around and went from being an exclusive privilege of its experts to transform it from one day to the next, to a dominant trend on catwalks, on the blogs of leading influencers and even on red carpets where the most-followed celebs and their look-alikes flaunt their own sparkling looks.

But how many types of fringe are there?
When we talk about fringes we must take into account at least five aspects: the form, the volume, the length, the colour, and the direction. The different combinations of these parameters result in an incredible variety of fringes. Of these aspects, the length and the form are the most important. Long fringes shorten the face and, on the contrary, short or open ones lengthen it. On the other hand, the form of the base line of the fringe can be straight, curved, broken, or asymmetric, etc. And it is precisely the form that usually determines the name of the fringe.

Microfringe: just covers the forehead, beginning at the hairline. It’s perfect on very short pixies, but be careful, as it leaves the forehead totally uncovered and accentuates the form of the face.
Baby bangs: very short and straight, reminiscent of kids’ bangs. Audrey Hepburn made it popular. They can give any look oomph and widens the face. They are best only for fearless women who wish to add an avant-garde touch to their style.
Curtain fringe: opens  from the centre to the sides. The effect recalls that of curtains, hence the name. Very portable and versatile. This year they are very in vogue, but it is always one of the iconic fringes, absolutely timeless.
Lateral and asymmetric: the difference between the two is that the side one is cut symmetrically and is worn combed to one side. On the contrary, asymmetric fringes are cut at different lengths. Both widen the face and give a rakish look.

What type of fringe goes well with an almost oval face?
It’s difficult to generalize to the point of attributing a fringe to every type of oval, because there are other factors that influence the form of the face even more. The size of the nostrils or the forehead, for example, but also the eyes must be taken into consideration.

There are no fixed rules, but rather infallible combinations. If the face is round, or has curved lines in its elements, like round eyes or plump lips, it is better to opt for a straight or broken line fringe. On the contrary, if the face is angular or with very regular features, it’s better to opt for a curved or asymmetric fringe. And then there is an important nose, which requires a voluminous fringe.

In which cases do you recommend a fringe and when is it best to avoid one?
Using a fringe or not goes beyond fashion and is closely linked to the self-confidence that a client has of her own image. There are people who never want to show their forehead, even when the proportions are perfect. In these cases, the fringe become a very important detail.

We can definitely confirm that there is a fringe for every style. However, when the hairline of the forehead has many cowlicks or swirls, a very refined and clean-cut fringe won’t work well. This means that a short fringe would be perfect for a few minutes after styling in a salon, but then – in a very short time – the swirl will take over and misshapen it.

Here are the strong points of the fringe:
It can correct the shape of the face and can minimize or emphasize some features (nostrils, eyes, etc.).
Renews the look and updates a style without having to resort to drastic cuts.
It can make a client look younger and adds brio to personal style. It has a such an impact that, if there is movement and indefinite lines, it can soften wrinkles  and even draw attention away from imperfections or scars on the face. 
It emphasizes the eyes. A fringe has the power to exalt the eyes and attract the everyone’s glance towards them. If the eyebrows are covered completely it tends to make the eyes deeper; if instead it rests on or stops just above the eyebrows, it emphasises the glance.
It can counteract the form of the forehead and nose. A voluminous and slightly ragged fringe helps to minimize larger noses, but attention must be paid as if the fringe is too full it may have the opposite effect.

For this and other enhancements, we can say that the fringe can work magic for a face.

What type of care does a fringe require?
It depends on the type and above all on its length. Longer fringes are more long-lived, but for long fringes growth is quicker and can require more frequent salon visits.

Discover a gallery below with 12 different fringes to choose from!

Photos: Getty Images

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Subscribe to Estetica's official newsletter and receive all the latest news and information from the world of hairdressing - no charge, spam free!

Search