On bangs

I'm starting to believe that committing to a "30 for 30" list almost forces the hand on things you've been wanting to do for ages. 

Like cutting bangs, #4 on the list.

I haven't had bangs since... um... ah... 1993? Maybe '94? In other words, a very long time. But, I've been coveting bangs for at least three years now, when we went on a trip to Asia and I saw all the cute Asian girls metro-ing around with their blunt bangs and choppy layers. Oh, how I envied them!

For the whole of my childhood, I had the stereotypical straight-cut bangs that all little Chinese girls have. My mom used to cut my hair every month with these extra sharp scissors, the cold steel of the metal clipping away against my forehead. It wasn't until I was a teenager that I finally asked to grow them out. And then it took months of hair-spraying the uneven lengths into what I hoped was a semi-fashionable "bang lift" and wearing those stiff, wide velvet headbands that pinched the sides of your head which were so popular back in the 90s. After years bang-less, it's tough to find the cojones to just chop it all off. 

I used to think that bangs would make me look even younger than I already do, which 1) does not bode well if you want to be taken seriously in the workplace, something for which the better majority of my 20s I had to combat (and still do), and 2) might make The Fella look like he was robbing the cradle. 

I'm also really cheap about getting my hair cut. My $13 walk-in typically works out A-OK because the most daring thing I'll ever do might be soft layers around the face and a straight trim in the back. It's not rocket science. I also fear bangs would draw even more attention to my big face, big cheeks. And what if the final result makes me instead look like a young boy with shaggy hair? Let's face it, this could be a very real possibility when you go to a Supercuts looking for an $80 cut.

But lately I've been doing a little cyber-stalking and searching for pix of bangs on Asian girls who have similarly shaped faces and hair type. I found a handful of cute examples like here! Since they look good in bangs (and don't all Asians look alike, pffffffffff), why can't I rock them, too? 

I'm about to turn 30. And I'm trying to convince myself that it's only hair. It'll grow out again, right? At least the headbands of today have gotten way more stylish and skinny.