Korean Air Bangs Are the Low-Maintenance Way to Try Bangs

What Are Air Bangs?

Air bangs are extremely piece-y strands of hair that rest somewhere between your eyebrows and eyelashes. Also known as Korean air bangs or see-through bangs, they’re a more delicate and understated way to embrace fringe, especially if you’re hesitant to commit to a more drastic cut. These wisps allow most of your forehead to peek through, and unlike thicker bangs, they won’t completely cloud your vision if they fall past your eyes.

“Think ‘straight across bangs,’ but a lot more wispy and thin—that’s how you should describe it to your stylist,” says Bias. “Korean air bangs have been popular for years, maybe even decades in Korea, and it’s exciting to see them make their way to the mainstream American market.”

What is the difference between air bangs and curtain bangs?

While both air bangs and curtain bangs are less dramatic versions of the full-on blunt bang, there are some key differences between the two styles. Korean bangs are wispy and light, gently grazing your forehead to create a soft and, well, airy look. They also tend to be the same length across your forehead. Curtain bangs, on the other hand, are a chunkier type of bang designed to mimic the flow of drapery—parted down the middle and softly swept to the sides to frame your face. These bangs are typically shorter in the center and gradually lengthen toward the edges, seamlessly blending into the rest of your hairstyle.

Good hair day by @beautyy.by.soph

Are Air Bangs High Maintenance?

Since air bangs can be a slightly longer style of bang, you’ll want to stick to a strict hair trim schedule; doing so can help keep them fresh and stop them from reaching the point where they blend in with the rest of your haircut. Bias recommends trimming your see-through bangs about once every four weeks to maintain their shape.

If you can’t make it to the salon, be sure to manage split ends between appointments to prevent your bangs from looking unkempt. The easiest way to do this is by revamping your haircare routine with a system formulated to repair frayed ends. Our pick is Redken’s Acidic Bonding Concentrate. Using the line’s Intensive Treatment can reduce breakage by 63 percent when paired with the range’s coordinating shampoo and conditioner. You can also reach for a leave-in treatment like Redken’s Extreme Anti Snap Leave In Treatment to help fortify and smooth the hair’s cuticle, minimizing split ends.

Good hair day by @teppei_kuwabara

Are Air Bangs Good for Round Faces?

The great thing about Korean air bangs is that the highly customizable style can suit a variety of face shapes. However, this is not a look to DIY at home—we always recommend visiting a professional to help tailor the look to your unique face shape. For example, when cut long enough, the feathery layers can draw the eye down to help flatter a round face. You can also ask your stylist to cut your bangs to a length that will accentuate your favorite features, like your eyes or cheekbones. Either way, it’s hard to go wrong when you have a pro handling your air bang transformation.

Good hair day by @creativesbycorina

How Do You Get Air Bangs To Stay Up?

Thanks to their fine, wispy structure, Korean air bangs are predisposed to falling flat against the forehead (that’s especially true for those with straighter hair types). Luckily, the right hair products and styling tricks can keep them voluminously propped up.

One of our go-to ways to infuse volume into air bangs is setting them with hair rollers, then running a comb through them and locking them into place with hairspray. We’re partial to Pureology’s Soft Finish Flexible Hold Hairspray, which offers flexible hold, touchable softness, and tons of shine. Plus, it’s layerable, meaning you can spritz on multiple coats without making your strands feel rigid or brittle.

If you’re looking to achieve a more separated appearance with your Korean bangs, reach for a paste such as Redken’s Pliable Paste. This lightweight formula is ideal for shaping and molding your bangs into your desired style while adding texture and grip.

Finally, dry shampoo can add extra texture to your hair, pumping up your bangs so they don’t deflate. “If you do get Korean air bangs, your hair might feel like it gets greasy faster because there is less hair for the oil from your scalp to travel down,” says Bias. “Dry shampoo will be your new best friend.”

15 Ways to Try Korean Air Bangs

Whether you’re going for a soft, feminine vibe or something bolder, we’ve rounded up 15 stunning looks to inspire your next cut, color, or styling session.

Good hair day by @_akihiroueno_

Air Bangs With Long Wolf Cut

“[Air bangs] look best with layers and updos,” notes Bias. “If your hair is too thick, it can look unbalanced without layers.”

The wolf cut is a perfect companion for wispy bangs. A cross between a shag and mullet, this cut features short, choppy layers around the face and lots of texture to enhance the piece-y bangs.

Good hair day by @glamourbycee

Super Thin and Wispy Air Bangs

Go extra subtle and ask your stylist to snip ultra-fine wisps into your next cut. These see-through bangs add lightness to your haircut and are a breeze to style.

Good hair day by @myhairgarage

Copper Air Bangs

Pair your wispy bangs with cowgirl copper—one of the trendiest red hair colors—for an unforgettable result. Red hair is known to fade faster than other shades, but you can keep your fiery hue vibrant with an at-home gloss like Pureology’s Top Coat + Tone Copper.

Good hair day by @hairbycarafeder

Air Bangs and Choppy Bob

For those with straight, fine hair, a choppy bob with air bangs can give your mane natural movement so it appears thicker and fuller. We recommend completing your styling routine with a texturizing formula for added volume and grip. Our pick is Matrix’s Builder Wax Spray, which combines the ease of a hairspray with the control and texture of a hair wax.

Good hair day by @artistrybycarah

Air Bangs With Frace-Framing Layers

As Bias mentioned above, Korean air bangs and face-framing layers are a match made in hair heaven. A pro stylist will use your facial shape as a guide for the length of your angles.

Good hair day by @athenawisecup

Messy Updo With Air Bangs

One of the best things about Korean air bangs is how they frame your features, even when the rest of your hair is pulled up. If you don’t already have a few claw clips in your styling arsenal, now’s a good time to stock up so you can nail a messy updo in a pinch.

Good hair day by @mo__beautii

Curly Air Bangs With Pink Color Block

This style has it all: Bouncy curls, wispy bangs, and a punchy pink color block. Pick up Mizani’s True Textures Curl Define Pudding to define your ringlets and keep your curly wisps intact.

Good hair day by @beautyby.mirandaa

Air Bangs With Flipped Ends

For a fluffy look reminiscent of 1970s hairstyles, flip the ends of your hair to and fro using a flat iron or, for a healthier approach, the L’Oréal Professionnel Steampod. Learn more in our guide, How to Style Flipped Out Ends Like a Pro.

Good hair day by @taylorjeanaehair

Skunk Stripe Air Bangs

Make your wispy bangs the star of the show by turning the front sections of your hair into bright ’skunk stripes.’ You’ll likely need to bleach your strands to achieve this level of contrast, so we suggest air-drying your hair as much as possible to avoid damage and overprocessing.

Good hair day by @glamcatt

Air Bangs With Voluminous Blowout

Prevent your delicate bangs (and your hair) from falling flat with a little help from Redken’s Full Volume Mousse. This conditioning hair mousse volumizes from root to tip using polymers for added lift and body. For runway-worthy volume, work the mousse through damp hair before going in with a blow dryer and round brush.

Good hair day by @strandsby.christineshanae

Air Bangs With Beach Waves

We live the juxtaposition of opposing hair textures, so go ahead and complement your straight bangs with beachy S-waves. If you’ve yet to try this hair-waving technique, let this S-wave tutorial from hairstylist Shelley Gregory guide you.

Good hair day by @urbanhairtistry

Angled Air Bangs

Calling anyone who can’t commit to touch-up appointments: Have your stylist blend your air bangs into your haircut at an angle for a more seamless grow-out.

When growing out your bangs, you’ll want to ensure your hair can healthily reach its goal length. We suggest adding a repairing hair mask into your routine, like Biolage Professional’s Strength Recovery Deep Treatment Pack.

Good hair day by @jocelync.beauty

Side-Parted Air Bangs

Fear not if you’re dealing with overgrown air bangs—you can easily part and style them like curtain bangs to keep the hair from falling into your eyes. A hair wax or paste will be your best bet to hold them in place.

Good hair day by @thebangsbabe

Air Bangs With Choppy Lob

Blunt haircuts with bangs will never go out of style (have you really lived if you haven’t tried a French bob?). However, if you want to experiment with a more undone combo, swap your careful cut for wispy bangs and a lob (aka long bob) with choppy ends.

Good hair day by @kaciedoeshair_

Air Bangs With Berry Balayage

From strawberry blonde to cherry cola, brightly-colored fruits often inspire our hair color ideas. Right now, we want to take a bite out of this berry-inspired balayage. We love the contrast between brunette Korean bangs and dark berry ends, the latter of which slightly edges into fantasy color territory without going overboard.

Next Up: The Best Bangs for Your Face Shape, According to a Pro

Ready to try Korean air bangs? Use our salon locator to book an appointment with a stylist near you. Then, discover more haircare advice with our Hair Quiz.

Header photo credits (left to right): @beautyy.by.soph and @teppei_kuwabara