Little Girls. Bangs or One Length.

Updated on July 14, 2011
A.K. asks from Kingwood, TX
28 answers

My husband wants me to grow my daughters bangs out. they are now about mid eye length. She is 3 years old, and doesn't like to have it clipped back, so mostly it is in her eyes, and looks awful.
I am about ready to chop it off again, but hubby really wants me not to (frankly I wish he wouldn't get so involved!)
So should I wait it out until it can all go in a ponytail, or chop it into bangs.

What can I do next?

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K.P.

answers from Austin on

I don't understand why this is a power struggle with Dad. There are some mothers who would give anything for their children's father to have an opinion or input into their children.

If it is almost grown out, let it continue to grow out and sweep it into a ponytail on top of her head.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.P.

answers from New York on

Grow them out and then let dad be in charge of getting them out of her face each day! In the long run, long bangs are going to be easier for her- pony tail, headbands, tuck behind the ear- whatever she likes, but at this age those clips slip out so easily that the bangs are much easier!

1 mom found this helpful
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M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

My daughter and I have struggled with the same issue. After years of having bangs, we are finally growing them out. It is a pain and hard to maintain but it can be done. My suggestion to you is gel or mousse. After you wash her hair, style it in a way that the bangs will be out of the way when they dry. No, this won't work perfectly but it does work enough to keep the bangs some what manageable. Brush them back or to the side while wet with the gel/mousse, then at least they wont be so much in her eyes until they get longer.

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C.D.

answers from Corpus Christi on

I think that a husband, being involved and having an opinion about his daughter's appearance, is a wonderful and amazing thing in our society today. How many things does he get an opinion on in her life? Before long she will be doing her own thing, despite what either of you want, so why not give him this one small thing while she is still little.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

She's 3 and you're the mom. Sorry dad. But you get to pick because you are the one who has to deal with it. When she gets older, even 5, she can grow her bangs out.
I wanted my 2 yo boy to keep his curls, he was so adorable. But hubby was the one with the clippers, hubby made the call, the curls went away. Hubby still cuts my boy's hair. To me this was just a non arguement, as is what happens with the girls' hair for him.

2 moms found this helpful
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C.B.

answers from Austin on

My girls and I had long straight hair and alternated between bangs and growing out. One person mentioned not liking long straight bangs on anyone, but that was the only way our hair worked! Sideswept just fell forward again. My granddaughter has very curly hair and has bangs. It is so much personal choice and dependent on the texture of your hair. Since your husband has an opinion, which is great, get him to help with the transitional headbands, barrettes, clips, pony holders, and see how that works. Be glad he's interested and involved with his little girl!

1 mom found this helpful

M.B.

answers from Beaumont on

Part it on one side and pull that part up into a bam bam (Flintstones) style pony tail on top of her head with a small rubber band and do it everyday. The rest of the hair falls naturally. Tell her she has to do this to keep it our of her eyes. If you are calm and consistent she will take it in stride. This is not as hard to pull out and they figure out that they actually like it being off their face. It will then grow out without being an issue. I know it is hard now but your hubby is probably right, it does end up looking better when they do not have bangs.

1 mom found this helpful

L.M.

answers from Kansas City on

you could get her a pretty girly headband with tinkerbel or flowers and push the bangs back out of her face. I think it would look pretty.

If I had a gir I would grow out her bangs so it is easier to manage. Tie it up with the pony and secure with bobby pins, or braid it into a french braid.

she sounds cute.

1 mom found this helpful

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

My daughter had bangs until almost age 5, we started growing them out then. It's a pain to grow them out!
I think either way - bangs are cute on little girls. If she doesn't like them clipped back, that will be a huge problem while growing out - otherwise they will be hanging all over her face all the time - can't stand that. Maybe instead of clips just pull them up into a little spike pony tail on top of her head - much cuter at 3 than at 6!!!

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

i would ask your husband what it was about her bangs that he did not care for. it might just be the cut/style. like too thick of a bang, too thin, to straight across. it could be that she looks different with bangs.

N.G.

answers from Dallas on

While she's so little and you are having to maintain it, cut them. When she is older she can make the decision to either grow them out or keep the bangs.

M.M.

answers from Tampa on

I tried growing out my daughter's bangs... took forever and it was always in her face and eyes. I just cut her bangs back - after letting them grow out since March... and her and I are MUCH happier!!

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B.K.

answers from St. Louis on

If she doesnt like hair clips try head bands. My daughter is 5 and she insisted on getting bangs, now we are in the process of growing them out again. Let her pick out a couple herself and she'll be more likely to use them. My daughter loves wearing head bands and they are great for keeping the hair out of their eyes.

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J.R.

answers from Davenport on

Use a stretchy cloth headband to hold them back, or a couple bobby pins, crossed in an X - I would personally grow them out, but that is just my own and my daughter's preference.

R.D.

answers from Richmond on

At 3, I'd cut her bangs. My middle child has great hair, and when she was 3, I cut her bangs short. She wasn't mature enough to keep a clip in to get the hair out of her face (the preK teachers used to joke that I should go into the sandbox with a metal detector to recover all the lost hair clips, LOL!) Now she's almost 6, and I let her grow her bangs out. Her hair is styled (she's a weird kid, I love long hair, she hates it)... It's super short in the back (like hits the back of her neck, not crazy Kate Gosslin hair), then gets longer in the front along her jawline. She looks so grown up and she LOVE LOVE LOVES IT! But again, now she's old enough to clip it back herself. I'd hold off on growing the bangs out... just speaking from experience :)

S.J.

answers from St. Louis on

It is really hard to say without seeing her, but I say at 3 years of age, do what is easiest for you. They look sweet with bangs at that age, but daddies like to have a say in their little girl's hair too! You should be happy he is an involved father - better than the alternative. As she gets older, she can choose what she wants. I dislike bangs on adults for the most part, but again, it is what looks best on her. I like my daughter's hair all one length (now 7). It is much easier to manage!

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B.P.

answers from New York on

I don't have a daughter, so this is really just a looks based answer. I don't like bangs on little girls cut straight across the forehead. If they are sideswept or somehow styled it looks good but not the blunt cut, especially as it grows. I am not a fan of blunt cut bangs for anyone honestly and I am constantly sweeping my son's hair to the side or using a little hairspray. Don't mean to offend anymore, but kids look "smarter" to me when the hair is off the forehead and away from the eyes. Yes, use a barrett and grow it out.

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H.P.

answers from New York on

My daughter had bangs until we started growing them out around her 5th birthday. She was much more compliant to having them clipped back. I love the way her hair looks now at almost 6 with her hair all one length.

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

That's a hard one. Bangs growing out do look awful, no matter how you manage it. But growing is what healthy hair does.

Sometimes toddlers are easier than husbands to manage on this score. What about if she were able to pick out little clips and headbands to hold her bangs back? Try the Dollar Store, because they'll get lost eventually. :^)

My DIL lets her daughters decide about bangs as long as they can keep their hair looking halfway decent, and sometimes a few self-chosen doodads help when there's a hair transition going on.

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G.G.

answers from Austin on

If your husband wants to give it a try, grow them out. Just make it a point to pull her bangs back with a clip every single day. I have to do this with my daughter; it's habit. She is also 3 and has "big" hair that is always in her face. She's never seen without a bow pulling it back. You can also pull the bangs (and a little more of her hair) up in a tiny pony tail on the top of her head (closer to the forehead). Then, split the hair right under the pony tail in half (you might have to loosen the band up a little to do this and get under there). Then, take the pony and tuck it through the hole towards the back of her head. It will look so cute! Hope this makes sense. That will get you by for a couple of months. If her bangs aren't even long enough to do this, pull it to the side with a clip for a month and then try this. Her hair will stay back all day long. My girlfriend used to keep her daughter's hair like this 24/7 because it was always in her face, even in her sleep. It eventually grew out and was fine.

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C.T.

answers from Houston on

My daughter has the straightest hair and it goes forward. When she was a little girl her hairdresser would cut her hair with bangs. She looked like Dora The Explorer. When she turned 2, her hairdresser told me that she would like to grow her bangs out. She said that her haircut before was for a little girl but she is getting to be older so she suggested to grow them out. I followed her advice. We cut them one more time for Halloween so she could be Dora and grew them out.

It took a while but I love it. Her hair is always in her face but I do put a clip to hold her bangs back. At first, it was a bit of a fight but I would tell her if she wanted to go play with her friends I needed to put her clip in. My daughter is 3.5 years old. It is just long enough to put in a ponytail but we only do this when we swim. Any other time her hair is down with a clip.

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L.L.

answers from Topeka on

NO let them grow out I chopped off my daughters HUGE mistake they looked even more awful after I did that when she was 2 now they are long & blend in with her hair so much easier to maintain than having bangs that are out of their eyes looks nicer because you can add all that hair into a hair clip or pony tail.I don't like to see my lil gal's hair in their eye's free & natural it urks me because it looks sloppy.I also do the side part when she wnats her hair down & finish it off with a head band,hair clip of some sort.
Take her in for a hair trim & see what can be done to get her hair at a desired length to get it to grow out that way.But she is your daughter do what you want even if you hate it afterwards it'll grow back

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N.H.

answers from Austin on

Why don't you ask your daughter, she may only be 3 but it IS 'her' hair.

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

It depends on the kid. My stepdaughter had no bangs and braids for most of her childhood. My daughter has no bangs because she has curly hair and allows me to pull it back and then wisps fall down to frame her face. SD was told that either we did braids (pony tails, etc) or it had to be cut shorter because it tangled so bad it made her cry when we brushed it out. Her mom cut her hair short when she was 8 and SD has fluctuated between long and shoulder length ever since. As long as she takes care of it, it's her hair.

I would take her to the store and have her pick out something - maybe she'll like the control of a headband (they make rubber ones) or she'll like being able to choose which color butterfly she wears that day. You can also ask HER, does SHE want bangs or not? I find that by 3 they have valid opinions and can be quite vocal about them.

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K.U.

answers from Detroit on

My daughter is almost 4 and has really fine, slightly curly hair that tangles like crazy. I keep it trimmed in a bob with bangs because it looks adorable on her and helps it to curl more rather than it looking all straggley. The hair does not stay in clips very easily so if I try clipping any of it back, it does not stay long.

I vote for you doing what you think is best, since you are the one who has to deal with the hair, not hubby. When she's old enough to decide for herself that she wants to grow out the bangs, then she can, if she's more willing to wear clips or a head band to keep it out of her face. My hubby sometimes thinks we should start growing out our daughter's hair, but he's not the one who takes care of it like I do. Friend of us who was divorced had the same issue with her ex - he wanted their daughter's hair to be really long, but wasn't able or willing to take care of it, mom kept it trimmed shorter to be easier to wash and comb.

I agree that it just depends on your daughter, her hair, and what will look best and be the easiest to deal with right now.

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A.L.

answers from Charleston on

Grow it! Can you try a headband - one that is all glittery or with flowers? I like the no bangs look, as I hated bangs when I was little. Good luck!

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

There are tons of styles that take the hair off the face. She is 3 years old. If she is telling you how to fix her hair at this age what is she going to be controlling next year or the next. Hair is a simple thing. You are the adult. She will get used to it being brushed and put to the side with a cute bow or in a tiny pony tail with a ribbon on it. Even a pony tail when it's long enough. Hanging down is much more comfortable for a little one. Pulling the hair to a different angle than what it grows is often uncomfortable to even me.

B.S.

answers from Lansing on

I grew out both of my daughters bangs and have never regretted. A lot less maintenance. Yes it can be a pain when in transition, but for me it was totally worth it. I also suggest pulling the bangs back into a half ponytail. Might help some.

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