To the left is a photo of me from awhile ago with bangs. I think that was my best 'bangs day' ever (but not the best photo, sorry), all the rest sucked! My hair grows pretty fast, but growing out bangs can be torturous. I had them for soooo much longer then I wanted because I couldn't let them grow, they were too annoying so I'd end up trimming them again. Finally I started trimming them asymmetrical so they would grow into side swept bangs, which worked AFTER a long growing out period that made me look like I had a mullet. If any of you have gone through this, read on.
Despite all of that, I still get the itch to cut them, but DO NOT allow myself to. So I found a fun alternative that I'm going to share with you...clip-on faux bangs! I know, I know it sounds hokey...my boyfriend thought it was a lame idea and it was going to look horrible. Well...he was oh so wrong!!! If you buy the right products and (if you aren't a stylist) get the right person to trim them for you, they look fantastic!!!
I purchased The Bang Thing by The Sassy Collection at Sally Beauty Supply for like $25. They come in a bunch of colors and are made of human hair, so you can wash them and flat iron them or whatever you want. I found other brands online (Jessica Simpson, Easi Bangs, & Hairdo), so there are more out there, but I could only find the Sassy ones.
This is the photo I took of my package. I was going to shoot before and after shots of me without and with bangs, but my camera battery died before I could. I'll post some some other time.
This is what the original product looks like (click to view larger). When you flip it over you see the 3 clips to attach to to your hair. This lady is obviously using it as is and to the side, but I chose to wear it in front and to trim them up quite a bit. The link below has a little more info on clip-on bangs. http://hairextensions.com/clip_in_bangs.html
Below are photos of (model/makeup artist) Micheline Pitt with her clip-in bangs. Look how fantastic and real they look! If you want to try the bangs and are having trouble figuring them out, you can find quite a few tutorials on http://www.youtube.com/