Hairstyle Makeover: How to Style Curly Hair, Straight Bangs

By Tammy

Another busy mom requests suggestions for a hair makeover! Erin from Salon Hive and My Hairstyling Tools is the expert behind the makeover suggestions!

Cheryl is a busy mom of 2 boys and she spends much of her time at their sporting events, she works two jobs and helps her husband run two businesses! Whew! This mom needs a day at the salon all to herself!

What Cheryl says:

“I have a round full face and naturally curly hair. I do not like my hair short or bob length as the curl intensifies as it gets shorter and lighter it tends to do a bushy triangle thing. It is currently long-middle of my back-it is in good health as I am obsessed with conditioner. I had it cut short about three years ago in a medium bob-shorter in the back to do that flippy thing but it drove me nuts-it needed lots of work and product as my hair is fine in texture but I have a ton of it. I ended up growing it out completely bangs and all-what a mess that was. My bangs are straight-no curl like the rest of my hair and very fine. I had side swept bangs cut in to it this past fall w/long angled layers in the rest of it, and my bangs won’t curl like the rest of my hair, and so we went with smoothing them with a round brush but they won’t stay to the side and drive me completely NUTS. They are now almost grown out-about an inch and a half past my ear lobes. I now either wear it in a headband or down with my bangs held back with a small barrette. I have found that I dislike hair in or on my face.

I have a busy lifestyle with two boys 7 and 8 years old-both do sports and I am the room mom for my oldest sons class, have two part time jobs, and help to run my husbands two businesses. CRAZY!!!!

So… to sum it up-I currently have a love hate relationship with my hair. I gave up fighting the curl years ago. I will let someone dry it straight for a special occasion but everyday straightening does not work for me. I have people come up and say how much they love my curls all the time and I have learned to embrace rather than fight it. My problem is I feel stuck don’t know what to do with it. I think my bangs need more volume (as in more hair) to hold any style and have no idea how to ask for that and what to do with my hair, or maybe they need a spot perm? I don’t know.

Color wise my hair is naturally very dark brown-when I get in the sun I get red highlights-my mom is a natural red head. My eyes-difficult to see color in the pict I sent-medium hazel brown-more brown than green but not completely dark brown. My skin is very fair with pink undertones.”

Cheryl also tells us she is not a product lover!

What Erin says:

When I saw Cheryl’s photo and read her thoughts on her hair it sounded to me like she is really stuck with which way to go as far as hairstyle. She says her bangs fall flat and do not curl like the rest of her hair and that although she has lots of hair it is fine in texture.

Her curls are beautiful and with her face shape I think growing out her bangs is a fine idea. Adding layers to her hair can help bring out curl as well as add volume but I would suggest she stay away from adding to much volume around the sides of her face as this will only make her round face shape appear more rounded. Instead, try adding volume at the roots.

As your bangs grow out, using accessories such as head bands and hair clips to keep them out of the way are a great idea and there are many fashionable accessories to choose from now a days.

The following is showing that straight bangs with curly hair do not look bad at all, and the more you style your bangs to the side the easier it will become to keep them there. Blow dry them with a brush in the direction you want them to go then flat iron them to help keep them flat. Also, because of the length of her growing bangs, securing them with a clip underneath her curls will help keep them in place.


The next picture shows a layered hairstyle which has some shorter layers on top helping to add volume at the roots. With the use of a 1” barrel curling iron it would only take a couple minutes to curl her straight bangs to blend them into the rest of her hair.


Here is a hairstyle idea that I think would work well for Cheryl; you can create waves using a curling iron.


Cheryl doesn’t want a major makeover since going short isn’t an option. She also doesn’t like using product so adding a few layers, learning to use a curling iron to accomplish a look she likes and using the many gorgeous hair accessories available today, Cheryl will discover what works for her.

We hope Cheryl sends us an update on her hair if she decides to cut in some more layers or add some style with a curling iron!

Editor’s Note: I’d like to add that I have found success with having the stylist use a razor scissor to cut my bangs. It texturizes them and keeps them from being too heavy or laying too flat. If Cheryl is interested in keeping her bangs on the longer side and sweeping them to the side (like the first picture above), then this option might work for her fine hair.

If you are looking for a new look for you hair, please email me (tammy[at]amominredhighheels[dot]com) a current picture of yourself and tell me about your challenges, needs and how much you are willing to change your hair cut and color! Please put HAIR MAKEOVER in the subject line.

For further inspiration, check out the Hair Makeover page with great styles to “try on”!