Here's How To Style Bangs This Season Like Ananya Panday: Dos & Don'ts with a Celebrity Hairstylist

Ananya first debuted her fringe moment back in 2024, posting a series of photos on Instagram with the caption: "freshly cut curtain bangs, fake freckles and really feeling the sun." Fans loved it, stylists got flooded with requests, and the Ananya Panday haircut quietly became one of the most copied looks of that year. Now in 2026, she's back at it — and the fringe is having its second coming.

Her signature is a soft curtain bang hairstyle, the kind that parts gently in the centre and sweeps away from the face rather than sitting flat across the forehead. It's a deliberately undone look: the fringe adds dimension while lending a softer frame to her features. What makes this celebrity bang hairstyle so replicable is how she wears it across contexts—movie promotions, fashion week, casual social media posts—sometimes paired with sleek straight hair for a more finished look, sometimes with loose waves that let the curtain bangs do the heavy lifting. The fringe is always the focal point; everything else just supports it.

When the bangs are front and centre, Ananya tends to keep the rest of her hair deliberately simple: low ponytails, half-ups, or just loose and natural. It's a styling principle worth borrowing: let your front bang hairstyle be the statement, and resist the urge to over-style the rest.

Clean bangs are the foundation of everything. The problem is, most people wash their bangs as infrequently as the rest of their hair, which is a fast track to flat, oily, limp fringe territory. Carvalho's fix is simple: "Tie the rest of the hair back, with your head forward just shampoo the front. It can be done in a wash basin too. Squeaky clean in a few minutes."

This targeted wash approach means you can refresh your bangs every day or two without putting the rest of your hair through unnecessary washing. For best results, reach for a gentle, hydrating formula like the TRESemmé Hydra Matrix Shampoo followed by TRESemmé Hydra Matrix Conditioner keeps the rest of your hair nourished while your bangs stay light and clean.

Here's where most people go wrong—they blast dry their bang hairstyle and hope for the best. The result? Frizzy, uneven, directionless fringe that has a life of its own.

Chapoix recommends a more considered approach: "To get a soft, effortless finish when blow-drying bangs, use a low heat setting and a round brush. Dry them in sections, and don't over-direct. Let the brush do the work. Finish with a cool shot to set." Carvalho seconds the tool choice: "A blowbrush is best for a quick and effortless finish. For better results use a dryer and a small or medium round brush." And for a razor-sharp finish in humidity: "Use a thin width flat iron for a perfect finish."

The order of operations matters too. "Best to finger dry on medium heat," says Carvalho. "Once dry, finish with cold setting on the dryer." That cool shot is non-negotiable—it seals the cuticle and keeps it from puffing the moment you step outside.

Chapoix's fix: "For preventing flat, greasy bangs in humid weather, use a dry shampoo and blow-dry them with a round brush to add volume." Keep a travel-sized dry shampoo in your bag. A quick spritz at the roots of your bangs before you head out—or as a midday refresh—buys you hours of extra volume and texture without a single drop of water.

Not everyone wants to reach for hot tools every morning. If that sounds like you, Chapoix has a low-effort alternative: "For low-effort, heatless styling, you can use a large heatless curling roller and sleep with it." Wrap your slightly damp bangs around the roller before bed and wake up to a soft, gently curved front bang hairstyle that requires zero heat.

Bangs looks effortless because they are well-maintained, not despite it. They grow fast (faster than the rest of your hair) and even a few millimetres can take you from intentional fringe to awkward, overgrown situation.

Most stylists recommend a trim every three to four weeks to keep your bang hairstyle in its sweet spot. If you're between appointments, a small pair of hair scissors and a careful straight-across snip (always cut less than you think you need to) can tide you over.

One of the fastest ways to ruin a fresh blowout is constant touching. Your hands carry oil, and every time you push your fringe aside or smooth it down with your fingers, you're transferring that oil directly onto your bangs. The result: flat, greasy fringe by midday.

Style once, set with a cool shot, and leave it alone. A celebrity hairstylist will tell you: the less you touch your bangs throughout the day, the longer they hold. If you need a mid-day refresh, dry shampoo, not your fingers.