How's this for a beauty riddle: When is a new haircut not a new haircut? Answer: When it's the same haircut, with bangs. Whether you get a few casual wisps, a deep side-sweep, or a brow-skimming fringe, bangs can bring a fresh style to your old cut, without a major (scary) chop. Even better, the right bangs can transform your face—minimizing a high forehead, camouflaging crow's-feet, bringing out your cheekbones, accenting your eyes. To demonstrate, we brought in hairstylist Patrick Melville, of the Patrick Melville Salon in New York City, to cut perfect bangs for four women with different face shapes and hair textures. When he was finished, there wasn't much hair on the cutting room floor, but we bet you'll agree that the transformations are a stunning example of the big impact of a small change. 

— Jenny Bailly