If you’ve ever sat in a salon chair and had your stylist proudly ask, “Do you love it?” post-major haircut, you probably know what it’s like to look in the mirror, nervously smile, nod, and then proceed to cry the entire drive home. Hopefully, this only happens once or twice in your life (once you've found the right stylist, never, ever stray), but still...haircuts are a bit of a risk. And bangs? Even more so.

Bangs get a bad rap for making you look like Jane Birkin on the day you walk out of the salon and Lydia Deetz the next. But it doesn't have to be that way! To prove it, we convinced four staffers to get bangs that are chic and badass — far from the ones they had in second grade. Ahead, see the amazing transformations and prepare to rethink fringe.