If curly bangs are having a moment in the spotlight, it's due in part to the beauty industry's long-overdue celebration of natural hair textures. According to stylist Vernon François — the man behind these gorgeous puffy, kinky bangs on Lupita Nyong'o — "people are now getting into exploring [curly bangs] because it's a fresh approach. People care less about their hair being straight."

As gorgeous as we can all agree these examples of curly bangs are, it's also true that they've gotten a bad rap. As François tells Allure, their reputation for being a bit finicky isn't totally unearned. "With curly hair, it's always a hit or miss. [bangs] can look epically amazing or really bad," he explains. Still, he doesn't want curly-haired clients to be too afraid to try a cut with bangs. He suggests working "very closely with your stylist and have a really good consultation" before cutting that fringe. If you're wary of scissors, François says you can try clip-in bangs to "play on the idea. You can have them quite light, short, or tiny depending on your hair texture," he says. "I tend to make my own bangs to clip in. Everybody wins. It’s hair without commitment and I ensure that the texture is right for my client. "

When hairstylist Ted Gibson cut Sandra Oh's bangs for the red carpet this year, they decided not to go too short. "I made sure to keep them on longer side and narrow," he tells Allure. "Long bangs with a curl look effortless, modern, and chic." For those brave folks who prefer to DIY it (godspeed, y'all... we really don't recommend going them at home though), Gibson says to start by slowly trimming your own bangs at home. "It may seem daunting and intimidating at first," he says, but there are some things to keep in mind if you decide to pick up the scissors.

First off, be sure to trim the hair when it's dry. " I cannot stress this enough. If you trim wet bangs, they’ll shrink when they dry and be too short," Gibson says. He recommends trimming "iris to iris" — eye to eye — so as to avoid cutting into your hairline and removing too much hair. When you do cut, hold your shears vertically, rather than horizontally, which Gibson says gives your bangs "a softer edge." Finally, use a smaller-sized scissor for optimum hand control.