Decide whether you want less length or a different frame
A bob changes the outside outline of your hair. Curtain bangs change the frame around the forehead while allowing the rest of the length to stay. If you like your current length but want your face to feel more open, begin with a fringe comparison. If the weight around your shoulders is the issue, begin with a bob. Neither option is automatically right for a particular face shape.
Keep one unedited photo as your reference. Make two separate briefs rather than asking for a bob, new color, makeup and studio lighting together. The goal is to understand which specific change you prefer, not which complete image looks more polished.
Compare the right details
| Detail | Bob preview | Curtain-bang preview |
|---|---|---|
| Main decision | Where the bottom edge ends | Where the fringe separates and ends |
| Useful area to inspect | Jaw, neck and side volume | Forehead, eyebrows and cheekbones |
| Glasses check | Hair meeting the arms of the frame | Fringe meeting the upper frame |
| Keep unchanged | Color, face and background | Overall length, color and background |
| What the image cannot establish | Daily shape on your hair texture | How the fringe falls after washing |
A generated preview can make hair unusually smooth. Inspect whether it has also narrowed your jaw or changed the size of your eyes. If it has, that version is not a fair comparison of the cut. Set it aside even if the overall picture is attractive.
Prepare a controlled pair
- Take a front-facing photo at eye level with space above your head.
- Keep your usual glasses on if you wear them daily, and avoid glare.
- Use the same crop for both alternatives.
- Compare the two versions at the same size, beside the original.
- Write one sentence about each: for example, “I like the exposed neck” or “I prefer the softer forehead frame.”
Try the sleek bob brief and the curtain bangs brief. The illustrations are independently generated visual ideas, not a promise of the tool's live output.
A focused prompt for each option
Change only the hairstyle to a jaw-length, straight bob. Preserve the person's face, glasses, expression, clothing, hair color and background. Keep the original camera angle and framing.
Add a softly parted curtain fringe ending around the cheekbones. Keep the remaining hair length and color. Preserve the person's facial proportions, glasses, expression, clothing and background.
These are creative briefs, not guaranteed controls. If the model changes the face, adding more flattering adjectives is unlikely to make the comparison clearer. Reduce the requested edits and review the input photo.
Leave with a decision, not a folder of pictures
Keep a shortlist of two or three images. Note the preferred length, where the fringe lands and how much side volume you want. A photo does not show growth patterns, density or the work involved in styling your actual hair. Use the shortlist to express a visual preference; do not treat it as proof of how a real cut will behave. For a more general preparation process, read before you try a new haircut.
