How to Deal with a Bad Haircut

Getting Your Hair Fixed

Give your hair a week to adjust. Hair can look unusual right after a haircut simply because the cuticles have been exposed and they needs time to settle. The look you were going for may actually start to appear after 1-3 shampoos during the week. Try to avoid asking for opinions from your friends or partner right away if you’re not sure you like your haircut. Allow your hair, and yourself, time to calm down before deciding to ask others what they think. After a week, if your haircut is still unsatisfactory to you, you can take more steps toward getting it fixed.

Call the salon and ask to have your hair fixed for free. If you expressed your unhappiness at the time of your cut, either during the cut or afterward, you can call the salon and explain that you can’t keep your hair the way that it is. Tell them that you tried adjusting to it, but it’s not at all what you wanted. Say, “I don’t think the stylist really understood what I wanted. I can explain how I want it to look if someone can fix it free of charge.” Try to be as specific as possible about what you want done differently. Seeing the same stylist can be beneficial because they know your hair and have recent experience with it. You may also want to try a new stylist (or even visiting a new salon) to see if someone else can give you a haircut more in line with what you are expecting.

Explain exactly how you feel about your haircut. When you go back to the salon, tell the stylist both what you like and what you don’t like about your haircut. It can be tempting to focus on only the bad, but doing this can cause the stylist to also change some things you actually like about the cut if you’re not clear about what you like. Say, “The overall length is good, but it looks so flat. Can we shape it more to add more bounce to it?”

Be clear with your stylist about what needs to be fixed. If your problem with your hair is that the layers look too clumpy, explain this to your stylist. Say, “I was hoping for lighter, more subtle layers. Can you thin them out a bit?” If your hair looks like there’s too much hair in the back to match the front, ask your stylist for “internal thinning.” This will take some of the thickness out from the inside without removing length and help the front and back match better.

Ask for a shorter cut for layers that are too thin. If the stylist went overboard on your layers and they look too thin and straggly at the bottom, you’ll need to explain this to the stylist. Tell them you’d like your layers evened out and blended with the rest of your hair. A haircut that’s already too short overall has only 1 option – to let it grow back. Fortunately, there are easy ways you can hide what you don’t like in a too-short haircut.

Hiding a Bad Haircut

Use a scarf or headband to hide unwanted bangs. If your stylist gave you bangs or fringe in the front that you don’t like, use a scarf or headband to tuck them away until they grow in. When you’re ready to get the rest of your hair cut shorter, let your stylist know that you want the bangs to be blended in with the rest of your hair. Slick back bangs with hair gel. If you don't always want to wear a scarf or headband, apply hair gel to the bangs and push them back into your desired style. This works well with ponytails, buns, or short hairstyles.

Get out your curling iron to hide unevenness. If you find yourself stuck with an asymmetrical haircut that you didn’t ask for, create some waves in your hair with a curling iron to disguise the unevenness. The straighter your hair is, the more the uneven strands will stand out. Use a volumizing or lifting serum or spray to hold your curls in place.

Use a flat iron for hair that’s too short. For a haircut that’s just a bit too short for your liking, you can add the appearance of length by removing any natural waves in your hair with a flat-iron. The smoother your hair is, the longer it will look. Apply a heat protectant to your hair before straightening it, and a smoothing serum afterward to keep any waves from forming.

Hide bad layers with clips, hats, or a bun. Clips and other accessories like headbands come in handy if you’re trying to disguise bad layers as well. Pull the pieces that you want hidden underneath other hair, and secure them with a bobby pin or headband. Or, tuck all of your hair under a hat to hide layers entirely. To make a bun, apply a smoothing serum to your hair and pull it back into a ponytail. Wrap your hair around the ponytail in a circle to create a bun, and fasten the bun together with a scrunchie. Use smoothing serum and bobby pins to fasten fly-away pieces in place.

Use clips to hide out-of-place pieces. While you’re waiting for a too-short cut to grow out, try disguising your cut with clips or other cute barrettes. Strategically secure sections that you want to hide underneath other sections of hair. Take this idea further by twisting some pieces of hair away from your face and secure them with clips in the front or on the sides. Finish off the look with a touch of hairspray to hold it.

Try clip-in extensions for hair that’s way too short. If your hair got cut so short that you are upset about the idea of waiting to let it grow, find some hair extensions at a beauty supply store that match your hair color and texture. Bring them into your stylist, and have them cut the extensions so that they blend in with your hair. Each time you use your extensions, tease your hair 1 inch (2.5 cm) below where you’re going to clip them in and use some hairspray to get them to stay in place.

Consider a new color or highlights to pull your look together. If you want to grow your hair out until the cut can be fixed, another good option is to color or highlight your hair. This will help draw attention away from the parts of the cut you don’t like. See your stylist, or a new stylist, about color options that would look good on you.

Preventing Future Bad Haircuts

Speak up to your stylist during the haircut. The best way to help a bad haircut is to let your stylist know the moment they’re doing something you feel uncomfortable with. A good stylist will listen to your concerns and ask more questions about what you want instead of what they’re starting to do. Politely say something like, “I don't think I want all those layers. Can you please soften them so they’re not so noticeable?” Don’t be afraid of hurting your stylist’s feelings, especially if you feel you clearly expressed what you wanted. Try giving a more detailed explanation including how much length to take off and pointing to places where you want layers or fades.

Shop for a stylist by asking for recommendations. A good way to find a trusted stylist is to ask family and friends for recommendations. You should avoid just walking into a salon and seeing the first person who’s available; that stylist may not have any appointments because they’re either not very good or they’re still very inexperienced. If a friend, family member, or coworker recently had their hair done in a way that you love, ask them who they went to. They may even get a referral discount for sending you to a certain salon. If you can't find anybody to give you recommendations, look at reviews online for local salons.

Have a consultation with the stylist before they get started. If you’re unhappy with your current haircut, or are seeing a stylist for the first time, book a consultation appointment prior to your haircut. This can be right before the haircut time, and gives you time to discuss with your stylist either why you’re unhappy with your haircut or what you’re looking for in a new haircut. The stylist will be able to tell you about cuts that look best with your hair type and facial features, and what you can expect about styling commitments based on the type of cut that you want.

Bring a magazine or internet picture with you. The best way to avoid miscommunication with your stylist about what you want is to provide a visual of the cut you’re looking for. Search beauty magazines or online for haircuts that you like, and choose your favorite to bring to the salon. A good stylist will tell you based on the picture how the cut may look different on you than it does on the person in the picture, based on facial features and hair types. Having this conversation will help to avoid any surprises if the cut doesn’t look exactly the same on you as it did on the person in the picture.

Communicate with your stylist about how you normally wear your hair. If you don’t normally put a lot of time and effort into styling, tell your stylist this so that they don’t give you a cut that requires a lot of styling to look good. Based on your description or picture, the stylist can tell you if that exact cut is a good idea for you, or if a slight variation would be better. If styling time and effort isn’t an issue for you, you have more options for the cut you want. Be sure to get exact instructions from the stylist about styling steps as they are styling your hair after the cut.