8 Ways to Recover From a Bad Haircut

When you decide to get a major haircut, you hope and expect by the end to look like the A-list celebrity whose photo you ripped out of Peopleand showed to your hairstylist for inspiration. But what if it turns out differently? After your initial bout of disappointment (and perhaps a cocktail or two), you can utilize the following strategies to get over your bad cut and fall head over heels in love again with your hair.

8 Ways to Recover From a Bad Haircut

First Things First

1. Let Your Stylist Know You’re Not Feeling It
The moment your stylist is done working her magic trick on your hair, carefully inspect your new do from all angles to see if your expectations and directions were met. If not, discuss the issues calmly with your stylist and be specific about the details. Or if you don’t even notice what went wrong until after you’ve gone home and had a chance to look more carefully, don’t hesitate to return to the salon. Certainly, she would not want you to leave unsatisfied with her service. Every hairstylist should live up to Christian Grey’s slogan, “We aim to please.” Give your stylist a chance to solve whatever it is you want fixed.

This also helps her to take note of your personal preferences and be extra cautious with your future haircuts. Even Anne Hathaway cried initially when she had her hair close-cropped in preparation for her role in Les Misérables, but eventually she got over it and even won an Oscar to boot.

Mix It Up!

2. Try a Fauk Hawk
Time to bust out your styling tools and products. Make the best out of your brand new look by giving your hair some style and shape. Too short of a hair cut? Maybe it’s the perfect occasion to attempt a fauk hawk.

3. Go Curly
You can also use a curling iron to produce soft beach waves and mask the choppy ends and harsh strands of your hair. If you’re afraid to damage your hair with the heat of the curling iron, give various sizes of round brushes a shot to better manage your hair. Straightening your hair makes your bad layers more visible, so stay away from flat irons for now. Chic updos are also ideal for disproportionate layers.

4. Or Go Darker
If you want to create an illusion to make your hair look fuller, have an expert dye your hair. A 1-1½ tones darker hair color applied to the bottom layers will help add depth and volume to your thin-looking strands.

5. Up Your Accessories Game
Too-short bangs are not a problem when you have tools to help you. Barrettes or bobby pins are helpful in blending your bangs with the rest of your hair strands. These hair accessories can save you from the unruly locks of hair. Also, headbands are great for hiding those tiny front hairs. Brush your hair back before tying a scarf (preferably silk scarves to avoid slipping) around your head. Adjust the width carefully to keep hair in place.

6. Fake It Til You Make It
If you are not comfortable with your hair being too short, clip-in hair extensions are available. For them to appear seamless and natural, choose a shade that matches the ends of your hair. Tease your hair an inch below the spot where you will attach them. Add a small amount of hairspray, then clip the faux pieces. Finally, trim the ends of the extensions, so they will blend in with your natural hair strands.

Grow, Baby, Grow

7. Baby Your Scalp
When it comes to taking care of your hair and scalp, you have a fine line to walk. If you wash too frequently, you likely will remove a lot of natural oils that nourish your scalp. However, if you wash too infrequently, the build-up of oils and hair products might slow down your hair growth, according to trichologist Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips. Experts generally recommend washing your hair twice a week.

Also, even though you’re growing out your hair, it is healthy to get it trimmed once every three months to get rid of split ends and promote hair growth.

8. Embrace No Heat Hairstyles
While you’re in the process of overcoming a too short or poorly chopped cut, avoid styling with a flat or curling iron and a blow dryer, as they can break the strands. Instead, opt for styling options that do not involve heat, like overnight braids. To achieve this look, wash your hair, and then spritz with a sea salt spray. Separate your damp hair into sections and then braid each section of hair. (If you want to do a fancy type of braid, go for it – but the most basic of braids will suffice.) Sleep with the braids overnight. In the morning, voilà! You will have beachy waves that look as if you had curled your hair with a curling iron.

Learn From Your ‘Hair Mistake’
It is completely understood that hair is a woman’s crowning glory. It’s our thing, and ruining it is a big stressor. The most positive way to face the stress is to just accept it and move on from the tragedy. (Although, if you want to scream and cry into a pillow, then do it, girl. We won’t judge.)

After receiving the offending haircut, know that you will not be able to regrow your hair back instantly. And sometimes, even the stylist cannot do anything about the mess, especially if your hair was cut too short. The situation leaves you with no choice but to celebrate your new look, or at least to try. At first, it might be difficult because you’re used to seeing yourself in a particular way. There is nothing more startling than looking in the mirror and realizing your hair is gone. But you have to realize that a change in your hairstyle does not change the entirety of you.

It is always best to be 100% certain that you want a new haircut before heading to the salon. So, next time, make sure you and your hairstylist are on the same page…and, if you’re not, don’t be afraid to bounce and re-book the appointment for another time. It’s worth spending 30 minutes explaining what cut and style you want than spend months recovering from a bad haircut, right?