Coping with a Bad Haircut

The anticipation of a new haircut… ahhh… surreal moment. Maybe you just go in for a trim or perhaps you decide to try a sassy new style altogether. Regardless, your hopes and dreams go up in smoke when you stare in the mirror. Your worst nightmare realised. You have a bad haircut. Even after all the planning, trusting, and explaining to your stylist – you realise that either the hair cut doesn’t suit you or the stylist misunderstood your requirement and gave you a totally unsuitable haircut. Sadly, there's no fast way to grow out a bad haircut. That said, there are things you can do to minimize the nightmare until your hair grows back (which it does at a rate of about half an inch a month).

So, how to deal with it?

First Things First! Don't Panic!

Before tears flow, you pull your hair out or assault your stylist, take a deep breath. There is likely a solution to the problem and overreacting will just make the situation tense and more difficult than necessary.

 

Wash Your Hair & Be Your Own Stylist

You never really know how a hairstyle looks until you start from scratch and try it yourself. I firmly believe stylists actually go to Hogwarts and develop magical hair powers, which is why we can never make our hair look the same as when it's freshly cut. Wash it and try to style it yourself to get the best hair possible. Make the best of it by trying new styles, products, or tools. Don't be afraid to dust off the crimper that's been hiding under your bathroom cabinet for a decade.

Honesty is the Best Policy

If you are not happy with your haircut, talk to your stylist about it. Discuss your concern with her while you're in the chair or, if you notice later, call her from home. Most stylists will appreciate your candor and offer to fix your haircut.

Own that Cut!

When the cut is just too s unfixable it’s time to just ‘fake it until you make it,’ or at least until it grows out. Again, honesty is key, so let your stylist know that it wasn't what you had in mind, and you'd like her to style your new cut into something less hideous. You may end up loving it after it’s styled, after all, a haircut is just a haircut until its primped and shaped into style.

 

Wear Hats More

If you really can't even with the cut and are too embarrassed to wear your hair down, now is the perfect time to become a hat person. With summer floppy hats more popular than ever this year and baseball caps acceptable year round, your new haircut could easily be an opportunity to try sporting the hat you always wanted to try.

Is it too Short?

Work with your stylist and try perming your hair into curls or completely straighten them. Adopt the style that suits you the best and ask the stylist on how-to achieve this look daily till your wedding day (so that people don’t get shocked).

If you think the above method might be too heavy on your pockets, then simply invest in buying pretty hair accessories with your wedding dress. Hair extensions are not a bad option too. Try the extension matching your hair in style, colour and length; none will even know you had a haircut.

Problem With Bangs?

Ok, you wanted to try bangs and it failed to look pretty on you. Not to panic, let hair accessories be your saving grace. What are bobby pins for? Choose pretty coloured pins, add some twists or braids to the bangs and sweep them away from your face. Oh! Not to forget those pretty hair bands and scarfs too. To help bangs appear longer as they grow out, hold your blow-dryer above them and blow straight down. While your hair is still warm, use your hand to hold the bangs flat against your forehead for a few seconds.

 

Too many Layers? Too much Pressure…

You wanted a gradual change that would give your hair more movement and extra body, but you ended up with choppy pieces that look thin and wispy. If the cut makes your hair look stringy, curl your ends up or toward your face to add volume, or slip on a headband or barrette to camouflage pieces that have a tendency to fall flat. To conceal your multilayered look entirely, opt for a classic chignon. Prevent shorter pieces from popping out by working a strong-hold gel through your hair, combing your front layers back toward your crown, securing with bobby pins if needed, and pulling your length into a bun.

Master The Top Knot and Braids

Placing a bun on top of your head is basically the solution to everything. If you still have the length, try to perfect the top knot, messy bun, or the ballerina bun to disguise a less-than-perfect haircut.

Braids > everything. If you haven't mastered French braiding or the fishtail braid yet, now is the time. You can have bangs, layers, or length with a good braid style.

Step Up Your Accessory Game

This is more of a distraction mechanism, but who's to say your loved ones won't notice your chunky necklace or statement earrings before he/she notices your bangs? Also, retail therapy always helps *wink*.

Let it Grow, Let it Grow, Let it Grow

If the cut is just too short, and you can't stand it there is good news - Hair grows back! Yeah, I know, not exactly what you want to hear when you've just had your hair hacked up. Never fear, there are a few things you can do at home to speed the growth of your hair.

Lay off chemical hair services - Keep your hair groomed properly and lay off the harsh chemical treatments (such as colour, highlights, and perms) until your hair grows out. If you just must colour your hair, try an all over demi-permanent colour instead of highlights and give your hair some time before a perm. Chemicals treatments, especially highlights and perms, can cause hair breakage. By giving your hair a rest your hair will appear to grow faster because it will endure less breakage.
 

Turn down for WHAT?? The heat - As often as possible, blow your hair out instead of using a flat iron and try scrunching your hair instead of using a curling iron. Most importantly, any time you use heat on your hair, protect your hair with a heat protecting spray. The less heat damage to your hair, the less breakage your hair will endure, and the faster your hair will be allowed to grow.

Loosen up - Say goodbye to the tight ponytails, rubber bands, tight braids, buns, etc., and keep your hair down as much as possible. If you have to tie it back, try using a thick cloth scrunchie instead of a thin rubber band or hair tie. Pulling your hair back tight can cause breakage and excess hair to break and/or fall out.

Trim it up - Yes, even though you want your hair to grow out, it is important to get back to your stylist for regular trims every 6-8 weeks. Keeping your ends trim and neat will lessen damage and breakage to your hair and help your hair appear to grow faster.

Strengthen your locks - The whole idea for growing your hair faster is really to prevent breakage. The best way to prevent breakage and split ends is to take care of your hair and give it everything it needs to be strong. Eat your vitamins properly, as they are an excellent way to nurture your hair and improve its strength.

So, bad haircut or a good haircut just stay confident, poised and wear your smile always. These are tips to deal with a bad haircut to make having that smile a little easier!