The Lincoln Log

Snip, snip – my eyes began to water as three inches of my dark brown hair hit the cold ceramic tiles beneath me. Already, I could tell that I was going to suffer from a bad haircut. Despite what I had tried to tell my hairdresser, she seemed to think that everything she envisioned would be better for the shape of my face. When I said long she thought short; when I said short, she thought long. I tearfully stormed off in the end, completely livid at that idiotic hairdresser of mine who continued to be baffled at my distress.

You have all probably experienced the traumas of a bad haircut at one time or another, whether it was as dramatic as mine is or not. The fault of it is, however, should not always be pinned on the hairdresser, but onto yourself. In my case, I should have been the one to direct how I wanted my hair cut so that my hairdresser could repair the damages. By keeping my mouth shut until after she trimmed off locks upon locks, I was the one who put my hair into ruins. I should have also demanded another haircut or trim to fix my ruined hair, free of charge, by the owner of the salon. (But if everyone in the salon or barbershop really is horrible at cutting hair, I would rather go to another place and pay a small fee.)

Anyhow, fixing a bad haircut is fairly easy with the right materials: clips, bobby pins, hair ties, headscarves, headbands, and stylish hats. Gel, hairspray, curling irons, and other types of styling products may also be used.

For unlikable bangs, simply sweep them back and clip them down, using bobby pins to hold down any strays. Headbands may also be used for messed up bangs, as well as headscarves.

To make up for the extra length that your hairdresser “accidentally” cut off, securing your hair into a mid or high ponytail should be able to create the illusion that your hair has no flaws whatsoever. A hat is always an easier alternative, as all you do is put it on.

Guys – if you are the “typical” guy with just a short cut, a simple way to fix a bad haircut is to cut it down a little more. A fix-it-up trim, I suppose. If your hair is really that terrible, I would suggest gelling your hair up into spikes, as messy is a good style for that. Girls or guys with long hair – putting your hair in an up-do can create illusions beyond belief. Curl your hair or straighten your hair however you like, and you’ll see that your hair won’t look that bad at all. Braids are also a good alternative for those who know how to braid.

Bad haircuts that are too short, however, aren’t that easy. Your hair will grow out eventually, but a fix-up trim might be needed if it is an uneven cut. In worst-case scenarios, an uneven cut is usually the problem. For these types of cuts, go back and demand a fix-up trim free of charge. If they neglect to do so, send some bad karma their way by spreading the word of your disastrous cut.

In the end, your hair will grow out, and you’ll realize that you were only crying over spilt milk. Who knows – your hair might even look nice when it grows out! Don’t get your hopes up though – just follow those tips to avoid (and fix!) a bad haircut.