How to Deal with a Bad Haircut

We can all relate to a bad haircut. Most of us have experienced the sheer agony of watching someone snip away our hair into some sort of chia pet formation. It's an awful feeling, one that makes us believe there is no way that we can step out of the salon and join the rest of mankind with THAT hair. A few weeks later, the memory haunts us, but the "do" has grown out enough to look presentable... no more hats, clips, or wigs (in some cases).

I've had this experience. What's worse was the fact that a friend cut it. I wanted a trim... JUST a TRIM! However, what I got was a four-inch cut that rested right under my ears. Not only was it too short, it was uneven. When mentioning that fact to my friend, she had a simple solution. "Just walk around with your head tilted." I gave her the evil glare and told her that it would be best for her own health if she removed herself from my home.

So, the question is... How do you tactfully deal with a bad hair cut? I asked this question to two people who recently endured this type of tragedy. Friend A is a male. Recently, longer hair has been a trend among younger guys. They feather back long bangs, which gives them a "retro look." Friend A had the perfect retro style, but was trying to clean it up a bit for a more sleek and stylish look. He took a picture to his stylist, which showed the "do" he wanted. However, when he left the salon, he looked nothing like his picture. She thinned out his hair on the bottom and left it fuller on top. He immediately placed a hat over his head, griped all the way home, and missed work that day in fear of becoming a laughing stock.

He said nothing to his stylist that day. He simply paid for his cut without including a tip. The next day, however he felt very wronged. He knew he was unpleased with his cut and felt it was unfair he had to pay for it. He returned back to the salon, explained the situation, and they gladly fixed his hair, free of charge. It's still not the style he wanted, but at least he doesn't have to hide out from the rest of society.

Friend B is a girl with a shoulder length bob that had grown out and needed layers for a livelier look. She too had taken a picture to her stylist. However, when the stylist was cutting and cutting and cutting some more, Friend B knew that something was going wrong. This became more evident when the stylist asked one of her associates to help her. Friend B's anger grew more intense. Finally, when the stylist was finished, Friend B had a haircut that was totally unlike the picture she had taken with her.

The stylist asked Friend B how she felt about her hair. To which she replied, " It's *&%*#$&* messed up." Friend B chose to clip her hair to hide the shame. A few days later, she felt guilty for cursing at the stylist and returned to the shop. She apologized to the stylist who apologized in return and offered her another cut to fix the first one. Considering the stylists previous work, Friend B declined the offer.

In both situations, neither of the individuals initially dealt with the situation correctly. But sometimes we get so angry or are in shock at the sight we see and our first instinct is to yell, curse, or just flee the premises before we hurt someone. Stylists aren't always perfect. All of us mistakes and have off days. So, it's really critical for us to remember that in dealing with them, it's important that we do our part too in order to have the best results for our hair.

Tips to get the best results out of a haircut — Tips for a good haircut - Images via Canva

Here are a few tips:

1. Show them pictures and explain verbally what you'd like your haircut to look like.

2. Don't leave your eyes closed when they cut your hair. If it doesn't look like they're heading the right direction, voice your concerns.

3. Tactfully let them know how you feel about your before leaving the salon.

By Susan Varghese ©hairfinder.com

See also: How to get a good haircut