Surviving a Bad Haircut

We've all had it happen. A haircut gone horribly, horribly wrong is a living nightmare. What makes this an earth-shattering event is that you can't do a thing about it. If it was a bad poodle perm you could have the hairdresser relax the curl. If it was a bad dye job you could try to dye it again. But once those scissors have sliced through your hair - even crazy glue can't re-attach it (Trust me, I've tried.) Here are some tips for dealing with a new (unwanted and unflattering) 'do.

Hate it - Say It

If you went in for a trim and ended up with less hair than Mr. Clean or you wanted a body wave and ended up with a fro Justin Timberlake would envy, say something. The worse thing you can do is smile, nod and pay for it without so much as a whimper. If you don't tell them you are unhappy they don't know. Most hairdressers don't want you to be unhappy - they'll lose your business. They should be more than willing to discount you or fix the situation, if possible.

Go Home and Get a Grip

Okay, when it first happens you can cry, scream and feel sorry for yourself all you want, but then you need to get over it. Your hair's gone and tears and pity-parties will not make it grow back any faster. The first thing you need to do is wash it and style it yourself. Sometimes the cut isn't as heinous as you think, it's just the way your hairdresser styled it that makes it look wonky. Give it a good wash, get out your fave styling product and go to work.

Accessorize

If it still looks like you lost a wrestling match with a lawn mower, take yourself on an shopping spree. Buy some cute little barrettes, headbands, even glittery hair gel. With a little luck you can turn the "massacre" into a funky, edgy style.

Smile

When all else fails - smile. Don't let it ruin your life. If you walk around with a scowl on your face, it's not gonna help you look (or feel) any better. Why turn an ugly haircut into an ugly personality? Smiling always looks good on a person - and who knows, maybe the glare from your pearly whites will blind people to that not-so-hot hairdo.

FYI: If you get a bad haircut in the winter, you're in luck - hair grows quicker during colder weather and you have an excuse to wear a hat.

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Read more: Style Street