At a Loss (HORRIBLE haircut)

[ebba]

Hey guys I need serious advice!

I got a horrendous haircut in December and i've been trying to grow it out but it has been messing with my self confidence. I never wear my hair down because im embarrassed of it and im super frustrated.

Front view (second day less curly hair).. not too bad

http://i1026.photobucket.com/albums/y327/Sunbeeemz/5d5be6a6-4af4-495a-8cdd-6b48adf3ead8.jpg



Side view. Mullet alert & look at how short the layers are!



http://i1026.photobucket.com/albums/y327/Sunbeeemz/dcc765a7-a618-4201-b3f9-fd6f1510f0bf.jpg


and the absolute worst view. It looks a bit better on my first wash day because my hair is so curly but this is the usual so its NEVER down but my buns/ponytails are laughably small
http://i1026.photobucket.com/albums/y327/Sunbeeemz/8b0e8f7b-8815-4174-9ef6-462bbffede06.jpg


What should I do?? I don't want to chop but i don't now if I should just wait it out and fix it slowly.

[Kaelee]

Goodness! I've never seen anything like that....what was that stylist smoking?

I got the dreaded "overgrown mullet" cut....I put it up and hid it away for a month or two and got a stylist to help fix it up. I have no idea what to do with the chunk in the back of yours!!

If it makes you feel any better though, I let my mom cut my hair one time...and she got one side a good inch and and a half longer than the other!!! I wore it up all the time and one of my friends asked me why I never wore my hair down. So I took it down and said "that's why". :lol: Then they all laughed and agreed I should wear it up. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Vanille_]

When my hair was short, I loved messy hair styles. Look on YouTube for "bohemian hair style" "boho hair style" "short hair tutorial"

[SugarPlumDreams]

Oh, lady, I'm so sorry!

I have pretty curly hair also, and my stylist kind of cut the front part of my hair like yours, but maybe a bit less dramatically. I feel your pain! I'm trying not to cut for the year, so I'm doing what I can to hide the part of my hair that I don't like to ease my frustration.

I've been wearing my hair like this (http://nelliemaeii.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-style-long-hair-maiden-headband.html) nearly every day now for over a month, and it really helps. It looks cute, is fairly easy to do, etc. Maybe you can try that style too, until your hair has a bit of length to it?

The only difference is, I don't have bangs, so I split my hair right down the middle, and positioning the headband fairly close to my forehead, maybe about 2 inches back. It works best for me on wet hair.

Somebody here actually posted a video of this, which is where I got the idea. Couldn't find that particular thread, though. (I want to thank whoever did so, so THANKS!!!)

[Addy]

I'm wondering why she left you 2 long points in the back? Ghesh! I would have that evened out and just start to grow those layers out. I'm sorry... BTDT!

[kelly20364]

I agree...go to a different stylist and have her even it up.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I'm wondering why she left you 2 long points in the back? Ghesh! I would have that evened out and just start to grow those layers out. I'm sorry... BTDT!
I agree with Addy - and wear it up till it has grown out a bit!

I can't understand what the hairdresser was thinking -???

[UltraBella]

I think maybe the stylist was attempting to give you a cut similar to my new one - although she failed miserably. But..... my layers are as short as yours and I really like them ! I'd go to a talented stylist and have the back cleaned up and I'd ask for a slight a line to keep as much length in front as possible. My guess is that you'll feel a lot less self-conscious about it that way and you could wear it down if you desired to.
Bad cuts are so upsetting, I'm sorry you are dealing with this. Just keep telling yourself that it's only temporary.

[fungo]

Ebba I feel your pain. I am living with a mullet and it drives me crazy, I don't want to cut and lose what little lengthy I have. I also wear my hair up most days but I was looking at hair feathers. You can get loads of bright colours or more natural ones if you prefer they might make your cut more boho as someone suggested.

[jacqueline101]

I'm sorry for your loss. I wish I knew what to tell you.

[cranberrymoonz]

If I were you, I'd cut a nape-length bob. Culry bobs are lovely, in my opinion. Or cut it to mid-neck and then stay trimming at that length until the layers and the front are OK. There is no point in walking around with hair that you're embarressed of.

[SleepyTangles]

I'm sorry, It seems like your hairdresser was going for something "edgy" but brought it to another level completely! The front view is pretty, though. I'd say to even it out with another hairdresser and then rock your curls for a while... The messy look is always cute in spring, and your hair seem to have a nice texture/body.
If you prefer something more "tidy", 50's brushed and pinned waves are handy (although, not all hair is able to be brushed out and stay in place without product: mine becomes a frizzy mess, so YMMV...)

[browneyedsusan]

Oh you poor thing! I'd get a little trimmed from those 2 points in the back to tidy it up. Wear it pinned up everyday for as long as you can stand it. I had a mullet head most of last year while growing, but pinning it up made it presentable. Braid your bangs, twist and pin the front, make a half up. It will grow out, but the next few months will be hard.

[Mesmerise]

Hmm I know you don't want to lose length, but I would have those bits at the side cut off... that won't affect the bulk of your hair, but will take away the worst of the mullet look.

[woolyleprechaun]

I would get a nice a-line bob. They look very cute on curlies, and you could retain some length at the front until the layers have grown out. I'm very sorry this has happened to you! :( My grandma always used to say that most hairdressers have no idea how to cut curls and waves, perhaps that was the problen? IDK what the hairdersser was thinking....

[EvaSimone]

Definitely have those two uneven points trimmed off so that your hair is even on the bottom. It sucks to lose length but even if you hit classic without trimming those points will probably still be there unless you have a big shed.

[starry]

I agree with a few member's comments about cutting those two longest bits off. Im coming to the last part (thank god) of the growing out mullet stage. My hair is 2b so very similar to yours. I've put the mullet back up in a little pony, side parted the top and just a little clippy or whatever to pin the front to the side. Yours won't take that long to grow out to a shoulder length bob- try to focus on the health of your hair rather than trying to make it look super neat re cutting it- the longer it grows the more you can do. Little braids across the front of your hair- like around your temples down behind your ears, look pretty too.

good luck

[Vanille_]

Also, comfort yourself by buying some pretty pins! I get complimented more on my hair pins than my hair sticks or even my hair!

[Carolyn]

First of all never go back to that stylist! She must have been on drugs the day she cut your hair. If I were you I'd get a "style" so it looks decent while you grow it out. Be sure to emphasize this to the new stylist.

[WaitingSoLong]

I agree with going to a new stylist and having him or her fix it while emphasizing you wish to lose as little length as possible.

[MiaBeth]

So sorry you're stressing about this .. . I think if the two longer-ish spot were trimmed up in the back, you'd have more of a shaggy bob, which you could wear down no problem or do half updos. I've had horribly layered cuts, and the only thing that made me feel better about them was eliminating the "mullet" part.

[lilalong]

I agree with whoever said to cut a nape length bob. Bobs are much easier to grow out and I think it would look pretty cute on you.

[embee]

Much sympathy! I grew out a short cut with bangs and had a long period of Mulletness. It was gross, but I got through it.

Yes, you can trim or get another cut or just wear it up and do other things for 6 months. Gee whiz, how annoying. Your bun may be small but your earrings could be big, and you could wear pretty clips to hold those too-short sides up.

Was the stylist drunk?

[Katze]

So sorry you're stressing about this .. . I think if the two longer-ish spot were trimmed up in the back, you'd have more of a shaggy bob, which you could wear down no problem or do half updos. I've had horribly layered cuts, and the only thing that made me feel better about them was eliminating the "mullet" part.

This. Your hair looks thick and has a lot of natural wave to it; once those uneven spots are trimmed you can have fun growing out the layers doing 'deliberately messy' things with it. From your pics it looks like you could either do a bob or a shag, whichever you desire.

It will grow, don't worry. :flower:

[lapushka]

If I were you, I'd wear it up all the time until the layers hit shoulder, so you can then even it up some. I'm so sorry. :flower:

[spidermom]

I've seen similar to that haircut; it's not too bad on straight hair. Thankfully, hair grows. You will be able to put this behind you soon enough, although I know it doesn't seem like it.

[imaroo]

I agree that having a good stylist clean up some of the longer odd bits into an a-line bob would be good. Pretty hair pins to put up any bits that look awkward to you. Doing that for awhile should get you through the worst of it.

I had a mullet on purpose as a kid in the 80s with stick straight hair. How bad is that???? :oops: Yours is nowhere near what mine was at the time. Curls are so forgiving! Yours will be just fine before you know it.

[DMARTINEZ]

Have it evened out and start fresh! don't live with a bad cut!

[Lady Mary]

Aw :( if it were me, I'd go with a nice bob. However I'm not a curly/wavy girl so it's kind of a different situation. Best wishes.

[Alexblue]

Oh I feel your pain. I agree with others that a haircut to even up the back will be in order. But if you want to wait till the layers catch up, use bobby pins and pin up those pieces at the back to the nape of your next. Your curly hair will hide a few strategically placed pins. I've done that several times when I'm in the mood for a faux bob. The soft curls at the front look nice and you can create an a-line bob which is shorter at the back and longer at the front.

Or try using a pretty hairband and roll the back pieces up into the band like so: http://www.justlaine.com/2012/02/no-heat-headband-curls-experiment.html
I have curly hair so do not need the headband for the curls themselves. I just like the look with the headband :-)

[RavenBaby]

I think a real professional could fix this, maybe not fully but maybe if they are really good it could look like 75% better but you would have to loose some length at the back, If I was you I'd take a shorter cut so the length looks even throughout.

[ebba]

Thanks for all the great advice guys! I am going to make a hair appointment ( at a new hair salon, NOT AVEDA! Even though it was one of the professionals, ugh). I'm going to ask the stylist what she thinks I can do with it and definatly trim off the long bits

[lilalong]

Just want to add that it looks cute from the front. If you get the back cleaned up, I'm sure you can grow this out nicely.

[Jenny31557]

Have you thought of buying a set of extensions?
That's what I would do if I were you. You could just wear them until you get enough length to cut back and even up.
Hope this helps and just think, this time next year it will all be better! Good luck!

[DancingQueen]

I used to straighten my hair every day, and had exactly this cut. Looked great when straightened, but curly was just one big mess. It would look exactly the same as yours when I left it curly, which I never did for that reason.

I would probably wear it up for a while, and then gradually let the short pieces reach shoulder. You can trim as it grows.

You should be able to do a gibson tuck, maybe with a few hairpins. Or maybe a french/dutch braid tucked under itself as some kind of mohawk? Bandana or broad headbands, hats and other accessories should work well as well. I may experiment a bit later this week, I will try to upload the pics here, so you can see what I mean. :)

For now:
- Gibson tuck: http://www.bobbyglam.com/blog/2012/02/gibson-tuck-hair-tutorial/
- This one, but with the tail tucked under itself: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nataliexkarl/7451754912/in/faves-11981955@N07/

[ebba]

I used to straighten my hair every day, and had exactly this cut. Looked great when straightened, but curly was just one big mess. It would look exactly the same as yours when I left it curly, which I never did for that reason.

I would probably wear it up for a while, and then gradually let the short pieces reach shoulder. You can trim as it grows.

You should be able to do a gibson tuck, maybe with a few hairpins. Or maybe a french/dutch braid tucked under itself as some kind of mohawk? Bandana or broad headbands, hats and other accessories should work well as well. I may experiment a bit later this week, I will try to upload the pics here, so you can see what I mean. :)

For now:
- Gibson tuck: http://www.bobbyglam.com/blog/2012/02/gibson-tuck-hair-tutorial/
- This one, but with the tail tucked under itself: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nataliexkarl/7451754912/in/faves-11981955@N07/


Wow the second one looks amazing! You wouldn't happen to have a tutorial/ name for that look would you? (im a braid noob lol)

[DancingQueen]

Wow the second one looks amazing! You wouldn't happen to have a tutorial/ name for that look would you? (im a braid noob lol)

I think it is just a dutch braid ending out in a ponytail. The picture is not mine; I found it on google. But it resemble the style a lot, only I usually braid it to the end, and tuck the tail under. Just search dutch braid on youtube, you will get plenty of results. Good luck with it. :)

[Naiadryade]

Wow the second one looks amazing! You wouldn't happen to have a tutorial/ name for that look would you? (im a braid noob lol)

I recently learned to dutch braid. I was having a lot of trouble until I watched this FANTASTIC video by torrinpaige (who has lots of fantastic videos, though my hair isn't anywhere near long enough to do some of the fancier things) in which she does a really good job of describing/showing how to do french and dutch braids without it becoming an unruly mess, with handholds and things.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTUiDFhzjao

I wear my hair in dutch braids a lot now. Or in two. I like to sleep in them. I bet with your long pointy bits, double dutch braids (or any double braids really) would work well.

[winship2]

Yeah... This is a bummer. Someone needs to confiscate her shears. The advice has been good--- go get it shaped up, rock those pretty curls in a cute, spunky style, and start treating it really well for the beautiful long hair you'll have some day, if you decide to go that route. You got a raw deal on this one, but it will grow...

[akurah]

I don't think it looks that bad, but then again, when I saw it, I thought, "Oh, shorter and curlier version of Meiying's haircut!"

http://cherrybubbins.blogspot.com/2011/11/kadences-new-wenwen-karate-kid-hair-cut.html

[MORE]

When my hair was short, I loved messy hair styles. Look on YouTube for "bohemian hair style" "boho hair style" "short hair tutorial"

I second this! Work with what you got. Your curls are so pretty and it looks super thick, I bet you would look stunning with different boho styles.

I know how you feel though, when I was a kid a stylist cut my bangs uneven. Being a perfectionist I freaked out. Her solution: cut it shorter to get it even. What happened? It sure got shorter, but uneven again. Then she tried the same thing a third time. I ended up with a 2 cm fringe (I wanted long bangs) that was even more uneven than after the stylists first attempt.

It will pass, I promise! :grouphug:

[leslissocool]

I had that same exact cut, I told them I wanted face framing layers and I got THAT!

I cut it off. It was a HUGE poof though. I'd say go for an A-line bob.

I'm so sorry! Please post pics after they cleaned it up. It will grow, hang in there!

[Toadstool]

I think it's pretty, and all you need to do is get the long bits at the back evened up. Then it will be a pretty layered cut and you can grow it from there.

[WaitingSoLong]

I second this! Work with what you got. Your curls are so pretty and it looks super thick, I bet you would look stunning with different boho styles.

I know how you feel though, when I was a kid a stylist cut my bangs uneven. Being a perfectionist I freaked out. Her solution: cut it shorter to get it even. What happened? It sure got shorter, but uneven again. Then she tried the same thing a third time. I ended up with a 2 cm fringe (I wanted long bangs) that was even more uneven than after the stylists first attempt.

It will pass, I promise! :grouphug:

They did this to my son last year. I just about never got him to go back in for another cut but we went someplace else and they were AWESOME and we will never go back to that other place....ever. My son is 16 and the super short bangs were a HUGE deal.

[Marcellaa]

I feel bad for you! I had an awful haircut back in 2010. She gave me face framing layers that were extremely short (they barely reached my eyebrows!) and it looked like bangs growing out. It was awful, I had to pin it back for 6 months before it finally was long enough to were down.
It did inspire me to get really long hair, and I did!