Your new haircut is a disaster. Here’s how to live with it or grow it out asap (2025)

Bad hair days happen to even the most beautiful women. Just ask Emily Ratajkowski. One poor, nameless hairdresser managed to do the unthinkable recently: give the model a haircut so ugly even she couldn’t pull it off. Cringing behind an AI filter before revealing the tragic, mullet-haired truth, Emily wailed: ‘I have the worst haircut of my life. I have bangs on the back of my head.’

We’ve all been there. The only difference is that we don’t have a lucrative deal with a hair brand and have to worry about payday being over. (Emily wrote: ‘Thank you @kerastase_official for letting me keep my job’ in a follow-up.)

It’s easy to be wise with hindsight (and we’re sorry if you’re reading this because the horse has bolted from the stable with a heinous mane), but most horror haircuts can be avoided. Emily herself alludes to the number one reason why things go wrong when she groans: ‘The very nice man who did this to me – I think he was going for a British shag, but the main thing is, it’s not me.’

So, yes, being 100% clear and aligned with your hairdresser in advance is vital, especially if you’re having a big salon makeover.

As Andreas Wild, senior stylist at Larry King salon and Nigella Lawson’s go-to hairdresser, says: ‘The horror haircut happens, and a lot of the time it’s miscommunication. It’s best to bring some ideas with you, so that the hairdresser understands the style and length you want.’ It’s better to be told in advance that it’s not possible, rather than just go ahead and hope for the best.

Layering is the number one source of haircut regrets. You ask for chic, cool layers and it gets translated into what Andreas calls the dreaded ‘mushroom’ cut, with too much volume on top compared to the bottom.

Michael Douglas, founder of MDLondon hair tools, echoes the warning on layers, especially on long hair: ‘If you’re not careful, you end up with two hairstyles on one head.’ (Ring any bells, Emily?)

While a great modern bob can be a brilliant, transformative option, this length commonly leads to disappointment, says Michael. ‘Bobs are a tricky one – people often think it’s made them look mumsy or frumpy. If you’re middle-aged, make sure it’s a version that’s flattering and youthful. Go for a bob with movement – Alexa Chung is a reference I use all the time because it looks great on women of all ages. Adding balayage into a bob also keeps it fresh.’

Finally, make good use of virtual try-ons or even wigs before committing to a block fringe, advises celebrity hairdresser John Vial. ‘They are the most complicated to grow out, along with hard, angular bobs, because they are difficult to blend.’

Although it’s off-putting for your hairdresser if you stare anxiously into the mirror for the entire appointment and wince at every snip, keep an eye on what’s happening at the start of the cut. Don’t be afraid to say something if it looks like they’re about to cut off a whole lot more than you’ve agreed.

If things have clearly gone pear-shaped (or mullet-shaped), you should speak up, not pay up and slink away. ‘Don’t be aggressive about it, but be honest. Hairdressers learn from mistakes and hopefully become better because of them,’ says Michael. ‘In a good salon, a more senior person should take a look, offer advice and fine-tune the cut, if needed. It might not be the disaster you think – maybe it just needs blow-drying a different way.’

Sometimes, there’s no denying it. You’ve had the haircut from hell. These are the top expert tips on exactly what to do next. (NB: we think Michael is only joking when he says: ‘My favourite tip is: stop looking in the mirror for a good 10 weeks!’

Possibly not with the person responsible for original disaster. ‘My first recommendation is to speak to a stylist that can really look at your face shape and determine what to do next,’ says A-list hairdresser Gustav Fouche. ‘You may want to go a little bit shorter, but the main thing is to get the hair shaped very, very well, because that can really transform it. Even if the haircut is bad, we can add more oomph and teach you new tricks to make it look good.’

Even if you don’t want to lose length, a skilled hairdresser can work with what’s happened. ‘The thing that makes people’s hair ridiculous is disconnection, so what we want to do is blend the layers to enhance the shape,’ says Gustav. ‘Just a little bit of correction helps the style sit better.’

Styling is ‘super, super important if you’ve had a bad haircut’, says Andreas. ‘If you put a little bit of a bend or curl in, that will help disguise a multitude of sins. That’s why people with curly hair can get away with a lot worse because straight hair will show mistakes a lot more.’ It’s a trick Emily has employed since her hair disaster: ‘I was considering a perm,’ she says, during a TikTok post showing herself curling her hair in a bid to make it look better. (It does help.)

If your hair has gone rogue, try surprising it with a new approach. ‘You might want to mix up your styling products, so if you normally use a blow-dry spray, try a mousse or gel,’ says Michael. ‘An ex-girlfriend of mine had a cut she hated – not by me! – so we just blow-dried it into a quiff one day and she loved it.’

He adds: ‘Instead of trying to do the thing you asked for, do the opposite with your new style. So if it’s all coming forward on to your face, slick it all back. Or if it’s going on to one side, try pushing it to the other side. You may well find that inside that hair disaster is a great hairstyle waiting to come out.’

Hair accessories can be very chic and modern, as well as a smart way to disguise what’s happened. ‘Try a head scarf, Alice band, pins, or hair slides – accessories will look cool and allow you to just tuck away the bits you don’t like,’ says Michael. Don’t think it’s a look that works for grown-ups? You’re wrong – just ask Helen Mirren…

Hair extensions can be your best friend if you have a bad haircut, says John. ‘Tapes can be added to hide fringe regrets as well as length regrets, and are a wonderful solution when the hair is too short. This is also a wonderful time to try out a new colour with extensions, as temporarily adding something new can make you feel different about your hair.’

If you’re regretting a bob, ‘buy some clip-in extensions which match your colour – Additional Lengths is great quality and has a massive colour range,’ advises John. ‘Either just wear the clip-in with your hair down, or tie your hair into a ponytail, then use the extensions to either create a long pony, or a bun to conceal your regretful stub!’

Using the best hair growth products will help get you thicker, healthier strands, but sadly, there’s no miracle way to make hair grow faster. ‘You need time and regular shaping and trimming,’ says Gustav. ‘People think that they should just leave the hair and grow it, but actually seeing your stylist more regularly when you’ve had a bad haircut will change your life. You’ll learn how to style it better and also enjoy the transformation. You could end up with something very different to what you originally asked for, but end up loving it even more.’