The Grooming Manual

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How to Save Yourself from a Bad Haircut

How to Save Yourself from a Bad Haircut

It happens. You needed a quick haircut before a date, a business meeting, a party - whatever. So you did what you knew you shouldn’t. You ran into some cheap haircut place - at the mall, next to the grocery store, wherever. Because a $10 haircut couldn’t be that bad, right? You didn’t have time to go to your normal place. And all you needed was a trim. How bad could it be?

Unfortunately, sometimes it’s pretty bad. Like, epic bad. So bad you don’t even want to be seen in public after and just sit in your car seething.

What can you do? How can you save yourself from this nightmare haircut? Guys, these tips can help.

Be Honest If You Hate It

It can be shocking to be turned around in the chair, only to stare in bewilderment at the bad haircut in the mirror. Maybe you’re so shocked that you just pay the barber and go.

Bad idea. It can be uncomfortable to tell the man or woman who cut your hair that you hate it. It might even get awkward. But it won’t be nearly as bad as going around with a bad haircut for the next few weeks. Just suck it up and talk to them about it. It’s probably not the first time they’ve had an unsatisfied customer and they won’t take it as hard as you think.

Remember, the stylist wants you to leave happy. They would rather fix the problem than have a customer go away unsatisfied.

Be Specific

Tell them what you hate about the haircut specifically. Give them ideas - is it the sides, the top, the length? The more specific you are, the better prepared they will be to fix it.

Describing things can be hard, especially if you’re frustrated every time you look at yourself in the mirror. So show them a photo in your phone of how your hair should look. Or pull up a photo of a celebrity lookalike with similar hair. Chances are your barber can use a picture to help address the issue with your haircut.

Start Over from the Bottom

If it’s really terrible and you can’t do anything about it, another option is to just leave and go to a better barber. Tell them you need to start over. It might mean a shorter cut than you’re used to. It might mean a different style than the one you prefer. But those options are better than looking and feeling awful.

Get Creative

If you’re stuck with a bad cut, get creative with how you style things. Who knows, maybe you can turn this whole experience into something positive. Perhaps you’ll discover you like the new look after all.

To make your new style work, use a top quality hair product for men. A natural wax pomade with a flexible hold is ideal. It will keep your new do in place while still allowing you to reshape it as necessary. That way you’re not locked into one style - you can play with it later and make adjustments as needed.

natural wax pomade with flexible hold

Develop Patience

At the end of the day, a bad haircut is just temporary. With some patience it will come back and you can get your hair the way you want it again. In the meantime, use the best haircare products for men - including a natural shampoo for men - to keep your hair looking as good as possible. In a few weeks you can try again - this time with a barber you know and trust.

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