I’ve Had a Bad Haircut – Now What?

Recently, I cheated on my hairdresser (sorry Anthony). Now, I am not proud of my actions, and as a fiercely loyal Leo, feel sad, empty, hollow, ashamed and pathetic. But, in my field of Beauty Editor-dom, monogamy does not exist, it is a redundant practice. We must trial and test it – dodgy haircuts, bad creams and all – and it is here, in an act of true beauty valour (if I say so myself) that the incident occurred. Thou with reckless scissors shall remain unnamed, but a serious Edwards Scissorhand type hacking ensued – a wayward snip here, a rogue cut there – it was a heedless hair hew, in every sense. So what does one do when a hair crime happens? Firstly panic. Then cry and scream and chant “my life is literally over”. Then panic some more, obviously. No, seriously, what? Here, hair experts Anthony Nader, Joey Scandizzo, Hermiz Daniel and Paloma Rose Garcia tell us exactly what to do (and not to do) when your chop goes AWOL.  

DON’T PANIC
Seriously though, don’t panic (*through gritted teeth). All will be OK in due course, says Hermiz Daniel, just “don’t keep getting it cut to try to fix it.” And Paloma Rose Garcia, Philips Hair Care ambassador and celebrity hair stylist, agrees. “Firstly, do not try to cut your hair yourself. You need to give yourself time to get used to the hairstyle. If you’ve made a drastic change like going from long hair to a short bob, you will need time to get used to your new look. Like most things, the more you see it the more you’ll learn to love it.”

DO TEACH A DOG NEW TRICKS
Don’t scramble for a pathetic excuse – I moved overseas, but then after a week decided London wasn’t for me – own up to your philandering ways, bake some cookies, practise your sorry’s and consult your original hairstylist (pony)tail between your legs – and get a lesson in styling your new hair. It may actually uncover some pretty cool, never tried before styles (for example, I finally explored “the ponytail”, at the tender age of 31). “Depending on the length, I’d suggest you now explore new talents in braiding and plaiting, which are fun and on-trend. There’s actually so many different styles you can create for model-off-duty kinda vibes,” notes Nader. And Joey Scandizzo agrees: “Get out of the habit of styling your hair the way you used to with your old haircut because something that worked back then may not any longer. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing though! Now is the time to embrace the opportunity to workshop new looks and styles.” And for a new set of (unwanted) bangs? “For a fringe, always blow out your bangs after a shower facing the dryer down towards your forehead and using a round brush. To style your fringe, finish it by smoothing your bangs out with a hair straightener, like the Philips Pro Hair Straightener, making sure you start all the way up at the root.”

SEEK ALT ROOT
Change direction slightly, and veer in the ‘adding’ lane. “Maybe extensions are an option at this point – ask your hairstylist if this is an option for you,” says Hermiz. According to Rose Garcia, some crafty extension placement can cure all matter of hair ills. “If you’re really unhappy with the length, opt for professional hair extensions as they can really disguise a lot!”

ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
For a short shear, stay on the straight and narrow, suggests Rose Garcia. “If your hair has been cut too short, it’s best to wear it in a straight style. Using a hair dryer, like the Philips Pro Dryer, blow your hair nice and smooth and straight.” Anthony Nader offers a slightly slipperier road, but equally beneficial for hacked hair. “Go slick for the next month or two, and invest in a moisturising cream that has hold in it, to slick it back into a ponytail and topknot.”

HAIR TLC IS KEY
Take some time out and indulge in a little self-hair-love. The hair jury all agree: massage and brushing are key. “Scalp massages can boost blood flow and encourage hair growth. Using a wide-tooth comb will evenly distribute product through your hair while giving your scalp a massage in the process,” says Scandizzo. Nader also loves a little pamper session. “I am a big fan of massaging or brushing my scalp with a cushion brush once a day few a few minutes religiously. When you pamper your scalp, you’re stimulating the circulation of the blood to the head and face. Increased circulation at the roots of the hair can promote hair growth.” And for Rose Garcia, “Using an ionic brush, gently brush your hair every morning to stimulate blood circulation to the scalp and promote hair growth. Hair doesn’t grow overnight so it’s important to maintain healthy hair while you’re trying to grow it out. Use a hair mask for 10-15 minutes once a week to maintain natural moisture in your hair.” Take heed of Grease’s Frenchy and “brush-a-brush-a-brush-a” promptly.

DIAMONDS (AND HAIR ACCESSORIES) ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND
And bobby pins, according to Rose Garcia. “Bobby pins will be your new best friend. If you’re dealing with an unwanted fringe or layers, use bobby pins to pin back those unruly hairs to create a style you like. You may even want to disguise a fringe with a headband or headscarf. Use a volumising texture spray to help get short hair into place.” Play with one of hair’s biggest trends, and “explore the hair accessory option,” says Nader. “Make your embellishments the talk of the office and not your bad haircut. Embellish with metallic slide clips, scrunchies, headbands or vintage gems, there’s no end to what you can do here and before you know it you’ll be asking yourself, ‘What dodgy haircut?’”

TAKE THE PLUNGE
“If you’ve got a million layers that you’re trying to control, just take the plunge and chop it off. Opt for a cool jawline bob, like hair guru Jen Atkin’s,” says Nader. And after Atkin recently declared, “short hair gives me life” on a recent trip to Sydney, we’ve been much more open to the sexiness of short hair (even for us long-time long-haired lasses). And everyone in Hollywood and beyond agrees. Undoubtedly the hairstyle of the moment, maybe it’s time to lop the rest off into a lob, bob or shob.

PLUMP UP THE VOLUME (AND VITAMINS)
Get bulking, the natural way. “I’m a big fan of the Biotin vitamin, which I recommend to my clients who want to promote hair growth. This can help grow healthier and stronger hair and is a big plus for nails and skin.  It’s a good all-rounder that will be your new bestie,” says Nader. And the same goes for products: “Rethink your routine and try workshopping new product combination. If you’ve gone from long to suddenly short, go for products like Sea Salt Spray and Volume Paste that will boost texture to give the feel and illusion of more hair,” adds Scandizzo.

LET TIME BE THY FRIEND
Repeat after me: hair grows. Hair grows. Hair grows. If you need to say it 15961961917 times, go right ahead, I sure did. But at the end of a tear-filled day, hair grows at least 1cm per month, so your locks will be lush again – patience is very much a virtue here. “To start growing out your new haircut as quickly as possible, focus on keeping your hair in the best condition possible. Boost hair health with a quality leave-in conditioner such as Miracle Hair Treatment,” Scandizzo says. And fellow Scandizzo Salon stylist Hermiz agrees, “It’s not end of the world! It’s hair! It grows.” Mine has grown – so much so – I’m booked in for a cut this week. With my OG, of course (he’s forgiven me, phew).

AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS…
“Mastering the top knot is always a good option to disguise any short layers on top!” We agree, Paloma. Top-knots fix everything.

 

By Chrisanthi Kaliviotis