Serious Question: I Hate My New Haircut, How Can I Fix It?

Hair clips, headbands and scarves are here to save the day.

Treating yourself to a haircut (like more than your average trim) can be the most rewarding forms of self-care, but often it can be the exact opposite.

It always starts off well – maybe that boujee salon that you always walk past has a special discount on offer, they’re usually booked out for months but they’ve suddenly got an opening – it’s your lucky day. So, you take a seat in their lush leather chair, sip on their freshly brewed tea, which smells divine and tastes even better, while someone else washes your hair for you, their hands gently massaging your scalp as they lather, rinse and repeat like you’re their queen.

Sounds lush, right? But that euphoric feeling is short-lived. This so-called “treat” heads south, fast, as you’re plonked in front of a brightly lit mirror, with wet hair clinging to your face as if they’ve plucked you from the rapids and wrapped you in a shower curtain for protection. And yet, somehow the worst is still to come.

Sure, you’re reassured for a sec once your hairdresser starts snipping off your split ends, an instant fix like they’re figurative ties to a past life. The warmth of the blow-dry sends tingles down your spine – this feels fresh, haircare self-care is working! But that soon fades the moment your hairdresser does the final dusting of loose hair from your face and eagerly asks, “what do you think?!” Through a forced smile (and some choked back tears) you say you love it, hand over your credit card and make a bee-line for your bedroom to cry a little.

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It’s not that they’ve done a bad job or butchered your hair blindly – it’s nice, but it’s not something that makes you feel any more special. It was meant to be rewarding but you’re just left with nothing, or worse – regret.

So, what now? You could linger in this spur of the moment decision-making mood and shave it all off a la Britney circa 2007, potentially leading to an adorable Eleven-inspired buzz cut (but more likely just further regret) … OR you could take advantage of trending hair accessories and make the most of your new ‘do.

There’s never been a better time for a bad haircut so if anything, you’re in luck. Cute clips are a-plenty – enough to cover your entire head (it’s a look, trust us) and still have leftovers to keep on-hand in your pockets and purses for emergencies. Headbands have evolved from their tacky plastic days to works of art wrapped in luxe velvet or adorned with jewels. And scarves have more uses than you can imagine, so once you’ve grown out of that bad hair phase you can fashion them into everything from summer crop tops to belts and bag embellishments.