How to Cover Up a Bad Haircut: 8 Tips

Snip, snip — uh oh. Whether you went to a new barber or tried cutting your hair at home, sometimes haircuts go wrong. If you’ve found yourself staring into the mirror with mortification, it’s time to take a different approach.

So, how do you cover up a bad haircut? You can try getting a shorter do, experiment with a fade, turn it into a design or even go with a messier look. You don’t have to wait for your hair to grow out again to look good.

We’ll take a closer look at a few of your options.

1. Choose a Shorter Do

If the haircut looks lackluster, you can spice it up by choosing a shorter style. Essentially you’ll cut away the mistakes until they are nothing more than a memory. This method works well for errors made on longer hair. To avoid future issues, bring a few photos to your next barbershop appointment, so the stylist knows exactly what you want.

Remember that it’s always best to go to a professional unless you have an expert hairdresser living with you at home.

2. Get a Fade

A fade can save most bad haircuts because it helps to even out unnatural layers and textures. Unlike a taper which gradually reduces thickness toward one end, a fade allows the hair to get progressively shorter until it reaches your scalp. If your hair feels weighted and unnatural, but you don’t want a short cut, you can ask for a blend to remove heft and meld long hair into short hair. 

You’ll want to make sure you use the correct terminology when describing your ideal look so the barber knows exactly what you’re looking to get.

3. Turn It Into a Design

If you’re active on social media, you probably have noticed that intricate hair designs have become trendy for males and females. If you went in for a haircut and came out with a bald spot, why not make it look intentional? By having a barber create a custom design, you can disguise any prior choppiness.

Geometric shapes are typically the easiest to create in hair, but experienced hairstylists may give you more detail. If you have a specific look in mind, you can bring in photographs, but some barbers may only do original designs.

4. Embrace the Messy Look

It’s much easier to hide uneven texture when you embrace a messy hairstyle. Using clay or high-hold pomade, gently work the product through your hair. You should start in the back and move forward, paying special attention to your roots. Zac Efron, Ian Somerhalder and Daniel Radcliff have all sported the messy look at some point in their careers, which has popularized the style.

If you are new to messy hairstyles, try playing around with different techniques each day until you find one you like. When using this style to hide a bad haircut, make sure to cover the problem areas while diverting attention to another part of your face.

5. Use Products

The right hair care products can be a man’s best friend. Just as you can fine-tune a car to keep it in tip-top shape, you can use products to keep your hair looking its best. If you’re wondering how this will help you cover up a bad haircut, the answer is simple — it can fix it. There’s a product to correct most common hair problems, so if your style isn’t wow-worthy, you can take matters into your own hands.

6. Shave It All

Think of your bad haircut as a chance at a fresh start. Shaving all of your hair off may seem drastic, but it will give you a chance to try a new look. Plus, if you ever use dye, your new-grown hair will have a blank slate. Out of all the tips to try, this is one of the few which you could easily complete yourself at home with clippers and a razer.

7. Wear a Hat

If you’re not in love with your hair, it may be best to cover it up — like with a hat. Now you have the perfect excuse to expand your hat collection and support your favorite teams. If you want to get stylish, you can try pairing hats to match your outfits. Everyone will be so impressed with how good you look that they’ll forget to ask why you’re wearing a hat.

Hat newbies may want to start with classic baseball caps because they’re popular, widely available and look good on men of all ages.

8. Wait It Out

Sometimes your only option is to practice patience and wait for your hair to grow. On average, you can expect it to grow four to six inches each year.

To help your hair grow quickly, you can:

• Eat a balanced diet.
• Take care of your health.
• Avoid styling your hair with heat.
• Use products designed for your hair type.
• Visit the barber for regular trims.

Ultimately, you’ll need to use common sense while waiting for your hair to grow — so avoid bleach and other harsh chemicals.

How to Cover Up a Bad Haircut? Confidence Is Key

With these eight tips, you can cover up your bad haircut and turn a fail into a win. Remember, regardless of which tip you choose to use, the key is confidence. Confident people will rock any hairstyle and look terrific while doing it.