How to Deal with Damaged Hair

Damaged hair is boring and frustrating; However, you can try some simple ways to feel more comfortable like fixing or covering damaged hair. To retouch your hair, you can choose to cut it back the way you like it, or do some work to cover up the unwanted hair while you wait for it to grow out. You can also refer to some preventive measures to avoid having a bad haircut again.

Table of Contents

Hair retouch

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Be clear with the hairdresser during the cutting process. The best way to save “catastrophe” hair is to let your stylist know as soon as you feel uncomfortable anywhere. A conscientious hairdresser will listen to your concerns and ask a lot about your wishes instead of just doing what you want. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Be polite, like, “I don’t think I’d suit this layered hairstyle. Can you soften it up a bit so it doesn’t stand out?”
Don’t be afraid to offend your hairdresser, especially if you feel you’ve made your wishes known.
Try giving a more detailed explanation including the length of the hair to cut and point to where you want to layer or fade.

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Wait a week to fix your hair. Hair can look different right after it’s cut, simply because the cuticles are exposed and they take time to set. The look you’ve been waiting for can really start to appear after 1-3 shampoos a week. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Try to avoid consulting a friend or spouse right away if you’re not sure you’ll like this new hairstyle. Be patient and calm with your hair and yourself before deciding to consult others.
After a week, if you are still not satisfied with the new hairstyle, you can proceed to correct it.

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Call the salon and ask for a free haircut. If you’re not satisfied at the time of the cut, either during or after, you can call the salon and explain that you can’t have your hair like that. Tell them you tried to fix your hair, but it didn’t turn out the way you expected. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Say, “I think the hairdresser doesn’t really understand what I want. I can describe the hairstyle I’d like if someone could fix it up for me for free.” Try to be as specific as possible about the hairstyle you want to change.
It is beneficial to see the same hairdresser as they already know about your hair as well as have recent experience with it. You can also try seeing another hairdresser (or even going to another salon) to see if anyone can give you the hairstyle you want.
It’s better to go back to the same hairdresser to fix minor mistakes instead of spending money on another hairdresser.

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Explain how you feel about your hair. When you return to the salon, tell the stylist what you like and what you don’t like about your hairstyle. Maybe you just want to focus on describing what you don’t like, but this will cause the stylist to change the things you really like about the hairstyle if these points are not made clear from the beginning. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Say, “That length is nice, but it looks a bit flat. Can we add more volume to add volume?”

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Be clear with the hairdresser about what needs to be corrected. If the problem lies in the layers of your hair being frizzy, explain this to your stylist. Say, “I want to create softer, more subtle layers. Can you thin them out a bit?” ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If the hair at the back is too thick and out of proportion to the front, ask the stylist to “thin the inside.” The inner hair will be trimmed while maintaining the same length, while helping the front and back hair to be more balanced.

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Requires truncation for layers that are too thin. If the layer curls are over-trimmed and they look rather thin and sparse at the bottom, bring this up to your hairdresser. Tell them you want the layers to be even and blend in with the rest of your hair. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

In general, there is only one option for hair that is too short – to wait for it to grow out. Fortunately, there are many simple ways you can hide your dislikes in a haircut that is too short.

Hide your broken hair

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Hide damaged layers with clips, hats, or buns. Hair clips and other accessories like headbands will be helpful in covering up broken layers. Take the section of hair that you want to cover and place it under the other hair, and use a hair clip or headband to secure it. Or, you can grab all your hair and hide all the layers under a hat. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For a bun, apply a smoothing serum and tie it back into a ponytail. Wrap your hair around the ponytail in a circle to create a bun, and secure it with a hair tie. Use a smoothing serum and hairpin to tie up any loose, loose hair.

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Use a headscarf or headband to cover up unwanted bangs. If you don’t like the bangs your hairdresser cut for you, use a headscarf or headband to tuck them back in until your hair grows out. When you’re ready to cut the rest of your hair short, tell your stylist that you’d like your bangs to blend better with the rest of your hair. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Brush your bangs back with hairspray. If you don’t want to have to wear a headscarf or headband all the time, apply hairspray to your bangs and push your hair back in the style you want. This is suitable for ponytails, buns, or short hairstyles.

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Use hairpins to cover stray hairs. While waiting for your hair to grow out, try covering your hair with lovely hair clips. Clip the section of hair that you want to hide under the other curls. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Change it up a bit by twisting a few curls away from your face and securing them to the front or to the sides. Finally, use some hairspray to keep the hold.

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Use a curling iron to hide an uneven hairstyle. If you feel uncomfortable with uneven hair, create waves with a curling iron to hide the messy hair. The straighter your hair, the more “staggered” hairs will be exposed. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Apply a volumizing serum or an elastic hair serum or spray to hold the hair in place.

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Use a straightener/iron for very short hair. For a hairstyle that you like but is a bit short, you can make your hair look longer by using a straightener/iron to straighten naturally curly hairs. The smoother the hair, the longer it will look. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Apply heat-resistant wax to your hair before straightening, and then apply a hair-smoothing serum to prevent frizz from returning.

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Try hair extensions for super short hair. If your hair is cut so short that you can’t wait to grow it out, find a few extensions at the cosmetic store that match your hair color and texture. Take the extension to your hairdresser and have them cut the extension to match your hair. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Each time you use an extension, comb 2.5cm of the tip of the hair where you will be attaching the extension and spray a little glue to secure the extension.

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Consider changing to a new hair color or highlighting to make your look more harmonious. If you want your hair to grow out until it can be retouched, another good option is to color or highlight your hair. This will help reduce attention to unwanted hair. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Meet your hairdresser, or a new hairdresser, to choose the right color for you.

Avoid getting a bad haircut next time

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Get to know hairdressers through recommendations. Asking family and friends for advice is a great way to find a hairdresser you can trust. Don’t go straight into the salon and pick up a hairdresser who is hands-free; the person may not have any appointments because of low skills or they are still inexperienced. ^{[14] X Research Source}

If a friend, relative, or co-worker has done a hairstyle that you like, ask who they went to. They may even get a discount when they refer you to the salon.
If no one has any suggestions for you, check out online reviews of local hair salons.

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Consult with your hairdresser before starting. If you’re not satisfied with your current hairstyle, or this is your first time seeing this stylist, make an appointment for a pre-cut consultation. Make an appointment right before the cut and you’ll have time to discuss with your hairdresser why you’re unhappy with your hairstyle or what you want in your new hairstyle. ^{[15] X Research Source}

The hairdresser will talk about the cuts that work best for your hair and facial features, and what you can expect from a haircut based on the cut you want.

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Bring a magazine or online photo. The best way to avoid having your hairdresser misinterpret what you mean is to provide a photo of your desired hairstyle. Search beauty magazines or online for favorite hairstyles, and pick one to take to the salon.

A good hairdresser will look at the photo and tell you how different the same hairstyle looks when cut for you and for others, based on facial features and hair type. ^{[16] X Research Source}
The exchange of ideas will help avoid surprises if your haircut doesn’t make you look like the person in the photo.

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Talk to your hairdresser about the hairstyle you usually cut. If you don’t usually spend a lot of time and effort on styling, tell this to your hairdresser so they don’t have to make a lot of meticulous cuts. Based on the description or sample photo, the hairdresser will let you know if an exact cut is right for you, or a slight variation would be better. ^{[17] X Research Source}

If you don’t mind spending a lot of time and effort on styling, you will have more options to get the hairstyle you want. Be sure to get exact instructions from your hairdresser on the styling steps as they will style your hair after it’s cut.

Advice

Try to avoid slamming out of the salon if your hair is cut. Ask to speak with the salon manager, and specify the desired hairstyle compared to the current hairstyle. Say you feel this is unacceptable and you want a refund or want another appointment for a free haircut.

Steps

Hair retouch

Hide your broken hair

Avoid getting a bad haircut next time

Advice

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