I look like a fucking hedgehog

[TongueBiter]

I had my hair cut short in summer - it looked fabulous and I've still been pleased with every cut since. Until today.

I now look like a frumpy middle aged woman with the obligatory menopausal haircut instead of a youngish 47 year old with funky, cool short hair.

Yes, I know it will grow, but I feel like not stepping out in public til it does. I feel hugely exposed with a fringe half way up my forehead - never mind the risk of people seeing the angry red psoriasis patches on my hairline.

Hairdresser said she gets scared using the clippers, that cutting my hair makes her arms ache, that she's nervous of cutting my ear, and could I slump down in the chair because I'm too tall.

It's the end of another beautiful relationship

Sorry it's long - I needed to get all that off my chest - dc are trying to be kind by saying it looks fine. It does NOT look fucking fine. I look like a man.

Could you maybe put a little wax on it and mess it up a little? It will look tons better im sure.

Oh I wish I could have a short pixie like hair cut. I'm 48. Instead I have a blond shoulder length bob, which in my book is FAR more mumsy than you.

What about having a few colours put in?

It's cold enough for a hat.

Thats very disappointing. If its just that it's too short you can probably work with it by adding products. If it's badly cut perhaps consider having it recur.

Recut not recur.

I've put an all over colour on it for now. It's just the fringe is so short! I've usually had it short at the back with a heavier sweeping fringe, which suited my face - now it's two inches shorter! God knows what she was thinking - it's square across at the back, same at my ears - just awful shaping. So short on top it just sticks up. I really think I'm going to struggle to pull it off.

Burnishedsilver - there's nowhere to go re a recut - it's too short lol. I don't want it spiked up because of the visible psoriasis patches. It's gone into the realms of unfeminine and unflattering. I could cry - I was so looking forward to getting it cut

It could be badly cut although a short fringe isn't easy to put right. With some clever chopping even the fringe may look better?

Go and see someone good. She sounds very unconfident and I wouldn't trust her tbh.

I was a hairstylist for eons before a change of career. 'Repair' jobs were common sadly. I'm amazed how bad some hairstylists are, it's shocking.

And don't get me started on colour!

After you have dyed it, apply some products and kind of mess it up a little. If you have your ears pierced put on some funky earrings. Im sure you will look fine. It will grow before you know it :)

And she's cut your hair before?

We have all been there. I remember having terrible highlights. I went back. I was devastated and just could not live with the colour. They fixed it. I have had many bad cuts and styles! I have had the same feeling you have. I remember having my hair done and having a uni exam the next day. I was mortified at having to go in.

I sympathise OP, I have short hair and am a similar age to you. I thought I had found "my" hairdresser after a brilliant cut (and after having tried just about every other salon in town) but last cut was not so good :(

A short hair cut is so easy to mess up, and it's really annoying when the hairdresser is not bold enough and seems scared to really cut short. Mind you it's even worse when they cut too short...

Thanks I'm debating whether to go and chat to the salon owner or just bear it for a couple of weeks until it's grown. Although God knows in what direction!

Dress down Friday today - my options are a bag on my head or a Santa hat

I feel I'm going to be in a bad mood every time I see it - better cover all the mirrors!

Oh, pass me a grip somebody! I've just had a full on bawling my eyes out session after washing and drying it. I'm nearly crying every time I catch sight of it.

I feel you, I gave up on having short hair because I'd have a perfect cut and then the next trim by the same stylist would be nowhere near as good every single time! And then it takes ages to grow out. I'd call and ask for someone else to adjust the cut for you and complain.

Oh it's so horrible to have that feeling, I know what you mean. I'm sure even by Christmas you'll feel a lot better. In a couple of weeks you'll be more used to it and it will have grown - not much, but enough for it to have improved.

I spent my honeymoon feeling like that about my hair - it was crap! - but a month later it was really much, much better.

Sorry - just to clarify, my honeymoon wasn't crap! Just my hair and that horrible feeling

When this happens to me I just make my hair very bland - blow dry straight , flat etc so it's not even trying. Then do fantastic eyes and base. So eyebrows groomed and coloured, highlighter under brows, liner and mascara etc and lots of smiling with some blush and lighter on my cheek bones.

I'm growing my hair out at the moment and had it cut last week. The hairdresser took loads off and chopped lots of really short layers in. She's been my hairdresser for years I think she must have forgot as she's been cutting it in the same style for so long. The actual cut was a good cut, but just months of hair growing lopped off in one go! I cried when she left too. Sorry not helpful but if you need a good bawl then go for it.

I tried to go for more makeup. I've cried my eye makeup off, and realised that my normal blusher/contouring placement hasn't worked because I've got no 'sideburns' anymore so my blusher stops in front of bare skin. AND one side is 1cm shorter than the other!! ????

I would go back to the salon. They might not be able to do much with it but hopefully they can tweak it a bit and straighten out the bits that aren't the same length

Yes I'll go after work and ask how I'm supposed to style it .

I'd be massively pissed off with the salon if they done that bad a job. I'd expect them to rework into something I can at least style until it grows.

This happened to me years ago and I still wince when I think about it. Go back and ask the salon manager to rescue it. I know that's hard when there's so little to work with, but even tiny tweaks will make a difference.

I had a similar experience when I was 19 or so - had a fab short cut then went for a trim and had a different hairdresser who left the bits over my ears longer but cut the top really short so it stuck straight up. So a proto mullet really. It was awful, I looked like a bloke and couldn't figure out how to make it look better. As I was a scruffy student I wore a hat for about 2 weeks, which I appreciate I probably not a option for you! But, it grew out really fast, it looked nasty for a week then had enough length it just looked a bit rubbish, then after 2 weeks it looked ok. I think if I had been better with stuff like wax it would have looked better sooner too.