How to Handle a Bad Haircut: Six Ideas for Salvaging Too-Short Bangs

We've all been there. Maybe in spite of your clearest instructions, your stylist got a little scissor happy and whacked off half your beautiful mane. Maybe she just couldn't resist trying something "edgier" than usual, or she was behind on her schedule and decided to take it out on your innocent head... Or maybe it was even your own dumb fault, like it was in my case.

Hating the supposedly trendy, right-in-my-eyes, weirdly uneven bangs my stylist had given me, I decided to do a little trimming of my own. But, of course I couldn't get it precisely even, so I had to trim one side back a little, and then the other, and then the other again, until... Well, until I had the most ghastly short, blunt cut bangs I have ever seen on a grown woman.

Too-short bangs are an embarrassing hair problem to have. They're front and center, making them very high profile and hard to hide from others. They can even change the appearance of your whole face shape, not to mention making you feel a bit like a naughty four-year-old who got hold of her mother's scissors. Will anyone suspect you butchered your own bangs?

Not necessarily.

To clarify, I do NOT mean the hacking-and-slashing kind of action. NO SCISSORS. They're what got you into this mess in the first place. Instead, take some time in front of the mirror to get creative with your wacky fringe, and before you know it, you might just find a look you love-- Or at least fake a normal cut until your hair grows out.

Gather a bobby pins, headbands, hairspray and any other hair supplies you feel like experimenting with, and see how many styles and strategies you can come up with for camouflaging your new cut. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Sometimes, your bangs can look a lot better with a little more body or a slightly different shape. See if you can use your straightener to pull off a side-swept look, or if your bangs look a bit better accompanied with curly hair. Betty Page and Katy Perry are just a couple examples of a celebrities who have rocked curly hair with short, blunt bangs. It's fashionably retro. And, it might be that a bit of texture and variety in the rest of your hair takes a bit of the edge off of a harsh, blunt-banged look.

If you've tried to like your bangs, and you simply must cover them up, a pompadour is one of the most popular options. Just twist your bangs back and clip into place on top of your head with a couple of bobby pins. You can wear it plain, with the rest of your hair down, like Jessica Alba, or wear it with a bun or other updo. If you're not too scared of big hair, a pompadour can add a touch of volume on top.

Fun Trivia Fact: The pompadour is named after Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, AKA Madame de Pompadour, favorite mistress of King Louis XV of France, who popularized the style 300 years ago.

Not into the voluminous look? Or would you rather part your hair in the center or on the side? Try twisting your bangs to the side instead. Simply part your bangs wherever you'd like and grab a small piece of hair from your bangs nearest to the part. Twist to the side and gather more hair as you progress. Once you get all the way over to the side, incorporate some of your longer hair into the twist and use bobby pins to hold it all in place. If you're up for something a little more ornate, you can even try French braiding your bangs along the hairline like Jennifer Aniston.

A third way to hide your bangs is with a deep side part. Take a comb and part your hair far, far, far to one side. Then, just pin your bangs to the side you've just combed your hair towards and pull your longer hair over to hide them. If you can get your bangs to stay back with a part in the center, you can also try taking a cue from Sandra Bullock with a similar style parted in the middle, as seen at right.

If your bangs are simply too short to pin back, a wide headband or one with comb-like teeth to hold it in place can help sweep back even the shortest bangs. To make the growing-out period more bearable, try buying a few headbands that you really love so you look forward to wearing them more than you dread being seen with your new cut. For longer wear, cloth headbands are usually more comfortable than plastic or metal ones, since they won't dig into your head.

If you don't have time for styling, hats and scarves are another great option for hiding bangs. Just toss on a hat or tie on a silk scarf and you have a unique and easy cover up solution. As a bonus, a hat can protect your face from the sun, while a scarf will give you a head-turning bohemian look.

You can always go back to a salon. Maybe it's the blunt cut of your bangs that's bothering you, and a stylist could help by softening it up. Or maybe you'll like the look better with face framing layers. However, if you go back to your stylist, make sure you're clear in explaining your dilemma, and try bringing a picture or two to make sure they know what you want. Communication is key. After all, the last thing you want is to pay her to make things worse.

No matter what you do, try not to fixate on the problem. It can be hard when your bangs are so front and center, but keep your chin up, put on your favorite outfit, and smile. Odds are, no one will even notice or suspect it isn't exactly the cut you wanted. Have a great day, and happy styling!