Picking the right short haircut can make or break your look. Not all styles work for every hair type, and some can actually make your daily styling routine a nightmare.
Before you head to the salon with that Pinterest photo, check out these short cuts that often disappoint—and the five styles that could leave you in tears.
1. One-Length Blunt Bob
Sleek in magazines but brutal for thick or curly hair. Without layers, these textures poof outward, creating the dreaded triangle effect. Daily styling becomes a battle with flat irons and products just to keep it from expanding throughout the day.
2. Micro Bangs
Those super-short baby bangs? Major commitment alert! Growing them out creates an awkward middle stage lasting months. They also highlight forehead imperfections and require daily styling—even on sick days. Not for cowlicks or natural waves.
3. Ruige Pixie
Adorable on celebrities but demands professional styling products daily. Fine hair looks flat and lifeless while thick hair sticks out in strange directions. Plan for bi-weekly trims to maintain the shape, otherwise it morphs into an undefined mess.
4. Asymmetrische Bob
Striking on runways but problematic for real life. The longer side constantly falls in your face, requiring constant tucking. Wavy or curly hair makes the asymmetry disappear entirely, wasting money on a cut nobody notices. Bedhead looks particularly chaotic.
5. Straight-Across Shoulder-Length Cut
Flattering in theory but brutal for fine hair. Without layers, ends appear stringy and lifeless. The weight pulls down any volume, creating a flat-on-top, slightly-wider-at-bottom silhouette. Waves and curls fight against this one-dimensional shape constantly.
6. Kinlengte Bob met pony
Creates a helmet-like appearance on thick hair. The combination of heavy bangs and dense chin-length sides frames your face like a box. Humidity turns this style into a nightmare, with bangs sticking to foreheads and sides expanding outward uncontrollably.
7. Pixie ondersnijding
Edgy but high-maintenance! The shaved sections grow out within weeks, creating awkward fuzzy patches that don’t blend with longer top sections. Fine hair lacks the density needed to create contrast between lengths. Growing it out requires months of strange transitional stages.
8. Layered Lob With Face-Framing
Gorgeous in salon photos but frustrating for straight hair that won’t hold shape. Those face-framing pieces need daily styling or they hang limply. Curly-haired folks find the layers create unpredictable volume spots and frizz zones that defy product control.
9. Stacked Bob
Voluminous in back but problematic for active lifestyles. The graduated layers flatten oddly during sleep and resist restyling without washing. Fine hair lacks the density to create the intended fullness, while thick hair creates an exaggerated mushroom effect nobody wants.
10. Blunt Collarbone Cut
Constantly gets caught in scarves, necklaces, and coat collars. The awkward length flips outward or inward unpredictably throughout the day. Wavy hair creates an unintentional mullet effect with this length—business in front, party on the sides.
11. Kom
Trendy on runways but disastrous for most. The circular shape emphasizes round faces rather than flattering them. Thick hair creates a heavy, helmet-like appearance while fine hair lays flat against the head like a swimming cap. Daily styling is non-negotiable.
12. Choppy lagen
Meant to create texture but often create chaos instead. Fine hair ends up looking thin and disconnected at the ends. Curly hair becomes a pyramid of different lengths that frizz independently. The grow-out phase is particularly painful with uneven ends for months.
13. Grillige pony
Separate and stick to foreheads in humidity, creating a stringy, sparse appearance. Oil from your skin makes them look greasy faster than the rest of your hair. Fine-haired folks find they disappear entirely by midday, while thick-haired people battle constant puffiness.
14. Severe Center-Part Bob
Harsh on most face shapes despite its Instagram popularity. The rigid symmetry emphasizes any facial asymmetry you might have. Natural parts rebel against this forced division, creating awkward bumps and cowlicks that fight styling products. Not for hair with natural texture.
15. Mullet-Inspired Shag
The modern mullet revival looks edgy on models but translates poorly to real life. The disconnected lengths create odd silhouettes from different angles. Fine hair lacks the necessary volume, while thick hair expands in the wrong places, creating an unintentional mushroom top.
16. Angled Nape Undercut
Quickly becomes visible as hair shifts throughout the day, revealing patches you didn’t intend to show. Growth appears as an awkward shadow within weeks. Professional environments may find this too edgy, limiting your styling options for important meetings or events.
17. Curly Pixie With Tapered Sides
Requires professional-level styling skills and specialized products daily. The grow-out phase is particularly brutal, with sides expanding outward before gaining enough length to fall. Humidity creates unpredictable volume in all the wrong places. Weekly salon visits become necessary.