Emily Ratajkowski Just Got What She Called the “Worst Haircut of Her Life”—Here’s How to Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen to You

We’ve all been there—sitting in the salon chair, craving a fresh change, only to find ourselves fighting back tears in the car afterward when the results don’t match what we had envisioned. Maybe the layers are too choppy, the bangs too short, or the overall cut just doesn’t look like the pictures you saved on Instagram. No matter how many times you tell yourself, it’s just hair, it’ll grow back, the disappointment is real.

Turns out even celebrities aren’t immune to haircut horror stories. Emily Ratajkowski recently took to TikTok to share her own salon nightmare, dubbing her latest chop the “worst haircut of her life.” 

Initially using a filter to soften the blow, she eventually revealed heavy, long bangs that extended around her entire head. Picking up a random short piece of hair, she exclaimed, “I have bangs on the back of my head.” The candid girl she is, Ratajkowski shared she was aiming for a “British shaggy” look, but admitted the ‘do is “not me, you know? Shocking. Shocking.”

Her experience is a reminder of one crucial lesson: pay attention to what’s happening in the salon chair. Bring inspo pics. Speak up before the scissors start flying. And if you see something you don’t love mid-cut? Say something. Because while hair does grow back, no one wants to spend weeks crying into their flat iron waiting for a fix.

How to Avoid a Bad Haircut

Whether a haircut is bad or just a bad fit is totally subjective. Either way, the goal is to avoid both. The first step in avoiding it is to start with the right stylist. Get recommendations from people whose hair you love, or do some digging to check out their work and make sure their style aligns with yours. Walking into a salon blind is like ordering the “chef’s special” without asking what’s in it—risky and probably not worth the gamble.

When you’re in the salon chair for the consultation, visuals are everything. “It’s super important to bring reference photos, be specific about what you want, and be just as clear about what you don’t want,” says Clara Purvis, founder of Noordwyck Salon and Blue Dunes Beauty. A picture leaves little room for misinterpretation, because what your stylist envisions as “soft layers” might not be soft to you.

A picture is a great starting point, but it’s not everything. It’s just as important to be realistic about your own hair type—pulling inspo from someone with bouncy curls when your hair is naturally pin-straight (or vice versa) can set you up for disappointment. “A lot of images online are heavily styled and even edited,” says Purvis. That’s why open communication with your stylist is key. You want to make sure they not only understand your vision but also offer expert input and adjustments that work with your hair, not against it.

Once the scissors start snipping, stay alert to what’s happening so you can stop an accident before it goes too far. While the consultation is the best time to speak up, it’s still better to say something sooner than later during the haircut to increase the possibility to reverse things.

A bad cut can take months to grow out, so be crystal clear about what you want before the first chop, especially if you’re trying a new stylist or making a major change. Your stylist won’t be offended, they’ll be grateful—and so will you. A little planning upfront can save you from weeks (or even months) of regret.