10+ Hair Salon Horror Stories That Left Clients Shocked and Speechless

A visit to the hairdresser is supposed to be a moment of relaxation, renewal and, why not, a little ego pampering. But sometimes, instead of leaving feeling like a movie heartthrob, we come out looking like, “What did you do to me?”

In this article, we have compiled the most incredible, bizarre, and downright creepy anecdotes from users around the world about their worst hair salon experiences. From cuts that defied logic to barbers who thought “art” was synonymous with “improvising with your eyes closed,” these stories will make you laugh, suffer, and probably reconsider that impulsive change of look.

“Worst haircut ever.”

• I was starting a new job the next day — this was 1997 — and I asked the barber to “just clean it up.” I walked in with maybe 3″ of normal looking hair on top, parted on the left side, and he gave me one of those stupid Caesar cuts of the day and left huge whitewalls over my ears.
  I was so embarrassed, I almost didn’t show up for work. It was obviously very scarring for me, as I’m still horrified by the experience almost 30 years later. © twelveangryken / Reddit
• A few years ago, my hairdresser, who has done my hair many times, did something very unusual for me: cut me at least 6 inches on one side and not so much on the other, and it was so uneven and weird. I was so confused! What had happened? I cried and cried.
  But the scariest thing was that a few weeks later, the barber went to the doctor and discovered he had a brain leak. I was one of several customers with strange cuts. One day he got lost in his own neighborhood and went to the hospital. I knew something was wrong. © Reyalla508 / Reddit
• I had long hair and it was a hot spring. I told my barber to cut it all off. I heard the clippers coming out. It was a disaster!
  I came home and the first thing my wife said to me was, “It’s Gump! Forrest Gump.” Thank God my hair grows fast. It was a painful but cool month. © badpuffthaikitty / Reddit
• I went to a new barber and asked her for a trim. She gave me a tight-lipped smile. Thirty minutes later, I looked in the mirror and gasped in horror.
  “You ruined it!” I shouted. She smirked and said, “Next time, don’t break up with someone over text.” That’s when it hit me—she was the sister of my ex. I paid and left in silence.

“Went to a new barber. Asked for my part to be cut in. SHE MOWED 1/2” STRIPE OUT OF MY HEAD!"

• The first time my dad took my brother and me to his barbershop, he got his hair cut by his regular person, the owner of the barbershop, and my brother and I got this 80-year-old barber who had been cutting hair all his life.
  The problem was, this was around 2007-2008, and we were at the height of emo/goth scene whatever it was. Long hair pulled over the eyes kind of look, nothing this master barber was prepared for. So he pulled out a literal bowl, put it on our heads and cut the rest off. We were both done before our dad’s haircut was done, and we sat there looking at each other like a couple of confused Beatles.
  My dad held in his laughter until he got to the car and broke down. He said he didn’t know this guy cut hair this late and didn’t think he was going to be there. He also said he did a great job with short haircuts.
  He took us back to his regular lady the next day, and she fixed it as best she could, but it was much shorter and not to our emo taste. The old man died not long after that, and I feel lucky that he cut my hair, even though it was one of the worst haircuts of my life. © iburntxurxtoast / Reddit
• I went to one of those places in the mall just for a trim. The girl said, “Trust me” and pulled me away from the mirror. When she was done, my hair was at least 6 inches shorter, but up to 6 inches shorter elsewhere.
  I looked like I had been attacked by a brush cutter. I burst into tears. The manager came running over and was flabbergasted. The woman with the scissors, sacred, said, “It’s just a joke! She’ll look pretty with short hair.” I ran out of there.
  The next day, I covered my hair with a hat. A co-worker saw me and said, “My wife can fix it.” I cried again. I went to his wife at lunch. She called all her hairdressing students to see what a mess my hair was. She fixed it, but instead of my hair being waist length, it was chin length.
  Now, I don’t let anyone cut my hair until I’ve seen someone else’s hair cut. Even then, I’m afraid. Now I have it long enough to cut it myself. © gaelicdarkwater / Reddit
• My barber was out of town, so I went to a new one this time. And let me tell you, I walked into the barbershop and the barber seemed distracted. And as soon as they started cutting, I could tell it was going to go south real fast.
  The haircut ended up being completely different from what I asked for — think of it as a cross between a botched DIY job and a bad 80s mullet. I tried not to panic the whole time! It was one of those situations where you just nod, pay, and get the hell out of there, all while wearing a hat to hide the disaster. © Cool-Tanjirou77 / Reddit

“He asked for this.”

• Tried a new barber. She barely spoke English, and before I knew it, I had a Lloyd Christmas bowl cut. Went home and buzzed my head. © Unknown author / Reddit
• The worst haircut I have ever had. My barber had retired, he was old and it was a well-deserved retirement. But that left me with no place to get my hair cut. It had been a year and I couldn’t stand having hair over my shoulders and in my face, so it was time to do something.
  I looked around for another salon, but nowhere had anything like what I was used to, so I gave up and went to the first chain salon I could find. The woman sat me down after a short wait and wanted to chat, but I just wanted a haircut and to get on with my day, which may have annoyed her a little. I had told her I wanted a basic cut, nothing fancy, just clean and professional.
  And what did I get? The shortest cut of my life. I went home and got a flush cut. © Taureem / Reddit
• I have the traditional male pattern baldness. My cut is a buzz on the sides, trim on top, and I part from the side. No comb-over, I am proudly bald.
  But apparently I failed to communicate this to a new stylist. I didn’t notice until I left because I can’t see without glasses, and after she styled my hair, it looked fine. But as soon as I got outside, the wind blew it up and I discovered the terrible truth.
  She left one side of my top untouched. Then she buzzed the other side (almost to the middle of the top of my head) and used the long hair to cover where she had just buzzed. I don’t know if she made a mistake or if she thought it looked good.
  I was pretty embarrassed. I demanded a refund and ended up having to shave my head. © efluxr / Reddit

“Worst haircut of my life.”

• I went to see a mutual friend, a girl I had known for a few years from beauty school. But the “mutual friend” through whom we met and I had a bad end to our friendship. However, I trusted her to be professional because she had done my hair in the past. Big, big mistake.
  I asked for an inch cut, and what did I get? She cut off about 6–7 inches. I was DEVASTATED. It took me almost 2 years to get it back to the same length. 3 years later and it is still not as long as it used to be. © stephinatorr / Reddit
• I got the number of a beautiful girl and that night I was going to take her to the movies and a nice restaurant. I bought new clothes, new shoes, and planned to get a new haircut to impress her.
  Everything would have been fine if I had never met Tom. Oh, Tom... I went to his hair salon, which was near the mall, and it looked like an old-fashioned hair salon. The kind where they talk about sports and make jokes with the mayor or something.
  Tom waved me in and sat me down in a chair. I told him plainly what I wanted: a haircut. Tom was an older gentleman who looked like he had been cutting hair all his life. But no, Tom fooled me.
  The haircut he gave me made me look like Jim Carrie from Dumb and Dumber, except it was dramatically uneven in the back. © saltnotsugar / Reddit
• My hairdresser and I had a really good relationship and I had short hair, and I wasn’t thrilled, so she asked me if she could do something wild and surprise me. When I saw the result, I was mortified. She had given me a weird, uneven pixie cut.
  I told her it was “very cool,” but it would be very hard to maintain on a daily basis, so please leave it as a normal hairstyle. She cut it again without complaint and I left happy. © Unknown author / Reddit

So now you know. The next time you’re in the barber chair, and they say, “I have an idea,” run! Or at least make sure they are not holding a pair of scissors. Because as these brave hair disaster survivors teach us, unchecked creativity can leave its mark... at least until your hair grows back.

Want to learn more stories of people who also trusted and regretted it? You can read this article about users who had a memorable experience with their barbers... in the worst possible way.