7 Easy Ways to Fix Any Bad Hair Day

Resignation: when you realize that some days your hair is going to look like shit, and this is one of them. But it doesn't have to be this way. Things can be better. We asked top hairstylists to share their best cures for a bad hair day, because you can only tuck your ends into a sweater so many times, and one ponytail a week is probably enough.

By Lexi Novak

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If your texture is wonky...

When some pieces of hair corkscrew while others bend or zigzag, cut your losses and just put it all up. "There's nothing better than a curly, messy topknot," says hairstylist Tippi Shorter. Gather your hair into a high, loose bun—the more pieces that fall out the better—and tie it with an elastic. You can adjust the placement of curls however you like and secure them in place with bobby pins. Then pull out a few wisps around your hairline to soften the look. It'll immediately seem like you put effort into your style.



If you're a grease-fire hazard...

Like imagining life without the Snapchat puking-rainbow feature, it's hard to remember what we did before dry shampoo. And also like the multicolor filter, it's easy to overuse. Blast your matted-down roots with your degreaser of choice (we like Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk), then lift the hair and blow-dry for a hot second, says New York City hairstylist Teddi Cranford.



If your bangs are sticking up...

"Do a hairline braid around your forehead to create a focal point that looks cool in a quick, easy way," says New York City hairstylist Matt Fugate. Lightly mist hair with texturizing spray, such as Kérastase Spray à Porter, before plaiting to help all the pieces grip each other and stay in place. Then pin the braid behind your ear with two bobby pins placed in an X shape.
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If your curls are unrecognizable...

Remember those shapely, controlled curls you had when you went to sleep? Now they're part of one poufy mass of hair that no amount of fluffing or curl cream can tame. To calm the crazy and get back some definition, Shorter recommends wetting hands with water, gathering the hair into two tight braids on each side of your head, and then unwinding them after ten minutes. The moisture-braid combination reactivates the styling products already in your hair and coaxes it into shape.



If your sheets creased your face and your hair...

A curling iron is the greatest tool to disguise any bends that may have formed in your hair overnight, says hairstylist Nathaniel Hawkins. Section off small pieces of hair and curl the midlength until all the waves blend together. Leaving the ends straight creates a beachy, undone finish, but if the ends look especially frayed, quickly clamp them in the iron as well—the heat from both sides helps smooth the cuticle.



If you've got pieces going in every direction...

Bobby pins are a great hair equalizer. But nothing says "I'm trying to hide a rough hair day" like a tangle of pins scattered around your head like buckshot. Instead, arrange them in a pattern. "Line up five to eight in a row so it looks intentional rather than just trying to hide something," says Fugate.
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If you want curls with volume, not frizz...

A little frizz can be a great thing, since it creates a bigger, fuller shape. To take advantage of the fuzziness, flip your head upside down and fluff hair around the nape with either your hands or a hair pick, says hairstylist Anthony Dickey. That will build body from underneath while keeping the surface of curls defined.