10 Women Share Their Worst Hair Disasters

Read, laugh and then say thanks for good hair days.

Yikes! - Did you rock a curl in middle school? Go in to get your ends clipped and leave with an unasked for pixie? Have a track come out when your date ran his hands through your hair? Then you can relate to these women’s scary hair tales. Read, laugh a little and then say thanks for good hair days. By Kenrya Rankin (Photo: Fritz Cohen/Corbis)

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Yikes! - Did you rock a curl in middle school? Go in to get your ends clipped and leave with an unasked for pixie? Have a track come out when your date ran his hands through your hair? Then you can relate to these women’s scary hair tales. Read, laugh a little and then say thanks for good hair days. By Kenrya Rankin (Photo: Fritz Cohen/Corbis)

Regine Cliatt, 21, Mansfield, Texas - It was sixth grade, and I completely forgot it was picture day. And I’d lost my brush. So much struggle was happening….my picture was all bad. When the yearbook came out, my friends quickly dubbed me “Rooftop,” since my hair was shaped like a triangle that would not lay flat. (Photo: Courtesy of Regine Cliatt)

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Regine Cliatt, 21, Mansfield, Texas

Erin Parks, 26, Denver, Colorado - I was really active the summer after my seventh grade year in middle school. Soccer, dance class, cross-country — I was prepping for it all. Unfortunately, I was not taking care of my hair. I just pulled it back into a ponytail every day. Before long, all my hair broke off in the back. I got a couple of tracks put in and wore my haircut in a bob until it grew out. I went natural six years later, and it’s a much better path for me. (Photo: EMP Creative)

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Erin Parks, 26, Denver, Colorado

Tenille Johnson, 27, Chicago, Illinois - I was a pre-teen in the early 2000s. Destiny’s Child was the pinnacle of all things fabulous and I was convinced that my destiny was to have Kelly Rowland’s signature electric red highlights. I begged my mother until she agreed to my new “mature” look. She was busy that day, so my dad took me to the hairstylist. I sat in the chair excited for my transformation, and then it happened: she pulled out the bleach. But I was young and too nervous to speak up, plus, shouldn’t my stylist know what she was doing? When it was time for the big reveal, instead of Kelly Rowland, I had magically turned into Ronald McDonald! The sheer shock on my dad’s face was priceless, and my mother went H.A.M. — I got yelled at, my dad got yelled at, and most importantly, the stylist was verbally annihilated. (Photo: Courtesy of Tenille Johnson)

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Tenille Johnson, 27, Chicago, Illinois

Jessica Webb, 30, St. Louis, Missouri - I wanted a cute reddish color, so I dyed my hair at home. It turned bright red. I tried using dark gel in an attempt to tone down the color, but that just made it worse. Not wanting anyone to see me, I dyed it black the same day. Now, my hair was completely fried. I got to braiding, thinking micros would help disguise my over-processed hair. I wore them for a few weeks, but when I took them out and reached for the shampoo, all my hair went down the drain. (Photo: Jessica Webb)

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Jessica Webb, 30, St. Louis, Missouri

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Sylvia D. McCarter, 31, Bronx, New York - Five years ago, I decided to go natural by accident. I just stopped doing my touchups. Then I discovered the natural hair community on YouTube and decided to transition with braids. I planned on a 12-month transition, but I only got three months in because my hair became tangled and matted while I was taking out my braids. I wanted to cry. I told my mother that I wanted to cut it all off and she said, “Go, girl!” I stood it the mirror with my ends looking like the Crypt Keeper and a boldness came over me. I cried and laughed as I did it. I felt so beautiful and free from all the things that had kept me from big chopping in the first place. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made when it comes to embracing myself as I am.  (Photo: Courtesy of Sylvia McCarter)

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Sylvia D. McCarter, 31, Bronx, New York

T. Espinoza, 33, Washington, D.C. - After going natural and growing out an epic fro, I decided to get my hair blown out at the Dominican salon like I’d done a million times when my hair was relaxed. BIG mistake. By the time I left the salon, my hair was fried. When I washed my hair to try to get it to revert, I looked like a sad wet puppy. I’d lost all of the glorious kinks and curls I’d spent two years growing out and had to cut it again to get rid of the heat damage. Never again! (Photo: The Style Medic)

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T. Espinoza, 33, Washington, D.C.

Shameeka Emmanuel, 34, San Jose, California - When I was in the sixth grade, I wanted to look fabulous for my end of year awards ceremony. So I bought some hair so that I could have a curly ponytail. I did my hair myself, and it was exactly how I wanted it. I had some hair left over, so I used it to make a bang. Well, that was a terrible idea: The bangs said “bye, bye” as I walked to the stage to receive my award. About 1,400 middle school kids saw the whole thing. (Photo: CJ3Photography)

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Shameeka Emmanuel, 34, San Jose, California

Tanesha Willis, 34, Washington, D.C. - My freshman year at Howard University, I got my eyebrows waxed for the first time and loved it. When it was time for a touchup, I reached for a bottle of Nair. I figured it was used for hair removal, so it should work great on my brows, too. Boy, was I wrong! I burned my face. Now I stick to threading. (Photo: Courtesy of Tanesha Willis)

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Tanesha Willis, 34, Washington, D.C.

Chenese Lewis, 35, Baton Rouge, Louisiana - In high school, I wanted to experiment with my hair, but my parents wouldn't let me cut my hair, which was long and thick and hung down my back. They compromised by allowing me to experiment with color. I always had my hair professionally done by my stylist...but one day I went for my weekly appointment and the beauty shop was boarded up. My stylist had left town without warning. Eventually, I made an appointment at a popular salon that was running a special on color. I got blonde highlights all over, but they came out way too light. They tried to tone them down, but all the highlights broke off. I went from a long impressive healthy mane of hair to a chicken head! (Photo: Inez Lewis)

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Chenese Lewis, 35, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Tameka Anderson, 38, Roswell, Georgia - I went to the salon for a simple cut. I showed the stylist a picture and she was super excited about executing my new look. I asked her several times if she was one, sure that she could do it and two, sure that it would look nice on me. She said yes to both questions and began cutting. After an hour of using her scissors, I asked to see her work so far. I was devastated to see that I had a shag — not at all what I asked for. I had to go to another stylist to fix it. I watched her the entire time! (Photo: Tameka Anderson)

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Tameka Anderson, 38, Roswell, Georgia