How to recover from a hairdresser hackjob.

As you're sitting in that chair at your fave salon -- with visions of long, sexy layers dancing in your head -- you look down and see it: piles of hair on the floor. And you panic. (Is that YOUR hair?!) Your stylist turns you around to face the mirror and you see it: an above-the-shoulder bob. You asked for Jennifer Anniston...but you got Posh Spice. (And you just don't do short hair!) Don't fret. We know bad cuts are traumatic! From too-short bangs to uneven layers, we've got tips for coping with bad cuts.

A Bang-up Job: There was always that girl in pre-school who decided that, in lieu of finger painting, she would cut her bangs uber-short with a pair of safety scissors. (Okay, we admit it. We were sooo that girl!) But now we're grown-ups, such hair disasters aren't so cute. So what do you do with bangs that make you look like you're 5? The good news is that hair grows about half an inch per month. But in the meantime, your best bet is to sweep fringe to one side and secure it with a bobby pin. Opt for a super stylish vintage, jewel-encrusted clip, or go cutie pie with an itty-bitty satin bow.

Short End of the Stick: If you asked for a shoulder-length do, but somehow ended up with a cut that barely grazes your chin, resist the urge to strangle your stylist. At this point, you've got to move to plan B. (No, plan B does not involve a paper bag over your head.) Go super-chic instead. Buy some gel, squirt a small drop into your palm (the size of a dime should be plenty), and slick it through your tresses. Tuck your too short 'do behind your ears and smooth the rest onto the nape of your neck. It's so upscale and easy. Plus, it's less time-consuming in the morning than working with a bad cut.

A Layer Flub: If you leave the salon with chunky, uneven layers that look more frightening than fab, you've got to get brave with your style. The easiest fix (other than sentencing yourself to a month of ponytails), is to get funky with it. Add a little texturizing cream and blow-dry, tousling hair about. Then, use a bit of pomade on the ends to separate into pieces. This way, your grow-out phase will be sassy and fun. And you can take all your aggression out on your hair as you toss it about -- rather than on your stylist!