Expert reveals biggest TikTok hair fails and how to learn from them

Since COVID-19 forced hairdressers to close, desperate Brits turned to TikTok for tips on how to cut, style and colour their messy manes – resulting in some disastrous hair horror stories.

However, it seems that despite hairdressers opening up, people have continued to turn to TikTok as they experiment with trending hair hacks.

Haircare Expert, Nicole Petty of Milk + Blush reveals the scariest TikTok hair fails, plus her top tips on how to properly achieve the desired look, so you don’t make the same mistakes.

Replacing firm hold setting sprays… with gorilla glue

Nothing says chic like a sleek ponytail, but some TikTok users are going to extreme lengths to tame flyaway hair by using industrial-strength glue to slick back their locks.

The glue can cause irreparable damage to the scalp, damage hair follicles and can even result in allergic reaction or anaphylactic shock thanks to prolonged exposure to the soluble latex in glue.

Others are resorting to beeswax which, while not nearly as dangerous as Gorilla glue, is still very difficult to remove from hair and can lead to damage, as this TikTok hairdresser reveals.

To achieve the sleek ponytail look, start by blow-drying damp hair in the direction of the ponytail and secure with a strong bungee hair tie. To finish, lightly smooth any flyaways with gel or hairspray and only ever use products designed for hair.

Over-toning with purple shampoo

Bleached hair isn’t going anywhere any time soon, with celebrities such as Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez and even Dylan O’Brien all sporting blonde locks this year.

While celebs turn to their trusted hairdresser, TikTokers are relying on DIY methods to get the platinum look, with some recommending leaving purple shampoo on dry hair for more than two hours.

Leaving purple shampoo on dry hair for too long will only leave your hair feeling dry, looking patchy and will almost certainly give your hair a blueish purple tinge, like this TikTok user.

Unless you’re after a ghoulish hair colour in time for Halloween, you should only use purple shampoo once or twice a week and never leave it on for longer than recommended. For those looking to neutralise brassiness, you should always apply a toner after bleaching your hair to achieve an icy blonde hue.

Risky self-cuts

With salons shut last year, many turned their hand to at-home trims to tide them over. Some however, pushed the boat a little too far when giving their hair the chop.

The ‘easiest’ and most popular method saw women flip their hair into an upside-down ponytail to create a layered look – with unfortunate results for this TikToker.

Meanwhile, the ‘one-minute mullet’ or ‘wolf cut’ became a huge trend in 2020, with over 700 million views on TikTok. Though some managed to achieve the shaggy do of their dreams, others were left with drastically uneven layers.

To achieve this look, put down the scissors and go to a reputable hairdresser, like this TikToker did, to ensure the best results.

Dyeing hair with perfume and hot straighteners

Experimenting with your hair colour is a great way to express yourself, but you should avoid following in the footsteps of this dangerous TikTok hack that sees women spraying perfume directly onto hot hair straighteners to change the colour of their hair.

Not only will this not work as an effective way of noticeably changing hair colour, doing so will scorch hair could lead to hair loss if it’s already in a fragile state. You also risk causing a fire since perfume is highly flammable.

If you’re looking for a quick and temporary way to change up your hair colour, use hair chalk or colour spray as a safer alternative when switching up your look.

Eagle-eyed viewers were quick to notice the video was fake, with the unplugged straightener cable clearly visible. It goes to show, you shouldn’t always trust what you watch on TikTok, especially if you notice the video is heavily edited or the creator doesn’t show end results.