Mistake 1: Making the Cut If You’re Curly

Corkscrews and short hair don’t mix. “If you have tight curls, you’ll have to use a blow-dryer and pull on each ringlet to stretch it out, which is time consuming,” says hairstylist Serge Normant of the Serge Normant at John Frieda salon in New York City. “You’re better off with a layered bob—the weight of the extra length relaxes the curl.”

Mistake 2: Helmet Head

If you look like you could host the evening news, your haircut is too blunt. “Adding layers throughout—especially underneath—makes a short cut look more youthful,” says hairstylist River Lloyd of the Serge Normant at John Frieda salon in New York City. You also want to mess up the texture—”when the hair is smooth and you can’t see the layers, that’s when it starts to look like a helmet.” Ditch the hair spray and pick up a bottle of spray wax (Lloyd recommends Sally Hershberger Genius Spray Wax). Mist throughout and then blow-dry the hair up and over to the opposite side of the head. When you let it back down, it will hang flat, without that dated under-flip.

Mistakes 3 & 4 (Big Body, Small Head & Mixing Hairstyles)