The first haircut my dad gave me was in our old apartment. I was sitting on a stool in front of the corridor mirror, with a white bedsheet wrapped around my shoulders. I looked like a tiny ghost!

He placed a bowl on my head and carefully traced its edge with a pair of scissors. I don’t remember exactly how it turned out, but it must’ve been pretty bad because right after, he took me out to get some ice cream — a bribe for my forgiveness.

Ronald N Toll had the exact same experience, only he came out of it with a picture to prove it. Recently, Ronald shared it on Threads, sparking a wave of nostalgia as others chimed in with their own unforgettable childhood haircuts.

Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.

#1 My LEGO Lady Phase

#2 I Spent The Night Before Sleeping With Those Grey Prickly Curlers In My Hair, For My Grade 3 School Photo. I Look Like A 70s Real Estate Receptionist

It makes sense that people get so emotional sharing these photos. According to acclaimed hairstylist Jawara Wauchope, for example, hair is a big part of our identity.

“You can tell through someone’s hair what they’re going through, what they’re dealing with, how they feel about themselves,” he says.

Wauchope goes a step further and says you can even make observations about the community by examining their salons. “I think it’s an ecosystem, especially a Black beauty salon.”

“It’s like you see so much in there. You go in there for hair, but you…leave with everything because everyone congregates there.”

Of course, that might not apply to DIY home haircuts, but it just goes to show how much meaning we tend to attach to hair in general.

#3 Mom Cut My Bangs For Picture Day, 70s Edition

#4 My “Dorothy Hamil” Haircut 😂🫣🤣

#5 Hmm, I Might Win This One. My Mom Gave Me A Mullet And Also A Perm, But Just On The Bangs

While the kids in the pictures may not have had the chance to say no to their parents’ plans, some people choose not to go to the salon even when they can.

According to a recent poll of more than 13,000 adults in the United States, 13% are considering learning to cut their own hair.

A quick look at the demographic data shows that men and women are equally curious about DIY haircuts, while Gen Z leads the age groups in considering this option.

#6 1969. My Dad Would Cut My Hair With Fingernail Scissors (Iykyk). Silver Lining, They Let Me Go Without My Eyepatch For Pictures. It’s Amazing We Survived 🤣😬

#7 Nothing Says Childhood Quite Like A Home-Permed Dorothy Hamill Haircut

#8 My Mom Teased My Hair. After Years Of Therapy, I Have Finally Forgiven Her

#9 I Feel Ya On That! (60s Edition)

Those considering cutting their own hair are also:

TV Fans: Almost half (44%) of those who are thinking about cutting their own hair consider TV shows “important” in their lives, while just 21% of non-DIY hair-cutters say the same.
Eating Up the Bars: Those on the fence about cutting their own hair are three times as likely as those adamantly against it to eat snack, health, diet, or supplement bars.
Mindful of Fashion: Half of those contemplating a DIY haircut purchase designer items, compared to just 17% of non-DIY hair-cutters.
Have a Need for Speed: Interestingly, 56% of those considering the at-home haircut are NASCAR fans; just 20% of those in opposition to the idea say the same.

#10 My Hair Was As Wide As My Mother’s Body! Grade Eight

#11 Mom Gave Me An Ogilvie Home Perm Back In The 70s. But Let’s Be Honest, Nobody Was Looking At My Awful Curls. 🫣🕺🏻

#12 My Mother Insists That She Is Not To Blame. She Lies. Haircuts In The Kitchen

#13 Not Me, My Wife

And if there’s ever a time to have a bad haircut, it’s in childhood, when the stakes are relatively low, and hair grows back pretty much just the way it was before. A YouGov poll found that only a minority of Americans experience hair problems “to a great extent,” but milder issues are widespread.

Thinning and shedding (11% each) are the biggest concerns that affect Americans to a great extent, but about a third report these issues to a lesser degree. Premature greying (11% great; 17% moderate) and bald spots or receding hairlines (10% great) also affect many adults. Everyday frustrations are even more common: frizz or damage (9% great; 15% moderate) and dandruff or dry scalp (8% great; 14% moderate) impact large numbers, though less severely.

#14 Easter Bangs

#15 Everybody’s Mom Did The Bangs. And I Guess I Have Always Had Cankles

#16 Not A Homemade Haircut, But Scary 70’s Hair Nonetheless. I Look Like I’ve Been Cattle Prodded

#17 My Mom Thought She Made A Good Choice With This Perm

And if you never experiment, you might never know what truly suits you and makes you feel confident.

Another survey of 2,000 Americans found that a whopping 58 percent feel their hairstyle is stuck in a rut — with women leading the charge over men: 66 percent of women feel their hair could use a major change, while 49 percent of men feel the same.

So think about it: maybe if someone has one of the worst haircuts in childhood, they won’t be afraid to switch it up later, and that early misstep could actually encourage creativity, bold choices, and a willingness to take risks with style well into adulthood.

#18 Pretty Sure Gum Was Cut Out Of One Side Here

#19 Mom Cut Our Bangs Early 60s Edition

#20 Sister Cut My Hair For Pictures And Hid The Hair In Her Little Purse So Noo One Would Know. 70s

#21 Gotcha Beat!

#22 You Just Needed A Bobby Pin To Really Spruce Up The Bangs LOL

#23 Oh Yay! I Just Found This Gem And I Think I Fit Right In Here

#24 I Think Mom Kept Trying To Get Them Straight Until She Couldn’t Cut Any More

#25 My Kindergarten Picture 1975

#26 Me – 1st Grade. I Was Supposed To Take The Sweater Off But I Forgot

#27 Fifth Grade Circa 1970-71. My Shirt And Pants Matched. Horrid. Had Just Started Wearing Glasses. And The Hair!

#28 Crimes Against Humanity

#29 Finnish Kid In Canada. All I Wanted Was To Be French Canadian Catholic So I Too Could Be Cute

#30 I’ve Got The 1980s Edition. Trimmed These Myself!

#31 Farm Kids Didn’t Go To Stylists

#32 60’s Me By Mom

#33 1960’s. Why???? (I’m In The Middle)

#34 The Night Before My First Grade Picture Was Taken, I Decided To Give Myself My Own Haircut

#35 2nd Grade: Pincurls (And A Mustard Color Dress)

#36 My Husband. Those Bangs Were Covering A Forehead That Has “Grown” Over The Years

#37 Dad With Kitchen Scissors – 90’s Style

#38 Crooked Bangs, Crooked Bows. 1982

#39 Bad Bangs 90s Edition

#40 The 50s

#41 Gee I’m Not Alone. Our Mothers Should Have Never Been Allowed To Own A Pair Of Scissors

#42 My Bangs Needed A Trim But I Took The Scissors To The Side Of My Head Instead

#43 My Dad Let Me Put Myself Together And I Was Apparently Allergic To Hairbrushes

#44 I Always Had Boy Cuts

#45 My Mom Actually Was A Beautician In The 30’s But Only Did Perms And Sets. Obvi Not A Hair Cutter

#46 I Think There’s A Whole Can Of Hair Spray In This One

#47 Dad Felt The Need To Trim My My Bangs Before Each Picture Taking

#48 Not Sure Why I’m Wearing A Headband Except I Think They Were Popular In The 60’s

#49 I Cut My Own Bangs For My 4th Grade Picture. 🫤 60’s Edition

#50 My Hair Still Flips This Way

#51 Mmhmm

You might also like: “Makes Me Physically Cringe”: 22 People List Beauty Standards That Need To Retire

51 Childhood Hair Disasters Caused By Parents Playing Hairdressers