10 terrifying (and very funny) hairstyles from our childhoods.

When I was a kid, my mother took it upon herself to cut my hair short. Like really short. Like a boy.

She did this despite the fact that I was already challenged with a rather unattractive face and bowed legs. I can only come to the conclusion that my curly wild hair was an insurmountable challenge to keep under control.

Why else would she have inflicted this upon me (that’s me on the far left):

Despite that hairdo and that outfit, I somehow managed to escape my childhood without any psychological damage.

Although I was adamant I would never do that kind of thing to my own daughter, history was hell bent on repeating itself and I found myself committing the same crime against her. Perhaps we lose the logical part of our brains after years of sleep deprivation because, for the life of me, I can't understand why I would have ever thought it was okay to willingly do this to my own child:

But at least I'm not alone. As the following images show, all parents, at least once in their lives, will make a terrible decision about their child's hairstyle. Whether the parent cuts it themselves or convinces a hairdresser to do it, perhaps we need to accept that it's a parents rite of passage to destroy their child's social lives at least once, with a horrific haircut.

Which one of the following 10 "styles" did you suffer through?

1. The 'Mullet' (business at the front, party at the back)

There is no child who would have willingly requested the mullet. Here are a variety of styles:

2. The 'Something About Mary'

If a dodgy haircut wasn't bad enough, a parent could also be quite liberal with their choice of hair product. Namely gel.

3. The 'Poodle'

Admittedly this girl probably asked for this abomination - but her parents enabled it.

4. The 'Sexual Confusion'

For when your mother wished she'd had a boy.

5. The 'Early Onset Nana'

With a 'do' that any nana in the blue rinse brigade would covet, this hairdo was especially cruel.

6. The 'Mushroom'

I'm sure the mother of every 'mushroom' had good intentions. Misguided, ill-advised intentions, but good nonetheless.

7. The 'Mullet Hybrid'

This was no accident. Some serious work went into this look. Daily.

8. The 'Chicken or the Egg'

What came first, the fringe or the crimp? Who cares? Either way, you were screwed if this was your childhood hairdo.

9. The Legoman

This what you got when your mum took a mini Lego figure to the hairdresser and asked for it to be replicated.

10. The 'Helmet'

Here are three glorious examples of the helmet. Which provided no protection whatsoever.

It's only fair that we here at the MWN share our own shameful pictures. So thanks Mum and Dad, your legacy lives on...

MWN Tragic childhood hairstyles

As much as you resist or deny it, you too have either had one of these hairstyles or have inflicted them upon one of your own children. So share the mortification and feel free to post your own. 

If these brought back fond (or hilarious) memories, you might also like these:

How a change to our hair tweaks our personality

Embarrassing beauty question #254: face hair

26 iconic hairstyles that will never date