TikTok is an undeniably great app. It’s a great way to discover a life-changing product, uncover a genius life hack, or help you procrastinate. But every few months, a trend comes around that seems smart but might not be the best of ideas in the long run. This time, it’s the “one-minute mullet,” a quick and seemingly easy way to get the wolf cut of your dreams à la Demi Lovato or Halsey.
The idea is to put your hair into a high ponytail and then cut off much of the length (as seen in the TikTok video below). In an ideal world, you’ll wind up with a multilayered shag cut or mullet in what seems like no time, with approximately no wasted energy. But professionals everywhere are begging you to leave the haircut to the experts, even though that requires some more effort.
@effervescingelephant
“One-step haircuts are a terrible idea because they won’t look good, they won’t grow out well, [and] the uneven hairs will get tangled in your brush,” hairstylist Devin Toth of Salon SCK in New York City tells GRAZIA.” Also, cheap scissors will tear your hair. So instead of cutting your hair, you will be fraying it.”
Also, haircuts are a different experience from person to person based on your hair type, texture, density, and thickness. That said, a “one-size-fits-all” approach (especially one as tenuous as a mullet) sounds like a one-way street to disaster. “On Tiktok, it might seem cool, but in real life, it will most likely look like a hot mess that requires a lot of style finessing,” the expert warns.
The original TikTok video featured a social media user who already had bangs, which is, according to Toth, an essential part of the mullet hairstyle—and well as the easiest part to mess up. “I usually joke to clients saying something like don’t try this at home…but in the case of this TikTok trend, don’t try it at home,” he says. “Or try it and then immediately book an appointment with your hairdresser!”
