With the Spring Festival under way, hair salons have already gone through their busiest time, driven by the Chinese tradition of having a haircut to welcome the new year with a fresh look.
This practice stems from an old belief that cutting hair in the first lunar month can bring misfortune to a maternal uncle, hence having a trim before the festival to avoid bad luck.
The custom has resulted in mainland social media, humorously labelling a haircut at that time of year as “the biggest gamble for Chinese people.”
Some people even dub themselves “haircut gamblers,” when they venture into unfamiliar hair salons and trust unknown stylists with their New Year look – a decision they often regret.
“Based on my experience, nine out of 10 gambles result in a loss,” one person said.
Social media is filled with stories of haircut gambles gone wrong, with the sharing of before-and-after photos, and the expectations versus the reality of their salon visits.
These hairstyling misadventures resonate widely, provoking laughter in those who have faced similar fates.
For example, one online user wanted to refresh her shoulder-length hair with a trim but ended up with a cut drastically shorter than expected.
This prompted jokes about her “sporty new look” and that she appeared to have won gold medals in both diving and table tennis.
Another person aiming for the trendy “fringe above the eyebrows” look ended up with a cut that her husband laughed at. Her friends even suggested she call the police and seek compensation.
A third user recounted how a perm unexpectedly aged her 20 years, to the point where during a video-call with her mother, it was difficult to distinguish between them.
“I just wanted a new hairstyle, but now I think I need a new face,” another lamented.
The widespread sharing of losing the haircut gamble has resonated with many and created a lot of laughter on mainland social media.
“The photo I showed the hairstylist versus what I got had nothing in common,” one person said.
“It’s true. It seems as though most hairstylists have this mysterious confidence that what they’ve done is exactly like the photo you showed. The most frustrating part is you cannot even argue when you’re not satisfied,” another said.
“Every time I leave the salon, I need to go to Xiaohongshu to find some comfort,” said a third.
“I just lost that gamble too. No one can leave a hair salon with a smile,” added another.
