Ginger fros, 80s rock-star bouffants, heavily gelled mullets and families who refuse to stop passing on their trademark mohawks – a photography competition has combed the web to collect some of America’s most cringe-worthy hairstyles.
Dozens of terrible and hilarious dos have been submitted to the ‘Awkward Hair’ contest - from the children reluctantly sporting home-cut fringes and bowlcuts to their parents with bouffants big enough to bury them.
As one woman who posted a picture writes: ‘Sadly this is me, UGH’.
A man called Matt who had a particularly bad mullet as a teen writes: ‘I wondered why I was never able to get a girlfriend in high school…Hmmmmm’.
There are also the bad-hair family portraits which show certain styles tend to pass down the generations. One family of four shows each member sporting their own custom coiffured mullet while a pair of big-haired women show they’ve clearly come fresh from a battle for the Elnett.
Several of the pictures are of couples who’ve decided to copy each others ‘unique’ styles and men who’ve tried to combine their awkward haircuts with even worse facial hair.
The competition was launched to mark the release of the new comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone which is released on March 15 and features it’s own heavily hair-styled protagonist played by Steve Carrell.
Hair-raising: This young girl desperately tries to avoid the elephant in the room – or rather the one hiding in her grandmother’s beehive
In the jeans? This family seems to share a love for the mullet/light denim combo. The father looks on never more relieved to have missed a family memo
Brush with disaster: The little boy’s face on the right says it all
My mom cut this: This little girl sports a classic made-at-home mullet. In her comment Manda simply writes: ‘This is me. Ugh’
Mane attraction: This picture posted by Jessica shows competitive hairstyling is never a good idea. Especially in the 80s
Slick: Poor mullet-ed Matt writes: ‘I wondered why I was never able to get a girlfriend in high school…Hmmmmm’
Highlight: The couple who styles together stays together…This prom photo show a couple competing for the worst hairstyle. One of them won
Fro sure: This woman wasn’t happy enough just to sport her own ginger fro – she made her daughters follow suit
Don’t look at daddy: At one point in time this style was fashionable. Probably
Family affair: These sisters made a lot of hairspray companies a lot of money
Hedging his bets: This father wasn’t sure a handlebar moustache was enough so he grew a haircut to match
Bald and happy: This family were possibly overcompensating for the father’s lack of locks
Curly-sue: Did someone mention straightening irons? This girl bravely smiles through her childhood curl-mullet combination
Aiming high: As far as backcombing goes this teenager definitely holds the crown and boy does she know it
Overshadowed: Kyle right explains: ‘Most people do not even notice my sister in the photo’. You don’t say.
What did they see in each other? The super perms in this shot are nearly big enough to overshadow the startled child in the background
Foresight: This little girl clearly knows what’s coming – an entry into the awkward hair contest
