Few grooming routines are fraught with more peril than hair styling. One slip of the brush or a single stray patch can turn a promising hair day into the disastrous turn of events known as a bad hair day. A bad hair day is the result of a hairdo becoming more of a "hair don't" as the day wears on. A person's hair might form tangles, develop a cowlick, pile higher on one side or become hopelessly unmanageable due to excessive dryness or humidity.
For a person experiencing a bad hair day, it often goes beyond simply having messy hair. When a combination of factors all contribute to a head full of bad, unmanageable hair, the rest of the daily grooming routine can also fall apart. Sometimes bad hair can be corrected by rewashing it or using commercial hair products, but time spent preventing a bad hair day is time taken away from another vital part of a person's morning routine. For many people, having a bad hair day is a portend of unfortunate things to come.
One reason many people dread having a bad hair day is due to the amount of emphasis placed on one's hairstyle. When a person's hair comes together perfectly and remains in place for hours, it often provides a sense of confidence. Others are seeing that person in the best light possible, not distracted by a stray patch of hair or an unnatural pompadour. When hair, body and soul are working in harmony, it is generally considered a good hair day.
A bad hair day, on the other hand, can leave a person feeling completely out-of-sync. Self-confidence, especially when dealing with others face-to-face, can really suffer on a bad hair day. There is also a level of self-consciousness as others appear to be focused more on a bad hairstyle than on the matter at hand. When a person's hair is not groomed to his or her satisfaction, the idea of being seen in a public space all day long can be discouraging.
Sometimes the phrase "bad hair day" is used metaphorically to describe a day filled with a series of unfortunate events. If a person seems to be experience nothing but bad luck and bad news, he or she may philosophically call it a bad hair day.
