There is an old saying that goes, “clothes make the man.” While it’s hard to disagree with this statement, it’s also fair to say a man’s haircut also plays a part.

These days, your style of hair says just as much about you as the clothes you wear or the shoes you rock. You might have long locks or the latest celebrity do; whatever it is, your haircut is a statement that tells people about you. For that reason, you want to make sure you have a cut that not only looks good but works for your face shape and is in style. Ugly haircuts can put a serious damper on your image. But what makes bad hairstyles ugly?

It often depends on the individual, as some cuts and hairstyles only suit certain faces. Long hair might not work well but short hair does. Even if you want the latest celebrity look, there’s a chance it might not work for you. If that is the case, your barber will no doubt let you know. But there are some haircuts that everyone understands are just plain horrible. To make sure you don’t find yourself with a bad haircut, here are the worst haircuts to stay away from.

1. The Comb Over

Sometimes you just have to face facts. If you are balding on top, your hair isn’t going to magically grow back anytime soon, so you have two choices. You can either get a hair transplant or shave your thinning hair and get a buzz cut. The worst thing you can do is get a comb over. You’ll end up looking like some sort of 70s con man (think Christian Bale as Irving Rosenfeld in American Hustle), or worse, Donald Trump. If you are balding, embrace it and shave your head. According to science, women find bald men more attractive anyway, so you might as well give it a crack.

2. The Rat Tail

If you want people to automatically assume you are from the ghetto, a rat tail is the haircut for you. It’s basically a short haircut with long strands of hair at the base of your neck that trail down your back. It looks even worse when the rat tail is braided or permed. The rat tail is a horrid style that was huge in the 80s. It died out in the 90s but has had a slight resurgence of late, not that we can understand why. It is certainly not the type of haircut you want if you are trying to get a date.