It happens to the best of us. You see someone on Instagram or TikTok with a perfect haircut and suddenly feel the urge to march into a salon and ask for the exact same thing.
But then—once the cape comes off—you realize it doesn’t look quite the way you imagined.
That’s what happened to TikTok creator Ashlyn Michelle Clay (@ashlynmichellecla), whose video about her summer haircut regret has now racked up over 1.9 million views.
“If you are considering the Keaton Oaks haircut this summer, let this be a warning to you,” she says.
The cut wasn’t the problem
Clay admits the cut itself isn’t bad. In fact, she still likes the look on other people. The issue, she says, came down to how it worked with her specific build.
“The problem wasn’t the haircut. It was me,” she explains. “Not every head type is made for the Keaton Oaks haircut.”
She goes on to break it down.
“If you look at Keaton Oaks, her hair just grazes her shoulder. I had my hair cut to where it just grazed my shoulder,” Clay says.
But once cut, she noticed her neck was shorter and her traps sat higher—two things that changed the entire shape.
“It made my hair come to a bow by my chin,” she says. “I looked like a little lad that loved berries and cream,” referencing the popular Starburst commercial.
What to consider before getting the Keaton Oaks cut
Clay’s advice is to think about proportions. While the cut may look great on someone else, factors like neck length and trap height can totally change the vibe.
“When considering the Keaton Oaks haircut, it is good to consider the neck length and the trap height,” she says at the end of the clip.
Who is Keaton Oaks and why is her haircut popular?
Keaton Oaks is a lifestyle and beauty creator on TikTok known for her minimal, clean aesthetic and ultra-simple haircuts that somehow always look perfect.
Her signature cut, as Clay described, is a blunt, shoulder-grazing bob that flips in ever so slightly at the ends. And because she films in soft lighting and neutral-toned outfits, the whole look just… works.
Naturally, people started saving her videos, bringing them to salons, and calling it the “Keaton Oaks haircut.” But as Ashlyn pointed out, copying it doesn’t always guarantee the same vibe—especially if your neck and shoulder proportions are different.
Some backlash in the comments
In the comments, a lot of people agreed with Clay’s take, but took issue with her calling the haircut a “Keaton Oaks” haircut.
“As a hairstylist can you guys please stop coming up with these random names for haircuts?” one person said. “This is a blunt bob.”
Others echoed the same thing, saying it’s just a regular bob with a new label.
Even Keaton Oaks herself showed up in the comments.
“I’ve actually never thought about that,” she wrote. “Literally want to grow mine out right now.”
And for some viewers, face shape also matters. “As a round face girl I just don’t think it would look good,” one commenter said.
@ashlynmichellecla Keaton Oaks haircut looked insane on me. Here’s why:
♬ original sound – Ashlyn Michelle Clay
The Daily Dot has reached out to Clay via TikTok messages and Oaks via email for comment.
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