Snatching a razor from a salon employee and shearing off her extension-laden hair moments before getting inked with two new tattoos was just a blip on the Britney Spears meltdown radar.

It was only a few months ago that a car-exiting Spears practically bared all, showing the world she seems to have an aversion to underwear.

The flashing incidents (yes, there were more than one) came fresh on the heels of her divorce from backup dancer and aspiring rapper Kevin Federline. With her newfound freedom, Spears and chum Paris Hilton spent several days partying into the wee hours wearing matching outfits (including one where each starlet donned one leg - just one - of a fishnet stocking).

Spears' admittance Thursday to a Malibu drug and alcohol rehabilitation center was said to be her third check-in in recent days. The day before, after a less-than- 24-hour rehab stay, bald Britney took an umbrella to some paparazzi's car.

At least Spears has the blessing of fellow meltdown queen Courtney Love. "I think that was a cool thing she did (shaving her head)," she told celeb site TMZ.com. "I'm dead serious."

Spears, Hilton and Love are only a few of the many famous folk to suffer serious lapses in judgment. Here's a look at some of the most noteworthy celebrity meltdowns.

Snap!

Anne Heche: The day after she announced her split from former flame Ellen DeGeneres, Heche showed up at a stranger's house, said she was "Celestia" and was waiting to hitch a ride to heaven on a spaceship.

Mike Tyson: Ten years ago the troubled boxer let out the chomp heard 'round the world. In a bout against Evander Holyfield, Tyson bit off a chunk of his opponent's ear. You'd think that would end things, but, no, the fight went on. And Tyson, perhaps in the name of symmetry, proceeded to take an even bigger bite out of Holyfield's other ear.

Christian Slater:

• 1989: Led cops on a drunken car chase.

• 1994: Boarded a plane with a gun.

• 1997: Did jail time for punching his girlfriend, biting a cop and kicking a janitor.

• 2005: Arrested after grabbing a woman's behind.

Robert Downey Jr.: Many arrests, but perhaps most memorable is the time he mistook a neighbor's house for his own, broke in, found himself a bed and took a nap.

Hugh Grant: A tryst with prostitute Divine Brow didn't slow the Brit's success.

O.J. Simpson: 95 million people were glued to their TVs as a white Ford Bronco carrying the NFL legend led police on a slow-speed chase.

Mel Gibson: He stunned fans when he went on an anti- Semitic rant after being pulled over for speeding and failing sobriety tests last year.

Michael Jackson

Child molestation charges, the failed marriage to Lisa Marie Presley (and that creepy MTV kiss), a kid called Blanket - all notable meltdowns. But images of Jacko dangling his shrouded tot off a German hotel balcony has to be near the top of the list.

Tom Cruise

The past couple of years have shown us a wacky side of the Top Gun star. He made out with now-wife Katie Holmes, 16 years his junior, on every red carpet he could find. He proclaimed his love for her by jumping up and down on Oprah's couch. TomKat soon had a baby and were married in an Italian castle, but not before Cruise got snippy with Matt Lauer on Today and scolded Brooke Shields for using drugs to deal with post-partum depression.

Winona Ryder

Stars shoplift, too! The actress was caught stealing $5,500 worth of stuff from a Saks Fifth Avenue store. Among the booty: socks, hair clips, hats, shirts and purses. Court TV followed every step of her trial. She received three years' probation and 480 hours of community service for theft and vandalism convictions.

Pop-up culture

Pop-culture junkies are sure to get a kick out of The Pop-Up Book of Celebrity Meltdowns (Melcher Media, $29.95). Author Bruce Foster and illustrator Mick Coulas skewer celebs in 3-D parodies. See Kate Moss caught doing cocaine, Janet Jackson's Super Bowl snafu and Russell Crowe's phone-throwing temper tantrum, in all their pop-up glory.

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