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For many years I have mostly gotten my hair cut at cheapo places because I am cheap and do not care a lot what my hair looks like. I spend all of 30 seconds putting in some gel and brushing it in the morning and then never look at it again. However recently, I have gotten some really terrible haircuts and had to go back withing a few days to fix it. I am sick of telling them what I need them to do. They are supposed to be the hair professionals, not me. All they want to do is look up whether I am a number 8 or a number 6 and use that clipper attachment to go through the same process for every person. Even if I tell them taper the back to address the horrible cowlicks back there and cut the front as short as possible without stnading up they just say "So, . . . . . a number 8 right?"
I got fed up with that and decided to go to a "professional" place instead. My wife's haridresser also cuts my sons hair. Professional place. Expensive (45 instead of $12), must be a great haircut. I sat down. "So you are about a number 8 right? It that what a you want me to do?" ARRRRGH!!
No. I want to find someone like I used to go to years ago who will look at my hair and say, "I think it will look best of we cut the sides on an angle above your ears, feather the middle and taper the back. The front should probably be a short as possible without ti standing up. It that ok with you? " I do not know what those things mean. She is a woman and a professional. I want to look good in a woman's eyes (my wife) and look professional and not silly for work. If she thinks I look good that way - then I am golden.I do not know what feathered means or whether an angle above my ears is a good idea or stupid. I have only a vague idea what tapering the back is. I want her (or him) to tell me. I am paying them for hair fashion consulting. But they seem to not want to do that anymore. If (s)he is just going to buzz a number 8 around my head, I can probably do that for myself at home.
I want a professional who can figure out how to best cut my particular hair and make me look as good as possible, I do not want to have to tell them what they should do, I am no fashion professional. I have no idea what is "in" and do not much care, just make me look the way I should. What is with this number 8 crap? And why, when I say "just cut the front as short as possible without it standing up" do they have no idea what that means and instead cut off 1/4 inch at a time and ask me if that is right. I do not know. You are supposed to know that. Where are the professionals?
A better barber shop should be able to use the razor then trim with scissors.
Can you ask one of your male colleagues who has a decent haircut who they use?
It sounds like your wife's hairdresser may not have a lot of experience with men, possibly. But if your son gets his hair cut there how does his turn out?
For many years I have mostly gotten my hair cut at cheapo places because I am cheap and do not care a lot what my hair looks like. I spend all of 30 seconds putting in some gel and brushing it in the morning and then never look at it again. However recently, I have gotten some really terrible haircuts and had to go back withing a few days to fix it. I am sick of telling them what I need them to do. They are supposed to be the hair professionals, not me. All they want to do is look up whether I am a number 8 or a number 6 and use that clipper attachment to go through the same process for every person. Even if I tell them taper the back to address the horrible cowlicks back there and cut the front as short as possible without stnading up they just say "So, . . . . . a number 8 right?"
I got fed up with that and decided to go to a "professional" place instead. My wife's haridresser also cuts my sons hair. Professional place. Expensive (45 instead of $12), must be a great haircut. I sat down. "So you are about a number 8 right? It that what a you want me to do?" ARRRRGH!!
No. I want to find someone like I used to go to years ago who will look at my hair and say, "I think it will look best of we cut the sides on an angle above your ears, feather the middle and taper the back. The front should probably be a short as possible without ti standing up. It that ok with you? " I do not know what those things mean. She is a woman and a professional. I want to look good in a woman's eyes (my wife) and look professional and not silly for work. If she thinks I look good that way - then I am golden.I do not know what feathered means or whether an angle above my ears is a good idea or stupid. I have only a vague idea what tapering the back is. I want her (or him) to tell me. I am paying them for hair fashion consulting. But they seem to not want to do that anymore. If (s)he is just going to buzz a number 8 around my head, I can probably do that for myself at home.
I want a professional who can figure out how to best cut my particular hair and make me look as good as possible, I do not want to have to tell them what they should do, I am no fashion professional. I have no idea what is "in" and do not much care, just make me look the way I should. What is with this number 8 crap? And why, when I say "just cut the front as short as possible without it standing up" do they have no idea what that means and instead cut off 1/4 inch at a time and ask me if that is right. I do not know. You are supposed to know that. Where are the professionals?
OP, I know just what you mean! I spent years in Seattle looking for a women's hairdressing place that could do what you say. I had someone who was great, inspired, but then that person left, or the business changed hands. I struggled for years, it was horrible! I even had people who would yank my hair while combing it, and this was after I'd told them from the start that I have a sensitive scalp!
It's very challenging where I was living, in Seattle, especially. I don't know why. Don't go to any chain businesses; they only hire recent grads from hairdressing school, who go by the book. You need to find a higher-end niche place, and even then, I guess it takes luck, as you found out.
It took me three tries at three salons to find a good stylist in my new city. I can remember hunting for years for a good, dependable stylist in my home town.
So, you need either a really good barber, or a stylist. If you go stylist, then call ahead and ask if there are any men who work there. If so, you might start there, especially if the guy is experienced. Then you tell him what you want, and after about three appointments, he will probably get what you want. It takes a few visits--at least it does for me.
My DH found a female barber here, and he exclusively goes to her. She does what he asks. Barbers are less expensive than stylists, but you might have to find a stylist.
When I went to beauty school, I had an instructor that told us to throw away those clipper guards on day one. We were taught to cut using a clipper and comb instead. He said we were learning to do haircuts the right way, not using guards which someone could do at home. it was scary at first, but I got very good at it.
Fast forward to my first salon job and a customer saying "I want a number 4 up the back." I knew a 4 was 1/2", so i started to cut the hair with clipper and comb, leaving it 1/2" long. The customer freaked out. "What are you doing?!" He had never had his hair cut with a clipper and no guard. I explained it and convinced him to trust me. Once I was done, he said it was the best haircut he ever had and he became my first regular customer.
That same scenario repeated many times, always with the same "wow, that's the best haircut I have ever had" at the end. Now and then a new client would come in to request the "stylist who doesn't use clipper guards."
But, sadly, I have never met another stylist that used a clipper and comb unless we had that same instructor. It's a lost art! It's funny because I don't know if I would know how to do a well blended haircut with a clipper guard!
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So...you went to a new place and just wanted her to whip up some magic for you. And now you're disappointed that you didn't get magic.
She asked you "is that what you want me to do?" But instead, you wanted her to tell you what she was going to do? There has to be some back and forth. She's never met you before, and it takes some time to understand each other.
Most of my male colleagues either: 1. do not have hair; 2. Have a buzz cut (number 1, I guess); 3. Are hipsters who pay $50 or more for a haircut and beard trim that makes them look Amish; or 4. live far from me (for whatever reason, very few coworkers live in the direction from work that I do).
Thank you for the barbershop suggestion. I had tried one near my office, but it was not particularly great. I think he mostly does buzz cuts. Pricy too.
However by chance I stumbled on a small barber shop in an small town near us. Interestingly the barbers are and always have been women. We actually took the kids there for a while when we first moved here, but then we forgot about the place. It is on a road we almost never use. It has changed hands, but just passed from the former owner to one of the other barbers working there.
They said "just clean you up?" I said I like the front as short as possible without standing up, and I have some nasty cowlicks in the back" "I can see that - I will take care of it" Bam - I got just the haircut I wanted with no numbers involved. Also they put warm shaving cream on you neck and clean up stubble with a straight razor which is kind of nice (although they nicked the guy next to me and had to scramble for some astringent to stop the bleeding). Also while we were there, a grandma brought in her two shaggy young grandsons. They had pretty hair, but no face that you could see. The boys had no idea what they wanted, and grandma said "I am just the grandma, I do not know - make them look nice." The lady barber did not insist they give her a number, she just said she would do what she thought would look best. She warned grandma that she thought they would look much better with very short haircuts and grandma jut shrugged. Before I left those two boys went through an amazing transformation. Two shaggy dogs came in, two very handsome young men went out. Everyone in the shop was exclaiming how great they looked and the little boys just beamed. The lady barber had the guts to make a decision and go with it. It was a risk cutting off all that pretty hair, but they really looked sharp after.
My haircut cost $15. I tipped her $5 and left having spent abut the same as "supercuts" or whatever except that I was happy with my haircut for a change.
Definitely going back there.
When we lived in California, we had a lady who cut our entire family's hair for years. It was nice because she knew everyone and always wanted to know what everyone was up to and told us about her family then presto - you were done. She would tell me what I should do with my hair. Every now and then she would say want to try something new? I think X would look good (most of the time my answer was no). She also showed me how to make my hair look decent in the morning with 30 seconds of work, although she really strongly felt I should take the time to blow dry it. When she quit to spend more time with her kids, she put a beauticians chair and sink in the atrium of her house, and continued doing hair for preferred clients. It was neat to get a haircut outside. However after a while she quit altogether then moved away to find a better atmosphere for raising her children (which, in part, triggered our eventual consideration to do the same, which in turn triggered five of our friends to do the same as well). One hairdresser nearly emptied out Orange County CA!
Anyway I have been looking for someone like her ever since. Maybe we found that someone. I guess a few more visits will tell.
Last edited by Coldjensens; 10-23-2017 at 07:49 AM..
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