Advice for Long(er) Hair: Barber or Salon/Stylist?

[CloseShave09]

Hi,

I don't post too often, but had a question for gents about maintenance of long(er) hair.

Currently, I wear my hair semi-longish (about a quarter of the way down the ear on the sides) - I find it's a look that suits me well since I have very straight hair. I'm in a dilemma in terms of who I should visit to perform routine trims on my hair, or what I like to call "maintenance cuts".

In the past, I've always visited barbers, but ever since I started wearing my hair longer (about a year now), I always seem to walk away disappointed or frustrated at the results. Barbers, for the most hand, don't seem to be well versed in longer hair, as they either butcher me up quite badly by cutting it too short, or get "clipper-happy" and take off way too much on the sides or back - a frustrating experience when my hair grows very slowly to begin with, so it is always back to square one!

Anyways, just wanted some advice - would it be better to go the salon route?

[CloseShave09]

(bump)

No takers?

[jlegleiter]

You're wanting a salon cut, so you'll need to go with a salon.

Barbers have traditionally carried only a few standard cuts in their repertoire. All of them short.
You're going to continue to be disappointed with the results when attempting to have them perform a style outside of their wheelhouse.

[Spoonylove]

The only way to get a good cut, salon or barber is with communicating what you want. If you go in a ask for a trim, that's exactly what they're going to do. Bring pictures, learn the terms, and all that. I just, this week, found a new barber after 2 years of looking, as my old barber, as ironic as it may sound, passed away. A few words of advice, if you barber uses the words "fade" instead of "taper," leave immediately. If you barber doesn't know how to "roll" his clipper, leave immediately. If you barber doesn't offer straight razor clean ups or edges, again, leave immediately. I myself get, what I would think is a very simple hair cut, I wear an old timey parted pompadour with a tapered ducktail in the back, its a cut from the 30s-50s, i ask for a number 3 guard rolled out no higher up than the tops on my ears, then using a 1 guard, do a "natural" taper from the skin to the 3 guard. I ask for the part to be cut in on the right side of my head, as that's where my natural cowlicks are, but also leave it low and long enough to get a nice slick back going.