Haircut advice.

[AJS]

After spending a number of years with a number 1 crewcut and before that years with short back and sides with a brush forward fringe, I have decided that I want to do something more interesting with my hair. Unfortunately, living in a town with a poor selection of second rate barber shops I have never really felt the inclination to spend any more time that I have to in a hairdressers so I have no idea what to ask for. I am leaning towards the slightly longer, just out of bed messed up style and want to know what the best way to explain this to a barber would be. I have tried this look when my hair has grown out in the past, and I was able to do the messed up part quite well but the style quotient was sadly lacking. Also, what is the best way to maintain this type of hairstyle in terms of styling products?
Warm regards,
Alex

[Cutthroat]

Find a pic on the net, print it out, take it in. That way you can let the picture do the talking.

[NMMB]

...I am leaning towards the slightly longer, just out of bed messed up style and what to know what the best way to explain this to a barber would be....

Alex,

What I've quoted you as saying above is probably more instructions than I have given a hair stylist/dresser/whatever in the past couple of years (cumulative). All I ever tell them is "cut it, make it look good, and show me how to style it.. and if I like what you do, I'll probably come back"

My approach is a little hit-and-miss... I've had some bad haircuts, but that's a risk that I'm willing to take to find the one person who can cut my hair the way that I want it to be cut (which I can recognize when I see it, but can't describe or explain).

[Scotto]

I have to say, the state of men's hairdressing is pretty pathetic around my area. Why on earth is it so difficult to get something that is evenly cut, and isn't exorbitantly expensive (and, preferably cut by a good-looking woman who consistently rubs her supple..... ahem.. where was I?) Men's hair should be a cakewalk. Not so. I have had haircuts that make me look like I should spend my time ringing bells in Notre Dame cathedral....

Nowadays, my explanation is "clippers around the sides and back, longer on the top, and just mess it up"

[mrob]

Oh, were that I had something on top to mess up. . .those were the days.

Now its "a #2 all the way around, my good man." One of the tolls of age.

[letterk]

Here's a couple photos of a bad haircut (and what I looked like 2 years ago).

My biggest complaint is that it took years of trial and error before I finally found someone that actually listened to my wants. As I mention in the page with the above photos, I asked her NOT to put too much goo in my hair. She used more than I would use in a week. I just don't get it...

[SSLStudio]

During my short holiday visit in Austria , I went to a Hair saloon waited outside reading the costs, quite shocking as I have a fairly good not so expensive female barber who visits the house.

The woman of the shop in Austria came outside and asked if she could help.
Sure I started in English and after 1 minute they say we are not so good in English so I did the same story all over again in German ah now we are getting there I said "Mach mir ein ganz tolles coupe etwas anderes etwas was sie selbst toll finden bei meiner Kopf ! ""

I asked please do what ever you find will look cool with my head, she said you already have a good cut but I she said she would change it a bit..and she did quite cool cut..the one that makes people head turn.. like did he just get a cool ! Cut !

offcourse my hairdresser never saw it and I didnt make a photo of it.

[rtaylor61]

First, if you have a friend or colleague who sports a nice cut, ask them where/who it came from. Don't be embarrased. Second, if you are going to SuperCuts, they aren't. Even those that graduated at the bottom of the class got a license, and they have to work somewhere. If you are using someone for the first time, let them know you are looking for someone permanent. That will help keep them on their toes. Also, if you are using a barber/stylist for the first time and they aren't asking questions, you better start talking. They say the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is two weeks. Well, those two weeks consist of minutes found during the last 5 minutes of a basketball game. They go on forever!

Randy

[roughrider]

Find a pic on the net, print it out, take it in. That way you can let the picture do the talking.

I agree.

[AJS]

I have to say, the state of men's hairdressing is pretty pathetic around my area. Why on earth is it so difficult to get something that is evenly cut, and isn't exorbitantly expensive (and, preferably cut by a good-looking woman who consistently rubs her supple..... ahem.. where was I?) Men's hair should be a cakewalk. Not so. I have had haircuts that make me look like I should spend my time ringing bells in Notre Dame cathedral....

Nowadays, my explanation is "clippers around the sides and back, longer on the top, and just mess it up"

I could not agree more. I dream of the day when my hair is not just cut, but sculpted by a lithe Amazonian goddess, who lets the inevitable contact between hairdresser and client linger a second or two longer than it should. Unfortunately the chances of this happening are slim. My usual barbershop experience is pretty dire; there is no conversation, just an abrasive "Whaddaya want," and even when I work up the confidence to ask for something different no one bothers to listen. I then spend 5 minutes being beaten around the head with hair clippers until I feel dizzy and that's all folks. But the thing that really annoys me, even after the rudeness, the abuse and the physical assault with hairdressing equipment, I still feel obliged to leave a tip. If I was rewarding good service that would be fine, but in effect I am paying extra to be physically and verbally abused. Now, there maybe some sickos who are willing to pay good money for that kind of treatment, but I am not one of them. Yet, I am unable to leave without offering a generous tip, how messed up am I?
Warm regards,
Alex

[Scotto]

Ditto, man. Rise up against the insanity! And don't even get me started about the huge amount of cut hair bits left on my face afterward. I look like Kyle....

[With The Grain]

....

[AJS]

Rise up against the insanity!

I think that should be adopted as the forum motto. No longer will we stand for shoddy service!

Warm regards,
Alex

[letterk]

Got a great haircut yesterday. Cindy is good, attentive, careful, and her prices are fair. I think I finally found someone I can stick with. The only problem is that the salon is named "Shampoo Cocktail". I'm still getting used to that.

[NMMB]

...even after the rudeness, the abuse and the physical assault with hairdressing equipment, I still feel obliged to leave a tip...

This may be a little weird, but I never tip a hair stylist on the day that she (or he - but usually she) cuts my hair. I've had too many cuts that look fine when I leave, but once I get home (or the next morning after I wash my hair) I notice that things are un-even (or otherwise buggered up). This means that the first time that somebody cuts my hair, they don't get a tip, but if I go back (that is, I like them and they are my new go-to-gal/guy) they will get a tip every time.

The only exception that I can think of was one haircut where the hot gal cutting my hair made a special point of massaging my head really well when she washed my hair and spent a great deal of time rubbing up against me while she cut my hair. The cut sucked and I never went back to her again, but I did feel that she had provided a tip-worthy service.

[roughrider]

The only problem is that the salon is named "Shampoo Cocktail". I'm still getting used to that.

What the hell were they thinkin' when they gave it that name?

[letterk]

It's southern California. What did you expect?