M49, I tend to go a bit long between haircuts which is on me, but I seem to have a really hard time explaining that I want short hair, like 20mm / 3/4"
I usually ask for a #2 clipper on the back and sides, (which works fine), then take as much as they off the top so I can still brush it straight up, preferably too short to grab onto.
Basically a cigar butt with eyes, shut up it works for me.
Even indicating with thumb and finger, this somehow gets interpreted as just barely trimming the tips off and painstakingly shaping the surface, barely affecting the overall quantity of hair.
How’s that for length?
What no, get in there with fire and the sword, wreak devastation, I want all of this gone.
:carefully trims another quarter inch off:
It’s not just one guy, not just one place, so I am obviously using wrong and misleading words.
How do I ask for the thing I want?
Basically a cigar butt with eyes, shut up it works for me.
I was not planning to comment (i am no better) but even if I was, this line pretty much disabled me for straight 5 minutes.
I’m a ROFLcopter now…
Quicker to do it yourself, or find a friend or family member who will listen. I cut my own hair and my son’s.
Back when I liked my hair short, I would use a Wahl clipper with no attachment on the back and sides, and the largest attachment on top. Just adjust that per your needs.
Just keep going to the same guy, he’ll eventually remember you and what it takes to make you happy
Even better, find a picture of what you want, keep it on your phone, and show it to your barber
Or take a photo of your own haircut when it’s done the way you want. Or even if it’s not the way you want, so you can show the barber and tell them that you don’t want that, and how you want it to be different.
I hope this helps
This is exactly how you fix it
In the barber shop I frequent they have a sign that they don’t trim longer hair on men.
I asked why, and the answer was that they keep asking for a “little more”, then “You cut it too short!” and then they start arguing.
So you may be getting some negative feedback the barber/hairdresser is working against because of people that are jerks playing this game.
Take a picture of yourself and your fresh haircut after it’s done how you want and present that to whoever is doing the work so they know what you want and it’s you wearing it so they know you’re ok with it.
Show them a picture of what you want and let them know for how long it’s been since your last visit so they get a better understanding of how long it’s been growing out. It’s understandable that they rather take off too little because it’s easier to cut more than to put an inch back on.
Fair, but I’m still curious where the glitchup is occurring…
The thing you’re missing is that other people come in and say the same thing as you, and when they listened to them once, they absolutely freaked the hell out, left bad reviews, maybe threatened to sue or something. So you just have to live with that unfortunately.
Nah they just need to keep going to different people and different places until they find someone that does what he wants. When they find one that listens then always go back to that person.
Let them know you really do want it short and don’t even mind if they cut it too short because it’ll grow back. They’re just trying to cover their asses because there are people who tell them to cut off 2 inches and when they do it’s too much despite it being literally what they asked for and now they’re unhappy and blame the hairdresser for it.
It’s 100% this. Asking for a cut that’s super short, the hairsresser can always take more off but can’t add it back on. Either keep telling them “a little more off”, show them a picture of what you want (preferably a picture of yourself with the style from when you’ve previously had it done), or at the very least give them assurance not only that you are ok with the buzzer size you give them, but that it’s alright if it ends up shorter than expected.
You may just have a bad hairdresser. I put up with “ok” haircuts for months when I moved into a new area, then one month I decided to try a 2nd shop instead. I brought the same pictures to both places but the 2nd place was immediately better and fixed the problems. She even remarked that my issue was something the 1st shop should have recognized immediately because it was a) obvious and b) not hard to remedy. Don’t be afraid to visit another place if you have one available.
They’re just cautious. If they mess it up, it could be months before your hair looks right again. I also ease into things when I think the person making the request doesn’t understand what they’re asking. Mind you, my clients are hiring me for graphic design, where my time is billable by the hour, and anything I do can be undone. I can afford to do exactly what they ask. (You know, unless they think I’m fucking with them to pad my time and use another GD. Then I guess I can’t afford it.)
Have them keep revising the trim until you’re happy, then ask them to take pictures on your phone of the views they as a hairstylist need to see. Show the pictures next time, so they know you know what you’re asking for.
maybe I’m too much of an engineering brain, but I just want to cry when they put fingers in my hair and ask “about this long”?
Like, I know it’s not a rocket science but come on, that’s like 800% error bar.
Once, a lady had enough emotional intelligence to explain herself whether she meant “cut above the finger” or “leave below the finger”. I will never go to any other hairdresser (luckily she’s much younger than me so we could actually pull it off). I ain’t got time for these axe throwers.
π=5 for most hairdressers
Of all the things you could want your haircut to be, it’s precise?
forget the hair, but the questions must be precise and well-formed :D
seriously (ish), if the hairdresser holds my hair 2cm away from the skin and asks if this length is ok, and their finger is like 2cm thick, i don’t know if they mean 2 or 4.
Ah okay, I follow now!
Does anyone speak hairdresser?
No. Not even hairdressers speak hairdresserese. Like drummers, hairdressers/stylists/barbers will all appear as if all their attention is 100% on your description but they are thinking about something within their social circle (hence the real concern on their face). Like drummers, if there isn’t some kind of natural affinity between you and who cuts your hair, you will never get what you’re looking for.
That said, many clients haven’t the proverbial “faintest idea” of what actually works for their face shape and stylists, if they’re not suffering too strong of a hangover 🤣, do try to work within those confines.
You can only go in with your remarkably clear and detailed description —still open to interpretation as your hairstyle is not an airplane fuselage, with precise measurements and tolerances—in hand and still hope for the best. Apologies for the length of this reply.
DISCLAIMER: my ex-wife was and still is a fine hair stylist.
!detroit@midwest.social ☆ !michigan@midwest.social ☆ !music@midwest.social
How is it possible to go from
"I want only want this much left on the top of my head "
And have them think
“oh he only wants that much cut off and leave the rest”
They just straight aren’t listening
Get the same hairdresser every time, explain it once. The next time you can say “same thing as last time”. Maybe some small corrections here and there, but I never have to explain my wishes anymore.
I am both a former barber and a lady who goes 6 months between haircuts.
I basically tell my stylist, it’s been 6 months so can you take off 3 or 4 inches? (Hair grows about half an inch per month.)
You should probably tell them you want a fade, tapered from #1 to about an inch and a half on the top (or however long you want it) and also tell them how long it’s been, or if you have a picture of YOU with the hair you want show them that too. A picture helps a lot.
#2 back and sides, finger length on top
If they’re not trimming enough - tell them to keep going. Until they hit the length you want. The job is done when you’re happy with it, not when they think they’re done.
The problem is he is explaining what he wants. They aren’t listening.they are basically doing the opposite of what he wants,
Then you stop them and tell them this isn’t what I asked for. It’s not that hard.
It also isn’t that hard to listen. He is wondering why aren’t they listening and what words he needs to use to get them to do what he wants.
Sometimes words aren’t enough.
Interesting, I’ve always had the opposite problem - whatever I say they cut way too much off the top. Perhaps we should go together and order each other’s cuts?
I’m not sure I have anything helpful to say other than to suggest keep trying different places until you find one that listens?
You could start by making coherent sense?
I think hairdressing is probably really difficult. The surface you’re cutting on is roundish, but not uniform, and the texture of hair changes drastically based on how long since the hair has been washed for some, not at all for others. I say this because I also can’t figure out the input to get the haircut I want back. I have had two-three haircuts in my life that were exactly what I wanted and everything else has been pretty different from what I requested (even with pictures of the good haircuts for comparison, even from the same hairdresser).
I donate my hair every couple years, so I essentially get a pixie cut that I let grow out 40 cm before getting another. I’ve got a pretty high tolerance for unflattering hair, so unless it’s really mullet-y or I have an interview, I’ll just wait for it to get better. I do think it’s more difficult to cut hair in a much different style/length from what the hair currently is, so you’re right that that could be a contributing factor.
The most recent haircut I got, I asked for it to look like this, but I left looking like Eric from boy meets world. I have very fine, pretty thick, completely straight hair, which should make it easier, but I guess not.
I guess I’m mostly ranting and trying to reassure you that it’s not just you.
