Does anyone speak hairdresser? I need help communicating.

I hope this helps

Bring a picture of the cut you want.

Highly recommend looking up a guide from a hair cutting chain. From the sounds of it you want a crewcut ~20mm 3/4", "blend the sides" so that it transitions well, they might ask what size to buzz the side, you can just say "shorter than the top". Crew cut will give you the longest time between haircuts as well, take notes of the actual length or clip size so you can be more precise next time. https://www.greatclips.com/lookbook/crew-haircut

I'll also drop this in case it helps:

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.

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...

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

I've avoided the conversation entirely. Ever since the pandemic I've done my own hair with clippers. Made a good enough job of it, even if I've sometimes needed to do a small adjustment the next day.

For a simple style it's not that difficult if you take your time.

So....you're close to me. Here's what you want to say - and it WILL vary from person to person regarding what you get so try to find someone you like and stay with them (or a few of them).

"Number two, sides and back. Blended in tight. Cut the top down so it just falls back - not spiked, just falling back."

The "just falls back, close to spiked" is the key length thing for the top. Also, them thinning the side to blend in better is a good thing and will make it look better longer.

Back in the day you would have asked for a flattop.

You could always save a picture to your phone and then ask them to do that. They'll probably still ask if the length is alright but it's up to you to instruct them from there.

Sounds like you want a flattop? In my limited exp. with the style, barbers expect you back you every 2-3 weeks.

So per other comments. "Hi, I'm overdue by a month, can you give me a flattop, # 2 / 1.5 on the sides, not skin?

If it's short hair trimming, you can do it by yourself at home. You only need a trimmer that should be the price of two visits and two mirrors. Watch some video tutorial like this one and regain your freedom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSZCH2mlz_M

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.

Maybe it's that you're asking for a style that's "unfashionable" or atypical for someone with your look so the hairdresser is second-guessing you know what you're asking for. I bet a lot of the time they try instructions as vague as "make it shorter and look good". They'll err on the side of leaving it s bit long knowing they can always take a bit more off and sneak up to the desired length when it's beyond what the normal style is.

Just get it to the length you want, then ask the hairdresser what it's called/how to describe it and take a couple of pictures as well and you should be set for next time.

I never figured out the secret and just cut my own hair now.

Are you going to a sports clip or a great clips type establishment? Where you get a new hairdresser every time? That can be part of the problem.

I would constantly get hit or miss cuts until I found a guy who rented a chair in an independent hair cut place. Always going to Joe for my haircuts means he's more in tune to what I need/want done and the consistency has been well worth the slight uptick in cost.

i used to just say the millimeters i want and tell them to only use clippers. no blades. no scissors.

but i switched to one length overall and since covid i got my own clipper and do it myself. if the clipper is good it takes like 5 minutes.

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.

#2 back and sides, finger length on top

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.

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.

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?

Ask for a number 2 on the back and sides, and a number 6 or 7 on top. 6 is 19mm and 7 is 22mm, at least in the UK. I believe that these are standard lengths, but it might be worth double checking.

I got the information from this site:

https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/haircut-numbers/

Buy Oster Fastcut Professional clippers.

DIY.

Communicate by not being their customer, anymore.

Autonomy rules.

Just keep going to the same guy, he'll eventually remember you and what it takes to make you happy

I used to have the same problem. Then I realized my hair is thinning, and any style haircut I wanted would never look how I expected due to thin spots. So I just have them shave my head. #0 or 1/8th inch. Go back 2-3 months later and repeat. Try it. If nothing else, it'll grow our to about the length you want on top, then just have them trim the sides down.

I always had this issue too, any time I decided to go short. Conversely if I just wanted to clean it up while growing my hair out, they'd usually go too short.

The only barber that was ever able to cut my insane hair passed away after an unsuccessful liver transplant and it was at that point I purchased my own professional clippers.

Having bad haircuts my whole life until I found her is literally a point of trauma that I've not recovered from and I'm 49 years old now.

I usually clarify that it's been a very long time and I want it all gone.

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.