I just want my brother to envy my money, but he’s got that hair. Why can’t I have hair and money and him nothing?

January 22, 2009 4:13 PM

I've never been to a barber or salon before. How do I go about getting a haircut like this guy's?

My hair type is pretty similar to that in the photo, but longer. Save for printing out the photo and showing it to the stylist (I don't have a printer with me at the moment), how do I communicate what I want? Or is something like this worth hunting down a printer for?

And what do I use to keep my hair looking like that after the haircut?

I don't do much but shave my head a few times a year, but I figure it's time for a change. Thanks!

(Additionally, I'm in the north Dallas suburbs, if anyone has any recommendations for a stylist down here.)

posted by SpringAquifer to clothing, beauty, & fashion (12 answers total)

Printing it is the best option. Second best: do you have an iPhone? If so, pull it up on there. Third best: salon/barbers usually always have a book of styles. Pick one up when you're waiting, and flip through it to see if you can find a similar style. Last option: Ask them, "Hey, do you know Jason Bateman?"
posted by nitsuj at 4:20 PM on January 22, 2009

Take the picture and don't go to a barber. You need a hair stylist, and ask when you make the booking for the person who does the best men's cuts. When you're at the salon, use the magic word "texture", and ask them for their product recommendations. If that worries you, watch how they style it, ask what the products are, wear the style for a day, if you like how the products performed, return the next day and buy them.
posted by lottie at 4:27 PM on January 22, 2009

Oh, I should have said re texture - show them the picture and say, "I want something like this... lots of texture"
posted by lottie at 4:28 PM on January 22, 2009

A picture is easiest.

Make sure you get them to tell you how they style it to get like that. Most people's hair needs a bit of product to hold a style, so get a little lesson while you're there. Most likely, you'll get sold some product that's more expensive than you need, but save your next question for a cheaper version of what they sold you.
posted by advicepig at 4:36 PM on January 22, 2009

Recommendation: The Toni and Guy Academy in Carrollton, TX can give you a great style, for a cheap price. Don't be scared of the kids in hair school, if they can't do it--they have a professor show them.
I used to go there all the time when I lived in the area. I rarely paid more than $20 for a $50 hair cut.
posted by dearest at 4:41 PM on January 22, 2009 [1 favorite]

This hair style has as much to do with product as it does with cut. If you are not willing to put product in everyday, it will not look like this.
posted by hworth at 4:43 PM on January 22, 2009

Another thing to make sure to ask about is how often it will need to be maintained. Usually more of an issue with women's cuts, but something to think about.

Yay Michael Bluth, also.
posted by fructose at 5:08 PM on January 22, 2009

If taking a picture is really a problem, call around until you find somebody who's seen Arrested Development.

"Um, hi. Have you seen Arrested Development?"

"What?"
posted by nosila at 5:10 PM on January 22, 2009 [1 favorite]

Product helps, but with a cut like that much of the difference between it tending to fall naturally into the way it should look (such as on one of our oh-so-common windy Dallas days) and just being a mess is how good the stylist is.

You can get a good haircut cheap, but frankly, until you've found somebody you like, if you want a haircut that looks like that (modified if necessary to best suit your face type) and tends to look great for at least 2 - 4 weeks afterwords, go to a decent shop and spend the money.

I've never tried the Toni and Guy Academy, but I've never had a bad experience in one of their retail salons. Take your picture, walk in, and tell them you want a fairly senior stylist -- this is going to be somebody with some talent and a few years experience, in a fairly competitive environment. Tell them that you want something that looks close to that that flatters you. Plan to drop $100 or so on stylist, tip, and product (get what they suggest, if you like it you can get it elsewhere cheaper from then on), and you should have a hair style that works for you.

Afterwords, wait until you've washed it and styled it yourself once or twice to decide how well it worked. If you can't get it the way you wanted, go back and ask for some help.

Admittedly, you may have to do this a couple of times before you find someone who really does it right, but once you do, stick with them, tip them decently, and you'll be good to go.

(The best hair style I ever had was about two years ago at Toni and Guy in Collin Creek in Plano -- when they asked me what I wanted I said I didn't care, as long as it made me look 10 years younger and 20 pounds thinner. I'm not sure they accomplished all of that, but it was damn good. I've been going back to the same stylist ever since, and I couldn't be happier. Mefi-mail me if you'd like her name.)
posted by nonliteral at 5:40 PM on January 22, 2009

nonliteral has it. I have the best haircut of my life now since I told her "just make me look good.". My boyfriend is rocking a damn fine cut now since be did the same. Cosmatology us more than haircuts. It's knowing how to flatter different face shapes, and work with quirks of each person's hair. If you go to someone GOOD they will pick a better cut for you than you would for yourself.
posted by Kellydamnit at 5:50 PM on January 22, 2009

I highly recommend Suzanna at Salon Soleil, which is inside the Plaza Salons building at Hillcrest and Arapaho (easily reached from the Bush Turnpike or the Dallas North Tollway). I don't have her direct number handy, but the front desk is 972-991-9228, and they can probably transfer you. My brother has a similar hairstyle (not quite as long) and he was very happy with how she cut it.
posted by transporter accident amy at 12:44 AM on January 23, 2009

Follow up:

Texture is indeed a magic word, lottie.

And I followed up on dearest's suggestion. I checked them out, as I'm not willing to pay very much for a haircut at the moment, and my stylist was ... hrmph, OK, but willing to ask her instructor questions and go back and fix things. I did see some pretty skilled students over there, though, so bad luck on my part, I suppose.
posted by SpringAquifer at 9:49 PM on February 14, 2009