Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with haircut

Should I get a 1930s bob haircut, and if so, where?

mismatched — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:41:25 -0800

1) Should I get my hair cut into a 20s/30s style bob? 2) Where, in the north-suburbs-of-chicago-ish area should I go to get this done? More context:
Here are some photos of me for hair texture context. Also, you can then take a look at my face shape for advice context.

I have had long hair for years and years. It's getting to be a pain to take care of, especially in its current dyed state (though I have done a good job keeping it healthy; there's little to no damage). I don't have the patience to blow-dry the amount of hair i have now, and I don't really use hair products now, but that might change with less total, uh, volume of hair. I've been looking at a lot of 20s/30s-ish styles, such as this and this and this. (Yes, my eyes are drawn to the hair in that last photo, though everyone I've sent it to has been a bit more leg-focused.)

I'm open to suggestions of other haircuts, but I'm kind of reluctant to get bangs, due to not wanting to look even younger than I do already.
I'm also not sure whether I'd really be open to shorter than chin-length hair, but again, I'd love your suggestions.

I'd elaborate more about the second question, but it seems fairly self-explanatory. I'm located in Wilmette, IL, but have a car. Suggestions for places known to not freak out at the purple/blue hair are a bonus -- I'm sort of skittish about choosing a salon due to some...unprofessional experiences in the past.

A good haircut?

chris p — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:23:19 -0800

Where can I get a good men's haircut (and style) in Las Vegas? (or Chicago?) I'm a 22 year old guy. I basically have the same hairstyle I've always had. I need a haircut and would like to try something different. I want to find a place where I can explain my basic needs and then have someone else pick the cut, then show me how to style it. There isn't really any place I know of that I'd feel confident doing that.

I'm not someone who puts a whole lot of attention into his personal appearance. I want something that looks good and is functional.

I'm in Las Vegas right now. I'll be in Chicago in a week or two. I'd prefer to do it Friday while still in Las Vegas, but will wait until Chicago if I can't find any place good. I look at this as a one-time investment into trying something new, so price isn't a huge deal.

Any suggestions where to go? Please also include rough price and how much I ought to tip, as well as any other suggestions you may have.

I did the Lady Di 'do in the '80s.

otherwordlyglow — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:26:45 -0800

How can I ensure that my short, layered haircut doesn't feather? I got my hair cut short. My hair is pretty fine but there's lots of it and there's a natural wave in it. It's layered all over with longer layers in front, sort of with side-swept bangs that I can almost put behind my ears. It's basically a shag but I've realized that unless I'm careful, it has a tendency to "feather" on the sides and I would like to avoid that. I believe the stylist used a razor to cut in the layers.

I don't blow dry my hair and do not want to start. It's been a while since I used a lot of hair products but it seems like that's key to keeping this style looking shaggy and piece-y, right? For now I'm shampooing about once a week and just rinsing and/or conditioning about 3 other times per week. I get out of the shower, towel dry my hair, run a big handful of mousse (Herbal Essence Totally Twisted) and then scrunch it a lot as it dries. When it's dry, I'll often use a cream styler - my stylist suggested Short Sexy Hair - Slept In Texture Cream and that seems to work pretty well. I end up scrunching up my hair frequently during the day to keep it lifted off the crown of my head and and the strands in a more vertical configuration but the wave and weight of my hair tends to want to flatten and feather it against the sides of my head. This, I do not like.

Are there other tricks to keeping my hair looking more shaggy and less Lady Di?

DC Filter: Good men's haircut in DC or Arlington?

prozach1576 — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:40:09 -0800

DC/NOVA Filter: Where can I get a quality men's haircut from a real stylist for <$50-60 (including tip) in Washington, D.C. or Arlington, VA? I just moved to Arlington last week and am badly in need of a haircut. Yelp is not being terribly helpful in finding a new salon in the area and most of my male acquaintances in the area are the barber type. I don't particularly care where I have to travel to either in Arlington or DC as long as it's Metro-accessible (although I can walk/bike to Georgetown so that's fair game too). I'd prefer to avoid driving anywhere in the godawful mess of Northern Virginia outside of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. Thanks!

Maybe it's time for a (hairstyle) change?

Vorteks — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:46:09 -0800

I'm a man, and all my life I've had exactly one hairstyle. Now I'm looking to refine my look a little bit. What do I need to know? I've had pretty much the same hairstyle for 26 years. My friends and family often tease me that there's no point in me even going to the barbershop because "it always looks the same anyway". I have always worn a medium-length cut. My hair parts naturally, and I've never fought it. I pretty much use no hair products of any kind, other than shampoo and conditioner. I'm pretty conservative in my dress and grooming.

Now, I'm thinking a bit of change might be good. I might change my overall hairstyle, or maybe I want to keep my style but use some kind of product to enhance it or keep it in place a bit. However, I have no idea where to start. Can you help me? How does a man choose a new hairstyle? Is there some kind of guide? What sort of products (gels, sprays, brushes, etc) should I know about? What's the difference between a $10 barber, and a $30 salon? Any and all information would be helpful.

In general, I would consider:

A new (yet still conservative) hairstyle. A bit longer, a bit shorter, try to remove the part, whatever.

Using a subtle gel or spray to hold my hair in place or enhance it

Going to a new shop or salon if it would help

I would not consider:

Coloring or highlighting.

Gels or sprays that have a very obvious and dramatic effect - making your hair look solid, or laquered, or whatever

Anything that would shock your grandmother. I'm going for a more modest, business-friendly look.

I'm looking for more general advice about my options rather than a specific recommendation, but if it helps this is what I look like (although the part in my hair isn't always that pronounced). Also, if it matters, I live in Michigan, USA.

Thanks in advance!

Advanced hair for men

Anonymous — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:16:46 -0800

My haircuts suck. My hair sucks. I'm massively and irrationally self-conscious about it. So how and where do I acquire the knowledge and skills to make it look better? Although sailing towards middle-age, I still have all my own hair but - in that old phrase - I can't do a thing with it. I spend a reasonable amount on haircuts, I leave the salon looking great ... and after the next shower it looks like a shorter version of the shapeless mess I walked in with. The stylist suggests using products, I do, and the result looks like I poured glue in.

So how do I get and keep a good haircut? What tips or pointers do people have to offer? What websites might have useful advice? (My googling has turned up little of any use.)

(Personal details on my tonsorial situation, if it would help, although general advice is more what I was looking for: the light, flyaway hair and pronounced widows peak of my teens is now a little lighter and a little more pronounced. Based on family history, baldness may or may not follow. Gray is just starting to creep into my natural color, which could charitably be described as "mousy".)

Curly cutter wanted in LA

egeanin — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:18:11 -0800

Can anyone recommend a great hairstylist in Los Angeles who is particularly talented at cutting very curly hair? I am a woman who wears her hair in short, in natural ringlets, and I haven't been able to find a decent hairstylist in LA yet who actually knows how to cut very curly hair without making me look like a poodle.

I'm looking for names of specific hairstylists, along with the salons where they work. Bonus if it's a salon on the Westside of Los Angeles.

Thanks!!

Man's Haircut Recommendation SJC area sought

shoe478 — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:03:53 -0800

Recommendations sought for "best place" for a man's haircut in the Monterey-Santa Cruz-San Jose area. Not looking for "SuperCuts" or your ole corner barber shop.

I close my eyes, you cut my hair

DrGirlfriend — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:14:52 -0800

Is it considered annoying/a faux pas if I don't tell my hair stylist what cut I want, and instead ask her to just do whatever she thinks will look good? I'm not a fan of my fine, somewhat limp hair - especially since I have a round face. I have tried searching through magazines, etc, looking for something that might look good and I almost always end up somewhat dissatisfied - not at all because the technique was bad, but because I still haven't found a cut that I really am happy with. I'm tired of trying to judge whether or not a style will look good on me and I trust her abilities (I've been going to her for a year and a half, if that matters).

Am I going to be a pain in the ass customer if I just say "Do what you think will look good"? If so, is there a way to ask for this without importuning a stylist? I just don't trust my eye anymore for what might look good on me.

Cut my hair... please!

You Can't Tip a Buick — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:59:18 -0800

[SeattleHaircutFilter]. I am a man in his late 20s in Seattle looking to invest in a decent, not-too-expensive, but not necessarily cheap haircut. I'm more or less looking for a place where I can go in and say "oh, I'm not sure, use your best judgment," and walk out with something better-looking than I would have known to ask for. Does anyone know of such a beast in this town?

Taking it all off.

gursky — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:32:53 -0800

What should I know before and after I shave my head? I am a 22-year-old female who has always wanted to shave her head. I have incredibly thick, wavy, dry hair that takes a lot of time to maintain. My original plan was to shave my head after graduation, before embarking on a long backpacking trip. Recently, my aunt was diagnosed with cancer, and has lost her hair during chemotherapy. Instead of waiting until May to shave my head, I am going to do it next week. Friends and family are donating money to the cause (which is awesome!) so my only concern at the moment is what I should know before I do it, and what I'll need to know after it's done.

The plan right now is to have a friend cut off the bulk of my hair, shave my head with an electric razor, and then use a razor and shaving cream to get the rest. Is there anything she needs to know?

How do you maintain a bald scalp? Where can I get some good headscarves or simple hats? If I want to keep my head shaved for a while, how long before I can shave down the growth a bit?

Any tips and advice are appreciated.

I need a haircut!

rabbitrabbit — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:48:26 -0800

Need haircut recommendations in Portland or Beaverton, OR I'm a chick, with super-fine hair that is also not very plentiful, with a bit of wave/curl in it. I recently moved to Oregon and need to find someone to cut my hair. It can be hard to find people who know how to cut hair like mine so it doesn't just lay on my head like a dead thing. I usually end up getting a shortish bob, since that's about the easiest way to get some body without a lot of work every morning.

If anyone lives in the Portland area and knows of someone who can cut fine wavy hair, please send the recommendations to me! Prefer west side (Washington County) but anywhere in the Portland metro area is fine, I'm willing to travel to get a good cut. I've already tried Yelp and it seems like most people get manicures at salons but not haircuts.

How do I tell my partner that a recently acquired haircut is...bad?

hal_c_on — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:40:05 -0800

So how do I tell my partner that a recently acquired haircut is...bad? So I'm a pretty low-maintenance person. I moved recently (after finding an EXCELLENT hair cuttery), and was forced to find a new barber/stylist. I found one that I could literally walk to, so problem solved, right?

The haircut was pretty bad. I'm the guy who always feels the haircut is great because now there's less hair on top of my head. I've had my hair cut by 80 year old barbers, 19 year old stylists, people in beauty school, friends, family, and even some high-end stylists. I have almost never had a bad haircut, I have always left satisfied. I have a VERY high threshold for bad haircuts.

This haircut was so bad, I actually could see where the stylist was lacking in technical expertise, and I DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CUTTING HAIR. How do they forget to cut a clump of hair? Of course, I was home before I noticed, so I chalked it up to "my fault".

Being a very smart consumer, I visited this place a few more times with the same results (different stylist/same business). I really thought "oh, it must have been the stylist", or "oh, i didn't explicitly state that I wanted them to cut hair from all parts of my head". Then on my most recent visit (yeah, I'm telling you...I'm not that bright), I realized why I always had bad hair...they cut my hair in about 7 minutes. They had always been that fast at this establishment, while everywhere else, it had taken AT LEAST 20 minutes.

I went home, and noticed that they forgot to cut a clump of hair from the back. Seriously...how does one forget that; its the back of MY head, not THEIR head. The next time I was due for a haircut, I went outside with a pair of clippers and cut my hair really short. My partner helped me out with the hard areas, and bam...a GOOD haircut. I'm low maintenance like that.

So a few minutes ago, my partner (also, rather low maintenance) left to get a haircut...at the SAME PLACE. I reiterated my story; we laughed...but I don't think the partner was dissuaded. Maybe...but probably not.

What can I say when there's a knock at the door, and I open it up to a bad haircut? It STILL is V-Day weekend, and I don't really want to go "damn...I told you...get me the clippers and sit still".

Reading this over, I realize that we sound pretty insane. Yes.

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?

SpringAquifer — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:13:37 -0800

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.)

Buzz Cut Best Practices

pwally — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:01:08 -0800

Striving for a better haircut: I give myself buzz cuts with clippers on the #2 setting... but inevitably some hair doesn't get cut and it can take quite a while. The clippers I use are of fairly high quality, but I have to assume that there is a better way to do this (maybe there is a specific brand of clipper for buzz cuts?). I want it to be completely even all the way around, and I want it to take around 15 minutes. Do you have any strategies that you are willing to share? Is a flowbee the way to go? Should I go to a barber, or is that just a huge waste?

Never had a short haircut and want to get one. Have no idea what to do. Help!

Pontius Pilate — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:26:28 -0800

Never had a short haircut and want to get one. Have no idea what to do. Help! This is a question that appears embarrassingly simple ... and yet here we are. I'm a guy in my 20s and have never had a short haircut (my hair has always been around 4-5 inches long). My hair is straight but unruly; I'm tired of having to screw around with it and want to get it cut very short.

My current plan is to just go to a barber and tell him to give me a short haircut. Beyond that, I don't really know what else I might need to know - are they going to need anything else from me, like a particular style? What's a good length to go for if I've never had a short haircut and have no idea if it might turn out to be a terrible look for me? Anything else I should keep in mind?

How much to tip for a free trim?

Bella Sebastian — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:05:55 -0800

How much should I tip for a free hair trim? I just got my hair cut last week, and after playing with it for a few days, I'm not thrilled. I'm going back to the same place to get it trimmed later this week for free, and need to know how much I should tip the stylist. This is my regular stylist, and my regular hair place. The cut isn't terrible, but it isn't exactly what I want, and she's done this cut better in the past, so I feel reasonably certain that with a little tweaking, she can make this a good cut. While she was cutting it I thought it was okay, but now that I'm styling it myself, I'm noticing that the layering is sloppier and in general, it's just not as nicely cut as it usually is.

In the past 6 months I went from long hair to short hair, and during the transition she mentioned a few times that I could come in for a free trim if I ended up not liking the cut afterward. This is the first time I've taken her up on the offer.

So what should I tip on this free service? I don't know how long she'll spend on the trim, but I assume it won't be as much work as the original haircut. I usually pay $55 for a cut and add a $10 tip.

Easy Breezy Hair Cut

Taken Outtacontext — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:32:53 -0800

Hair Clipper Filter: I'm looking for a good electric hair clipper. My head of hair has diminished over the years and I think the best haircut for me is very short all around (almost shaved but not quite). So, I'm looking for an adjustable hair clipper that will make it easy to do this myself. Electric, adjustable, perhaps cordless. What do you use? I'm not interested in the Headblade.

It's cut, now what?

cereselle — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:48:13 -0800

I want to chop off a foot of hair. Because it is highlighted, I can't donate it to Locks of Love or any other charity that makes wigs. What are some interesting and/or useful things I can do with this much hair?

Where to get a men's haircut in da burgh

the druid — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:54:19 -0800

Modern haircut or salon for a guy in pittsburgh I've been to MEC barber/salon a couple of times now, but the style isn't always right. . .and I'm looking for another barber or salon that can do a men's haircut well. My hair isn't particularly complicated or outrageous, just looking for a well-styled cut for short hair in the burgh. any thoughts?

Who took this photograph?

bjrn — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:27:08 -0800

Help me identify this photograph. The form I have it in is cut from a magazine (or similar) and then glued to a piece of sturdy paper, the person I got it from doesn't remember where she got it. I just think it's a really nice picture and wonder if it'd be possible to get a better quality version somewhere. I've tried googling around, but to no avail.

I need a Toronto haircut.

tomcochrane — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:40:23 -0800

I'm in Toronto. I'm a dude. I need a haircut. I can't pay much. Suggestions? A couple more details:

- I'm in North York, and I live on campus at York University. Something nearby would be nice (since I'd like to be able to walk there).

- I'm 21, if that matters. The cut is a really basic trim.

- I'm used to paying $11 - $14. Will I be able to get that here?

Thanks friends.

Girlfriend wants me to get a shaggy hairstyle, should I?

jakubsnm — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:26:12 -0800

My other half really wants me to get the modern shag hair style like Brad Pitt's. I have long hair at the moment and I'm not too keen on the change... I think it's too feminine (pink is not the new black) and outdated. Am i being too stubborn?

what would you do with this hair?

epersonae — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:58:52 -0800

Help me find a cool short(er) hairstyle for my thick wavy hair! I'm having my occasional itch to do something relatively drastic with my hair. (It's been waist-length & pixie-short over the years, as well as flame orange, blond, and fire-engine-red.)

Right now it looks like the first few pictures here, you can see I've grown it out from a shag-like cut over the last year, and before that it was a kinda "meh" bob. I've been grooving on the big fluffy hair, but it's getting on my last nerve. I'm thinking short, mid-jaw or shorter.

I bike a lot, and do yoga occasionally. Something that survives a couple of miles under a helmet without looking totally f'ed up is very important. Plus, as you might imagine from that, I'm not much for lots of products or fussing, although I don't mind a bit of something or a little blow-drying. I'm in a professional, moderately conservative work environment, but I'd like to fall on the hip/artsy side of the spectrum.

My hair is very thick, inconsistently wavy, and grows freakishly fast. I'm starting to get a few grey hairs, and they have a crazy kinky texture, but they're not very noticeable (yet). IMO I have a tiny head for my body, although less so than I used to. :)

Although I like my stylist, I'm terrible at explaining what I want done with my hair, so good photos and especially terminology are appreciated. Thank you!

Boston Filter: Help me get a cute haircut.

grapefruitmoon — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:32:29 -0800

BostonFilter: Where can I get a cute, reasonably priced haircut in Boston? I'm kinda new in these parts and I need a haircut. I'd like to have recommendations first, so I don't just walk into a salon and end up paying a huge chunk of cash to end up looking like a springer spaniel.

I'd like to pay <$100. I don't know how much haircuts go for in these parts, I was paying ~$45 in Providence. Clearly, I am not looking for a recommendation to Super Cuts.

I'm in the Back Bay area and willing to trek to the ends of the Green Line (or anywhere else on the T) to obtain cute hair!

(I saw the recent post for a poster with wavy hair. My hair is stick straight, fine, and about chin length. I'm not looking for a new style - I've been rocking a short asymmetrical bob for a few years and it's just peachy. I just need it to look more intentional and less like I just fell asleep in a pile of hay.)