How to Tell Your Barber Exactly What You Want for a Haircut
How to Tell Your Barber Exactly What You Want for a Haircut
Communicating with your barber when you’re having a haircut is crucial if you want to have the best outcome for your look. However, that’s not always easy, especially if you’re unsure how to articulate the look you want. Before heading to an upscale barbershop in Vancouver, read this guide first and learn how to tell your barber what you want for your haircut.
1. Show, Don’t Tell
Hairstyles come and go just like any other trend. The fact that hairstyles can be fleeting makes it harder for people to remember how they look, let alone describe them. When you sit down with your barber, you’ll definitely have a hard time describing a particular haircut to them, especially if you have a very specific style in mind.
Instead, you need to make some extra preparations beforehand by searching online for pictures of the haircut you like. Say you like this guy’s bangs, or this guy’s taper, or this guy’s edges, or all of the above—your barber can bring all those elements together to create the look you’re after. Don’t rely on words alone. Show your barber what you want so they have an accurate reference to work with.
2. Know Your Hair
Everyone’s hair is different in texture, thickness, color, and moisture. Knowing what kind of hair you have is going to be important to achieving a particular look that you like. This can save you and your barber a lot of headache and guesswork once you sit down in the barber’s chair. If you’re not sure what kind of hair you have, you can always ask your barber, but knowing it yourself isn’t so bad either.
3. Know the Right Terms
Barbers use certain terms to communicate with their customers. They’re not overly complicated terms, but knowing them can speed things up a little bit and help your barber understand what you like. For example, when barber’s talk about texture, they usually refer to the technique of the haircut. Other keywords to watch out for include:
Sliced - To lighten thick hair, the barber will use thinning shears to slice away the weight from the tips. This will give you a more soft and wispy texture.
Layers - This is a technique that involves trimming down each section of hair at varying lengths, giving you the appearance of thicker, more dynamic hair.
Razored - If you’re going for an extra short hairdo, usually along the sides, the clipper gives you that razored-down effect for a clean fade.
4. Listen to Your Barber
Your barber is used to handling a variety of hairstyles and hair types. They have the experience and the expertise to suggest what looks best on you. Of course, you need to tell your barber a lot more about your lifestyle, the last time you had a haircut, or what kind of products you put on your hair. These are all important pieces of information that your barber will use to figure out what looks good on you and achieve the look that you want.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it’s all about communicating effectively with your barber. Don’t be afraid to open up to your barber about what you really want for your haircut. It also doesn’t hurt to build a good rapport with your barber, so they’ll know what you want the next time you drop by and get another haircut.
Scotch & Fades is an upscale barbershop in Vancouver offering a one-of-a-kind experience to customers. Our old-school industrial-themed barbershop has a modern twist that customers will surely enjoy. So sit back, relax, and let our master barbers in Vancouver take good care of you. Book an appointment today!