what do you ask for when taking young boys to barber?

[brimfull]

I want it short but not razor short

[brimfull]

bump

am going in a mo

[OrmIrian]

I usually say 'He isn't keen on having his hair cut so don't be alarmed if I have to sit on him'.

Short back and sides? don't know. Mine all have hippy hair. Sorry.

[frogs]

IME it doesn't matter what you ask for, they come out with a short back and sides. Hence I cut ds's hair myself these days.

[Sixer]

leave the length, just trim the front and tidy it up.

[brimfull]

lol at hippy hair
unfortunately ds' hair grows out horizontally

[Twinkie1]

DS has a basin cut basically - just round the back and across his fringe - he looks a but of a numpty - well I think he does - everyone else thinks he is cool and very urban chic (he is 3.5!).

Started having this done as he hates having his hair cut and he loves having long hair to fiddle with.

[brimfull]

how about short back and sides with no clippers?

possible

last time he hardly cut any off
or he scalps him

[Iota]

try scissors on the top and a no 4 clippers on the back and sides

[choccypig]

Something for the weekend

[brimfull]

Is no 4 longish then?

[choccypig]

DS asks for a number one and I say yes that's right, shaking my head furiously behind his back and holding up four fingers for a number four.

[choccypig]

No. 4 is still quite short. All over. But it grows quick and you want to get your money's worth.

[PrimulaVeris]

I ask for 'same as he's got, bit of length on top' and can now say 'oh, and a no 4 at the back' to the Clipper Question with supreme confidence

[Spidermama]

Do you mind the odd nit egg?

[ChasingSquirrels]

If you are just going for the same all over though you might as well get some clippers and do it yourself.
ds1(5) has a 3 or 4
ds2(2) has between and 3 and 8 - depending on whether I remember to change it after ds1!

[Wuxiapian]

I ask for a short, back and sides. With the back and sides being a grade 1 that slowly granduates in length to the top which'll end up at about a grade 4.

I used to do my son's - grade 2 all over, but it didn't look as nice.

[ChopsTheDuck]

no. 4 isn't that long, I think it's half an inch, but I'd have to check my clippers.

for ds1 I usually do longish on top, I think about a 4 or 5 then about a no. 3 round the back and sides or it looks scruffy. Then blend it in a bit.

ds2 is only 3 and so has a no. 3 all over. He has awful wirey hair.

ds3 has a bowl cut.

[CrackerOfNuts]

Interested to see what you have done ggirl, as my ds also has hair that grows horizontally.

He also hates having it cut so in the past I have got my brother to cut it with ihs clippers on number 3, but I still don't like it.

I have let it grow a bit but it looks silly, sticks right out in straight line instead of flopping into a fringe.

[brimfull]

well I asked for it shorter than the last time ,when you could hardly tell it had been cut.He did clippers round the sides and back and quite short on top.
It's to short for my liking ,but am past caring really.I can see his face now which is novel.

[citylover]

For my older DS we ask for a Brad Pitt (picture of Brad hangs in barbers).

DS2 has long curly hair, so avoid barbers - they will crop it so he comes to my hairdressers for a trim and a wash!!

[Bink]

My rough guide

• number 1 you can see pink scalp through, not nice
• number 2 = young sheep at its first shearing, a bit vulnerable-looking
• number 3 - looks nice on my ds, who has smooth thick fur hair that if left to itself grows eaves like a thatched cottage & makes him look none too bright. With a no.3 round back & sides, & top "to match" he looks neat but not severe
• number 4 - haven't tried

[brimfull]

like this?

[brimfull]

great guide bink

ds' is like brad's but a bit shorter on the top

[Bink]

I'd say that Brad one was around a no.4.

Lots of barbers in London have Japanese cutters - they always seem to do ds's hair well, as I think ds's thick smoothness may be a similar texture to Japanese blokes' hair.

[frogs]

The no. is meant to relate to millimetres, I always thought?

Ds has a pageboy cut, I use clippers up the sides and cut the top with scissors. I've never been brave enough to do eg. a no. 7 on top. Ds has incredibly thick straight hair, every false slip of the clippers shows...