To expect a barber to be able to cut my sons hair like this?

[Hullabaloo9]

I had a fantastic barber who used to cut my sons hair exactly how it suited him. She used to call it "a proper boys haircut". It was scissor cut, nice and neat round the sides and back and long and floppy on top, with a fringe. Sadly she closed her barbers shop recently.

All other barbers I have taken him to have listened to what I describe, looked at pictures of what I want and then clippered it really short round the sides, cut the top too short and cut in a harsh, straight, short fringe.

I have tried 3 different barbers and ended up with the same. Am I describing it wrong? What would you ask for? Is it perhaps that my old barber also cut womens hair? Do I need to take him to a hairdressers for this style?

First 2 photos I attached are what I want. Final one is what I end up with.

I can't actually see a big difference between the pictures. Is it maybe just they're cutting it a little short?

Personally I think it looks best in the third photo.

The other two look a bit grown out like it's ready for a cut.

Ime all barbers do tend to have their own way of cutting though whatever you ask for.

I take my son to a hairdresser rather than a barber for similar reasons. I don't like shaved hair on young children. Barber training is much shorter and narrower than hairdresser training, so they don't have the same range.

Just seems shorter to me too, are you showing them pics?

Also have you asked them not to shave it and just do a scissor cut?

I take DS to my hairdresser. His hair is quite long on top and I’d hate it to be cropped or shaved, so I find taking him to someone experienced in longer hair is much better.

I have the same with my hairdresser OP. I wouldn't like the third picture - I don't like very short haircuts on little boys as personally I find them too severe.

If you are already taking pics in and he's coming out like the third pic then I guess all you can do is emphasise NOT TOO SHORT and NO CLIPPERS when you go in. You might need to go somewhere a bit more expensive as in my experience the cheaper barbers think you want more for your money and take it too short 🙂

I have the same issue with my youngest. He has lots of hair and multiple crowns so short cuts look awful pretty quickly. You need someone older who was trained to scissor cut before they were trained to clipper cut. We’ve finally found a barbers that has a female barber in her 40’s who recognises that this is an issue and she is very skilled with a scissor cut on short hair. Younger male barbers always seem to go straight for the clippers!

Costs me a sodding fortune now (£20) but looks a hundred times better.

Just ask them not to clipper the sides? Show them the photo you like next to the photo you don’t like and specify which one you want.

Maybe take him to a hairdresser rather than barber? Barbers tend to be used to short back and sides with length on top because that’s how most males have their hair cut. A hairdresser would be more inclined to leave some length on the sides.

Can you tell them no clippers?

We also used hairdresser rather than barber for DS when he was little

Oh and yes yours sons hair looks lovely in the first pictures!

Take him to a hairdresser

would annoy me too, its just too short

I know exactly what you mean, the third cut looks completely different. I would have no idea how to describe it though, sorry. I suspect they’re just cutting it far too short.

Are you by any chance taking him to a Turkish barber? The style I mean, not the nationality of the person cutting the hair! DH and DS both agree they only do a very limited range of short cuts. DH likes it that way, but DS has to go to a specialist men’s hairdresser situated within a ‘normal’ hairdressing salon to get the floppier look he likes.

DD and I are both much lower maintenance!

Your son seems very happy though! What a gorgeous smile.

I agree to take him to a hairdresser. The barber I took DS to was a one-trick pony and cut it far too short with clippers. My toddler DS left there looking like every other man who'd had their hair cut there that day.

I can’t tell which cut you want to have, the first two look the same and don’t look neat or newly cut, the third one looks like how the first two might have looked before it grew out. Maybe you are not explaining very well, sounds like a hairdresser would be better for you though.

I think the increased popularity of skin fades hasn’t helped either lots of trendy barbers seem only do this even when it’s not what you asked for!

OP take your son to a hairdressers instead of a barbers and explain your problem. Emphasise no clippers. They will sort him out.

And ignore people on here telling you they prefer the last pic. You didn't ask!

I agree you need a hairdresser. Barbers do it too short and aren't as good with scissors.

@wildthingsinthenight

And ignore people on here telling you they prefer the last pic. You didn't ask!

This!

Wow thanks everyone for your quick responses. I personally much prefer him with longer hair. He has a double crown which needs the weight of the length to lie nicely and a high forehead which looks better with a proper fringe.

I will take him to a hairdressers next time. My old barber was also a lady in her 40's so was probably trained more for scissors cuts. To be honest, it is a style that boys had when I was at primary in the 80's.

I'm glad it's not just me. I did wonder if there was language around haircuts that I didn't know. Thanks all

I wasn't meaning to be rude op, I realise you didn't actually ask what people prefer and I kept one of my boys hair long when he was small.

These days though I like to get my moneys worth out of a haircut!