When I take my boys in for a haircut I never know what to ask for. They have both gotten the same, boring buzzcut every time. I ask for a Caesar, a little longer on top. It doesn't particularly suit either one of them, but I honestly don't know what to tell the hairdresser. I once asked a hairdresser to cut it like Ryan Seacrest, and she didn't know who that was. Another time I asked for a fauxhawk, and it looked exactly the same as every other buzzcut. Yet another time I told the stylist to do what she thought looked good, and again, the same boring buzzcut. Anyway, it has been a long time since their last haircut, and it has grown out quite a bit. I want to ask for something a bit more stylish/trendy, but don't know what to ask for! I've looked for boys hairstyles on the internet, but they either just show pictures, or give descriptions, but not both. What do all you moms with boys do? I know it's not really a big deal, but I did think it might be fun for them to get something new and fun for back to school.
Thanks for the ideas and suggestions!
We don't go to the same place everytime. Just whatever lower cost chain is handy at the time. They never seem to have any books with pictures to choose from, just women's magazines. I will look for pictures to bring with me this time. I don't necessarily dislike the buzzcut, but since they had grown it out I figured it would be a really good time to try something new. If I thought I could do it myself with clippers I would, but I do not posess those skills, so I'm stuck paying someone to do it for me!
I tell them I want a "little boy scissor cut" that way they do not use the trimmer except around his ears and on his neck.
it looks really nice not too long not too short (where he looks scalped).
Little boy scissor cut...Yea!!
We go to Sports Clips, which is a little cheaper, but I always request the same stylist.
Take a pic!!
M
By all means, if you have found a picture of a boys haircut that you like, print it out and bring it in. Hairstylists love to see an actual picture vs. you trying to explain what you're looking for.
I'm a mom with boys, and I'm a hairstylist.
Tell them a 2 on the bottom, a 4 fading up to the top of the ears, then fade to a longer top and texturize it heavily on top. BRING A PICTURE :)
This is what I do on my boys... here's the pic:
http://littlelovables.blogspot.com/2012/05/mothers-day.html
Use a good pomade to style the top, got2be is a cheap but good brand.
Show, don't tell.
Find a picture of a celebrity or person who has a cute cut and take it with you!
as a former hairdresser here are some tips:
1. Take a picture with you
2. ask them to cut it a little longer than the picture (you can always have more taken off, you CAN NOT put it back on)
3. Understand that what works with Ryan Seacrest's hair may or may not work with your children's hair.
4. Understand that Ryan Seacrest (and other celebs) have people who do their hair for them before they go out AND they use a LOT of product in their hair.
5. Get your boys input into what THEY want done with their hair.
My oldest son LOVES his hair short ... it's curly and it gets "poofy" (his words not mine) when it gets longer than about an inch an a half. My youngest son goes to the barber with his dad and gets a "traditional boys cut".
Well my boys have long hair or longer hair. I have brought pics in from magazines. I tell them specifically - do not cut above ears. My youngest has curly hair so it's a choppy curly look that gets lots of compliments. My 8 year old has a skater type hair style. He tells them to not cut it short. They would look so weird to me with buzz cuts.
my son has wavy/curly hair, so i usually take a picture in to show them what i want. most of the time that works pretty well :)
keep in mind that your sons' hair may not mesh well with all styles - take some time to figure out what kind of hair they have then google "curly boy styles", or "haircuts for boys with thin hair" or whatever...
for heaven's sake take them to a different stylist!! And stop going to those cheapy chain places that is part of the problem. If you want a nice haircut, you have to pay for it. I have learned that through the years. Or even see if you can find someone with a home shop. Lots of times they have been in business for years and know just what they are doing, they are just doing it at their home and it usually costs less.
Yes!! I have this same exact problem! There is absolutely no way to get sample pictures of boys haircuts and the stylists are never helpful. And it is really hard to translate adult male haircuts to little boys. It is really really frustrating. I have found going to a bigger chain is a little better-one that does women's hair as well. Supercuts is where we currently go and it is a little better than their favorite place which is sportsclips. You would think a place that caters to guys would be good. I have friends that take their boys to 'real' salons and have had great results. I am a little too cheap for that though :-)
I ask them to cut his bangs so he can see out from under them and leave as much of the curls as they can. I have never had a stylist (DS is 6-1/2 now) who has ever wanted to cut his hair short. NEVER ever even considered a buzz cut. My son goes to the same stylist I do.
I cut my own boys hair with clippers, and usually just do a 4 on the bottom and a 6 on the top, it comes out nice, clean-cut and short for summer. Momma L. gave you a good answer, any hairdresser should be able to do that when you explain it like that. I think I'm going to try that on my boys next time, it's pretty cute!
My son has a mohawk:) he's had it since he was 2.5years old.
I don't have boys, but I would have them do what I did with my daughter. Let them find pix of the haircut they want and bring it with you.
I take my son to a place specially for kids and they are great. He likes his hair long and I just kind of get an idea of what he wants and I tell the stylist. They'll usually ask me when they are done and I watch the whole time. My son has longer hair and likes to keep it long. He's 8 years old. I agree with others though, bring a picture in.
Bring a photo, of a hair cut you like to show the barber.
OR go to another barber... since you one you go to now, does not seem able... to cut anything else besides a buzz cut.
Find another barber.
Any stylist, would be able to look at a photo and know how to do it.
They don't need, "directions" on how to cut hair. They should already know how.
My kids' Barber, KNOWS how to cut any style (kids/adults/man/woman). And she charges less than a regular hair "salon."
You show her a photo of a style, and she can do it.
Your barber, does not seem that able.
I have a son, and he goes to the Barber. She cuts well. No boring buzz cuts for him. It is nice.
She cuts my daughter's hair too and mine. And each of us don't all have the same hair cut.
This sounds crazy, but after several boring, or just plain BAD, hair cuts, I started taking my son to my stylist. It costs $25 (about 2x the amount of the chain places), but the cut grows out better (lasts longer), plus I can take him in and have his hair cleaned up around his ears for free. (Similar to the free bang trims they give women.)
At first, I felt ridiculous distracting my then 4-yr old kid with Thomas books and Skittles in a salon full of women getting highlights and pedicures, but I have other moms of boys ask me where he gets his haircut. The stylist takes a good 30 minutes going over it vs. the 5-minute chop-job at the chains.
Of course, you'll have to give some direction. I also suggest bringing photos. Definitely consider whether you want it cut short above his ears or if you want a "cool" over the ears sort of look. My son has had both, and honestly, the longer style was harder to keep looking nice. I think that only looks good when kids have thick, wavy hair. Now it is short on the sides, a bit longer on top and I use a bit of product in it to give it some texture. A little of like the first photo on this page: http://coolmenshair.com/2010/10/ewan-mcgregor-hairstyles-..., but not quite so spiky.
I give my sons the same boring buzzcut until they are old enough to go to the salon themselves, or at least want to. My youngest is 13 and still wants a buzzcut rather than go to a salon. I finally got tired of cutting my older son's hair so I gave him his own trimmers for his 24th birthday.
Some guys I guess like the buzzcut. :)
Go to a barber shop. Ask to see their men's hair cut photos. The photo chart shows about 100 pictures of different men's hair cut styles. All you have to do is point and tell the barber that's what you want. Any experienced barber knows how to cut your son's hair so he looks like that.
I did that when I was a teenager. I did that for my sons until they were old enough to choose their style. That chart has been a part of the barber shop since the '60's and probably before.
The other alternative is to look through the magazines you normally look at and cut out the picture of anyone that has a haircut like you'd like. Any experienced barber can cut it that way.
Good luck to you and yours.
If your hairstylist does not know who Ryan Seacrest is, she is way out of touch with what is 'in'. I always heard that if you saw the hairstyle you wanted on someone, ask them where they get their hair done and the name of the person that does their hair. This is true for you or your boys.
