(no subject)

[fadeaccompli]

Some day, I will learn the magical phrase that gets me the haircut that I want on the first try. Because so far it has not been:

"I want it shaved really, really short."
"I want it shaved with a #4 blade."
"I want it cut down to half an inch."
"I want it cut down really short, so there's only half an inch left."
"Could you take off everything except for half an inch?"
"Just shave it right down! Almost all of it!"
"I like it really, really short. Just cut off everything but half an inch."
"Take off everything but this much." *indicates size with fingers*
*indicates size with fingers* "That's how much I want left. Everything else should go."

...and probably some other variants, but dammit, yet again I've got a haircut where I end up with a delicate half inch nibbled off so that it was barely worth the trouble of even showing up, and too frustrated by my inability to communicate to want to press the issue once I have my glasses on at the end and I'm being asked how I like it.

Maybe I should start asking them to shave me god damn bald, and then just let it grow back to the proper length.

Comments

[wednesday]

Are you going to a full-on barber at this point? Because they might get it better than unisex or women's salons would.

[fadeaccompli]

Just standard cheap haircut places. I thought barbers were only for men? I'm never sure about these things.

I used to get the cut I wanted from the super-cheap little salon by campus, but since it's no longer convenient to get to, I was trying some place new. Alas. My hair has been nibbled down slightly to an inconsequential degree.

[wednesday]

Some barbers will deal with women, particularly if you go to one that's LGBTQ-friendly.

[cythraul]

My old roommate used to shave his head on a semi-regular basis; I think it only used to take him a week or two to get back up to "half-inch fuzz".

Also, have you tried asking for a "buzz cut"?

Are you getting haircare folk who're secretly scandalized by the idea of a woman wanting a nigh-bald pate, and are certain that surely you don't mean etc. etc.?

[fadeaccompli]

I will try 'buzz cut' next time. I don't usually want the universal poofiness that entails--just the length--but it'd be closer.

I suspect the stylists aren't so much scandalized as...well, hearing what they're used to. Women never want hair that short, so when a woman asks for hair that short, they just filter it as the more common request.