Some guys have difficult hair, with lots of cowlicks and waves, and finding a great stylist can be a challenge. This has always been true for me. Even in the big cities where I've lived, like Chicago and Manhattan, it's not been easy to get consistently excellent haircuts. For the benefit of my fellow B&B men, I thought I'd share the tricks I've learned for finding a great stylist.
1) Never walk into a salon and settle for whichever stylist is available. You might get stuck with the least-experienced or least-talented stylist. There is a reason why great stylists are always booked and rarely available for walk-ins.
I learned that lesson the hard way during the year I lived in Albuquerque. I walked into a popular salon and let them steer me toward the only available stylist. As we chatted while she washed my hair, I mentioned that I came from Chicago. This was during the time that our governor was on trial for corruption and in the news. The stylist appeared to assume he was considered a style leader for Chicago men's hair. So she gave me a Rod Blagojevich:
2) Look for a stylist that specializes in men's hair. Even if your wife / girlfriend swears by her stylist, and always has great-looking hair, that person might not be right for you. There is no reason to shy away from unisex salons. That's where I've always found the best stylists, rather than at more traditional manly barber shops. Just be sure the stylist you choose is very experienced with men's cuts.
3) A great stylist will tell you the truth when you have a bad idea. I asked my current stylist (who is the best I've ever had) if I should consider highlights or some treatment to remove some of the grey from my hair. He very firmly talked me out of that idea, rather than using it as an opportunity to upsell me into something more profitable for the salon. A bad stylist will upsell relentlessly and even suggest goofy things you've never considered, like the aforementioned stylist in Albuquerque who tried to convince me to dye my eyebrows (!)
4) If possible, find a men's hair expert who is also an owner of the salon. Yes, that person may be more expensive than a less-experienced stylist, but here's the advantage: They own the salon and they aren't as likely to disappear on you. I hate going through the process of working with a new stylist and then having them vanish when they take a job someplace else. It can require a couple of cuts before a stylist figures out your hair, so you're looking for a long-term relationship.
Needless to say, none of these tips apply to anyone with a buzz cut or a style that any chain like Supercuts can handle. I have one friend with very simple haircut needs who only goes to barbers with monosyllabic names: first it was Joe, then Gus and now it's Sam.
For those men looking for something a bit more stylish, or who just have difficult hair like mine, I hope you'll find these tips helpful.
Nick
1) Never walk into a salon and settle for whichever stylist is available. You might get stuck with the least-experienced or least-talented stylist. There is a reason why great stylists are always booked and rarely available for walk-ins.
I learned that lesson the hard way during the year I lived in Albuquerque. I walked into a popular salon and let them steer me toward the only available stylist. As we chatted while she washed my hair, I mentioned that I came from Chicago. This was during the time that our governor was on trial for corruption and in the news. The stylist appeared to assume he was considered a style leader for Chicago men's hair. So she gave me a Rod Blagojevich:
2) Look for a stylist that specializes in men's hair. Even if your wife / girlfriend swears by her stylist, and always has great-looking hair, that person might not be right for you. There is no reason to shy away from unisex salons. That's where I've always found the best stylists, rather than at more traditional manly barber shops. Just be sure the stylist you choose is very experienced with men's cuts.
3) A great stylist will tell you the truth when you have a bad idea. I asked my current stylist (who is the best I've ever had) if I should consider highlights or some treatment to remove some of the grey from my hair. He very firmly talked me out of that idea, rather than using it as an opportunity to upsell me into something more profitable for the salon. A bad stylist will upsell relentlessly and even suggest goofy things you've never considered, like the aforementioned stylist in Albuquerque who tried to convince me to dye my eyebrows (!)
4) If possible, find a men's hair expert who is also an owner of the salon. Yes, that person may be more expensive than a less-experienced stylist, but here's the advantage: They own the salon and they aren't as likely to disappear on you. I hate going through the process of working with a new stylist and then having them vanish when they take a job someplace else. It can require a couple of cuts before a stylist figures out your hair, so you're looking for a long-term relationship.
Needless to say, none of these tips apply to anyone with a buzz cut or a style that any chain like Supercuts can handle. I have one friend with very simple haircut needs who only goes to barbers with monosyllabic names: first it was Joe, then Gus and now it's Sam.
For those men looking for something a bit more stylish, or who just have difficult hair like mine, I hope you'll find these tips helpful.
Nick
Um yeaaaaaaaahhhh
. I guess I've never had to think about "how to find a good men's hair stylist". Well, my barber is not going to work and live forever so someday I'll have to find a new one. For me, getting my hair cut has always only been half of the reason for going to the barber shop.... I like to sit and visit and spend the time with my boys. I went to a salon once when I was about 13 and it bothered me. My mother took me because my was in Boston for the week. It smelled like burnt hair, perfume and chemicals. The woman stylist gave me a "spike" hairstyle which was popular at the time and fussed over me and told me how lucky I was because I had such a thick head of hair and how I wouldn't even have to put any mousse or gel or anything in my hair because it would just stick up by itself. I was creeped out and when my dad got home I remember being ashamed to stand in front of him. I felt a bit like a traitor and I didn't think that my regular barber would ever take me back. My dad said "Oh, he won't care". He was right. Funny how you think when you're a kid.
.^^^^
