3 Steps To Get The Haircut You Want
Gentlemen,
A favorite quote of mine is, “ You’re never fully dressed until you have great hair”. You’re hair along with your style says a lot about you. Imagine if we had to live our lives “Adam & Eve” style with no clothes to express our fashion style. The only thing left to express ourselves would be our hair. Well, that’s pretty much how I lived my life growing up (not exactly naked but felt like I might as well have). I attended private school as a kid and we had to wear uniforms everyday to school.
The way I expressed my sense of style was through my hair. I can’t tell you how many hairstyles I’ve had and how many different hair products I’ve tried. Until this day I’m still trying out different cuts and products.
Here are 3 steps I learned to help you on your journey to the perfect coif.
1. Stop Going To A Unisex Salon: The decline of the ol’ fashion barbershop began in the 60’s when guys began to grow longer and shaggier hair (hippies era). Barbers weren’t trained to cut and style longer hair so men went to salons which gave birth to the unisex salon (SuperCuts, Fantastic Sams, etc.). When short hair came back in style, it was natural for men to just continue going to unisex salons.
Just for you to get an idea of the many types of men’s cuts there are out there take a look at Barbershop Connect. Did you see how close of a skin tight fade one of those haircuts was? Trust me, you won’t get that at Fantastic Sam’s.
Recently there’s been a revitalization of the classic barbershop. Barbers are better trained and take their craft very seriously. If you walk into a Supercuts you’ll see your hairstylist with one hair clipper machine. Walk into a barbershop and your barber will have several types of different clippers. That’s because barbers are better trained and specialize to cut men’s hair. They know how to use different machines to get the right haircut you want. Wish your haircut would last longer? Try a fade with a straight razor! You won’t be able to get that at a unisex salon either.
For a good ol’ fashion barbershop for today’s modern man check out these shops.
Bolt Barbers - Los Angeles, CA
American Barbershop - Santa Ana, CA
Blind Barbers - Culver City, CA
2. Figure Out Your Type of Hair: It took me several years to figure this one out. How many times have you walked into a barbershop and shown your barber a picture of the haircut you’d like? I would this all the time without thinking that the person in the photo might have different hair type than mine.
Recognizing you have straight, curly, kinky or wavy hair and knowing if you have fine, medium or coarse hair will help you decide on the best haircut that suits you. For example, I have very straight coarse hair. I enjoy the volume my hair has but the problem I have is having to keep my hair really short on the sides otherwise I won’t be able to comb it down. Which is why I’m trying out a “pompadour style undercut”.
I get to enjoy the volume on top and don’t have to worry about the stubborn short hairs on the side that I can’t comb down. A long wavy or shaggy hairstyle wouldn’t work on me (I tried…).
3. Selecting The Right Hair Product: Just like knowing the type of hair you have, it’s also important to know what hair product works best for your hair. For a pompadour style haircut guys usually use pomade. That stuff won’t do anything for my hair. I need to use a clay hair product to be able to tame my hair. I’m currently using Baxter of California Clay Pomade. It has a strong hold, that matte look I like and easier to wash off than other clay hair products.
I’m still in the market searching for the perfect hair product. The only way to find out is to keep trying. Here are a few other products I’ve tried and have worked well for me.
Do a little bit of research before purchasing a hair product to find out the effect the product will give your hair. If you’re going for the “messy hair” style you wouldn’t want to use a pomade that has high shine. I hope you get the idea here.
Don’t forget to follow me on social media for gentlemen’s lifestyle & grooming tips you can use from the streets to the boardroom. Find me on Instagram: @TheSocialCut Twitter: @TheSocialCut Facebook: @TheSocialCut YouTube: TheSocialCut
For specific topics you’d wish for me to touch on, please shoot me an email at: steve@thesocialcut.com
Until Next Time, Gents!
Steve A. Nunez
