Getting your first *:･ﾟ✧MAN*:･ﾟ✧ haircut

[ghostboy1799]

I'm coming out soon, so I decided to do something I've always wanted to do: get my hair cut short. I'm going for like grade 4 on the back and sides and a little shaggy on top. The problem is, how and where do I get my hair cut without them trying to feminize it? My mom never let me cut my hair short (I'm 15), so it's not like I'm going to pass as male with my long hair and no binder and long eyelashes and chubby lil baby face.
Does anybody have any tips? Is there anyone from Austin, Texas who knows somewhere good? Thanks!
(This is my first forum post, since I've mainly been getting advice directly from other transguys or from yahoo answers, so I apologize if I'm doing this wrong or something ^_^' )

[anibioman]

Have a friend cut your hair. Before I was out I shaved my head for St. Baldrick's charity, I raised $2,000. It was the spring of my freshman year in high school. It grew out a bit and I got a haircut before fall of my sophomore year. I then came out the first day of my sophomore year.

I came into the barber shop as a tiny kid without long hair. I'd say have a friend cut your hair. Longer than you'd like so if they're bad you can go to the barber and have it fixed. If you have clippers its pretty easy for someone with a little know how to cut hair.

[Sebryn]

I just brought a couple of pictures of men who had the haircut I wanted and told the hair stylist I was going to be in a play as a male character and needed that exact hair cut. Squared off neckline and square sideburn area, make sure you specify this.

After I got further along in my transition I wanted an undercut that was more punk/alternative and it was super hard to find a stylist who knew what they were doing. They kept wanting to taper it....ugh... I finally just got my sister to do it after showing her what to do hah. She did a much better job of it and finally returned the favor of me cutting and dyeing her hair for years. You might look for a LGBT friendly salon in Austin. The salons down here (I'm further south than you) who are LGBT seem to do a better job of listening when you tell them what you want. They might assume you're a lesbian but hey that's a small price to pay for the haircut you want.

[Polo]

Either of the above suggestions are good ideas.  If you want to go the barbershop route, here is a handy list of queer/trans friendly barber shops in various US cities, Austin has 3:
http://vintagebarbershop.tumblr.com/post/48653757985/barbers

[Nikotinic]

the first couple of times I tried to get my hair cut really short I ended up getting convinced by the hairdresser that I didn't really want it that short after all, then I would just end up with a pixie cut. I think hairdressers get really nervous that you'll regret it if they take too much off and blame them.

I found though that I've only ever been disappointed with a cut turning out too long, never too short.

One day I just took a picture in of what I really wanted and specified number two on the sides. I find that when I'm direct and don't show any hesitation that they just do what I ask and cut it short.

[Ayden]

I went to a local barber, not a salon, and asked for a cut. Gave them the lengths I wanted and the guy did it no problem. I had a fun chat with one of the guys waiting for his turn about the local university basketball team. No one thought a thing of it. If you want to go to a salon, I'd say have a picture. In my experience they air on the side of caution

I jus cut my hair at home now. Actually, husband does it and he's gotten pretty good. I have a Anne Lennox style right now.

[David27]

First I went into a salon at the mall because I didn't want to have to come out to some snotty people. I got a more female version of the Caesar.

Next I went to the great clips down the road, which I hadn't gone in years, so they wouldn't recognize me. Got a very bad hair cut because the lady forgot the part where I have a scar that runs from ear to ear.

After that I found a LGBT friendly barber/stylist who could actually cut hair without having my scar show.

What you need is a square cut because it will help you pass better than a round cut.

[overdrive]

Have a friend cut your hair. Before I was out I shaved my head for St. Baldrick's charity, I raised $2,000. It was the spring of my freshman year in high school. It grew out a bit and I got a haircut before fall of my sophomore year. I then came out the first day of my sophomore year.

This is what I did too. Excuse to have my head shaved and then play around with different haircuts/styles as my hair grew longer and when I had a goofy looking shaved head (and yes I look terrible with a shaved head) I had a story to tell people about fighting cancer.

[Mal]

I live in the Southeast and use either Super Cuts or Great Clips, and I've gotten both of them to cut my hair short, and they've even squared off the sideburns sometimes without me mentioning it. I just tell them that my hair grows super fast, so I like it really short, and they see so many different people that they don't really care what style you want. My current hair cut is super short on the sides and back with longer on top, so I can either spike it or go with the messy look. I do recommend finding pictures of the style you want, if possible.

[ZombieDog]

I was honest with the hairdresser when I got my first 'man' haircut.  She did a pretty good job.  Now I cut it myself(I have the clippers and youtube has vids so why not save myself the $12?)

One thing that helps though is to not only take an image of what you want, but study it too.  Note things that mens hairstyles have that women's don't.  For example, men's haircuts, unless they're longer, almost always have straight cut sideburns and neck.  Even if you don't have actual sideburns, you can mimic them by having the hair there cut straight across.  Men's haircuts also usually have the hair over the ears cut away so that none of it has to be tucked behind or in front of the ears.

If you know those things you can correct any 'girly' mistakes the stylist makes.  Be firm and if you don't like something, tell them to fix it.

[ghostboy1799]

Thanks for the advice guys! My mom is on board with me getting a haircut, which is good, so I think me and my one friend that I am out to will go to a barber or something, or we'll just borrow some clippers from someone and just do it ourselves. Thanks for the help!