Hair styles - best way to find TG-friendly one?

[ivy96]

I am not sure if this is going in the correct sub-forum (maybe it belongs in fashion?), but here we go:

How does one go about finding an appropriate hair stylist that is open to doing your hair for you to look more towards your preferred gender (particularly if the preference is of the opposite gender if you're at one of the 'ends' male/female)?

Considering that specific places are very local, I guess question is best answered in a more general way, like how to find such places rather than listing random places which fit the bill.

[kyril]

For trans women, any salon or stylist (not barber) in the LGBT area of any major city should be just fine for helping you find a style. Just pick one where the rest of the clientele sort of matches your preferred style (trendy, conservative, scene, etc). Once you find a cut/style you like, any salon anywhere should be able to maintain it.

Trans men have a harder time; if we go to a place with a big lesbian clientele, we're liable to come out looking like lesbians (butch cuts are subtly different from men's cuts). On the other hand, we're sort of in a catch-22. If we go to any random barbershop/stylist while not passing, we're likely to get a women's cut; if we have a women's cut, we're likely not going to pass when we go get our hair cut the next time. An LGBT-friendly stylist is our best bet for breaking out of that cycle, even if we do end up with a slightly lesbionic style. A butch cut can be morphed into a men's cut over time.

[barbie]

Hair styliests here are all kind and do whatever I want. They like to chat with me about beauty and cosmetics. Although they know I am a bio man, they treat me like a lady.

Barbie~~

[NDelible Gurl]

I just had a style-and-cut at a JCPenny's in a nearby town. I was wanting a cut similar to the girls in some Korean dramas that my sister watches. Those are long hair with bangs that taper off to the side.

The hairstylist did the best she could. She wasn't too sure what I meant so my advice is to bring a picture of the haircut you want. I admit it was a spontaneous decision that day but I think I'll start keeping JPG pics of hair that I like. I'm also planning on keeping some noses since I want a proper rhinoplasty in my future.

I did get bangs tho (my first cut ever with bangs!) and the important thing was the cut (for the split ends).

[Jam]

For trans women, any salon or stylist (not barber) in the LGBT area of any major city should be just fine for helping you find a style. Just pick one where the rest of the clientele sort of matches your preferred style (trendy, conservative, scene, etc). Once you find a cut/style you like, any salon anywhere should be able to maintain it.

Trans men have a harder time; if we go to a place with a big lesbian clientele, we're liable to come out looking like lesbians (butch cuts are subtly different from men's cuts). On the other hand, we're sort of in a catch-22. If we go to any random barbershop/stylist while not passing, we're likely to get a women's cut; if we have a women's cut, we're likely not going to pass when we go get our hair cut the next time. An LGBT-friendly stylist is our best bet for breaking out of that cycle, even if we do end up with a slightly lesbionic style. A butch cut can be morphed into a men's cut over time.

I agree completley with this, it does not matter if i take a picture of a man and insist it be boyish they will still style it with a  girly aspect. I think i make it harder on myself by also not wanting my head shaved. I would also think however that if you do not fully pass as the gender you are wishing to be seen as then going into any hairdressers and asking for a female/male cut would be daunting.

I do think it would be better within the LGBT areas but again even LGB's can have a problem understanding why anyone would want a hairstyle completley opposite to there bio-gender.