How do you guys ask for a haircut?

[Squirrel698]

Barber shops are good times, at least in my experience.  It's a very masculine environment and the barbers are very good at giving haircuts to guys.  As opposed to a salon where they are use to giving girl cuts to girls for the most part.  They would be the best one to talk to about masculinizing a  haircut that would work best with your face and head shape.

Getting a shave from a barber is also awesome.  I feel so pampered, yet so male which is a great combination. 

Sorry if there isn't one close to you.  Just remember you are the customer and they should be catering to you.  It's their job to please you, not the other way around.  Be confident in who you are and what you want.  If they are smart and want your return business they will give you what you want.   

[tekla]

Stylists 'style' hair, barbers just cut it, and at that there are really only a few different ways to do that.

[Jeh]

I went to a men's barber and they tried to kick me out because I "wasn't a man". I told them I was trans and was a man and they cut my hair, but the embarrassment has kept me from going back there, or any other men's hair place. I go to a unisex place and ask for a number 3 on the sides and cut it short on top and I like what I get. The last time I went they even charged me the men's rate, even though I gave them my female name. When I pass more consistently I might try a different cut.

[xAndrewx]

Jeh I'm sorry you had to go through that I've seen butch woman who prefer men's cuts go into the barbers around here with no trouble. I hope that won't keep you from going to a different barber in the future.

Phate: I would only suggest a barber if you happen to be around one and have the choice to go to one instead of a stylist because they cut your hair without question. Many stylists in my experience if I didn't pass say stuff like "you don't want that it's too manly for you. Why would you want to look like a man?" etc.

[LivingInGrey]

when i was getting my hair cut it was real simple.

"Buzz cut please. #2 on the sides and #3 on top."

takes about 15 mins if theres no wait and the lady isn't the chatty type.

[ty.to.the.man]

i go to a salon and luckily im perceived as male, i always get many different haircuts. but i suggest saying "trim the sides and top" or " very short on sides and top" or just anything kind of like that.

[JesseO]

I actually go to a friend of mine to get my hair cut now - thankfully. Prior to that, I asked a coworker of mine where he got his done because his cut was similar to what I was trying to get people to cut my hair like. It's like a faux hawk but longer...? He told me he went to Lady Jane's Haircuts for Men...which is a chain, may have seen a commerical on tv..."sexy" girls, flat screen tv's, pool tables. What I did was just called ahead to avoid the embarassment. I just pretty much said, "I am a girl, will you still cut my hair?" and their only question was if I used clippers on my hair. I said yes, and they said ok, and to come on in. I felt a bit awkward because I do not pass at all(which is why I said girl) and thought I stood out like a sore thumb, but the girl who cut my hair was very nice.  You could always just try calling places before going in. Even walk in places like supercuts, mastercuts, great clips will take appointments as far as I know. You could try calling ahead just say you want to avoid a wait, give them your name and say you are just coming in for a men's cut. Maybe that way, they will already have associated your name with men's cut before you come in and explain it.

[wheat thins are delicious]

I wanted to say that not all hair stylists are inexperienced at men's cuts or are going to cut your hair femme.  I have always gotten a completely masculine haircut from a local hair dresser (who is male).  The only problem I had was he charged me 15 dollars (men's cuts there are 12).  This last time I decided I would make the appointment with my new name (I'd just had my name changed) and explain when I got there.  I showed up and he looked confused, there were some people around so I went to his appointment book and pointed to my name and said that's me.  I never had to explain anything.  He understood and at the end charged me 12 dollars. 

[okydoky]

@Jeh - I never had any problems like that. Even about 7-8 years ago, before I even knew I was trans, I knew I wanted a guy type cut, so I went in a barber shop a few minutes' walk from my house and asked 'can I have a haircut' and the barber basically said that if I want a male haircut then yes. So, not all barber shops are alike, obviously. If you get a chance, try another one.

@Andy8715 - I would call that discrimination. Simply based on your gender (i.e. based on your name, you were female before, male later), he charged you different amounts for the SAME haircut. Having different prices for different types of cuts is fine, but the prices should depend on the style/type of hair cut, not on the gender marker (or personal gender identity) of the person getting the hair cut. If I were you, I would have complained the first time around, simply because I hate the discrimination. Women shouldn't be charged more for the same haircut just because they're women. My two cents.

[wheat thins are delicious]

@Andy8715 - I would call that discrimination. Simply based on your gender (i.e. based on your name, you were female before, male later), he charged you different amounts for the SAME haircut. Having different prices for different types of cuts is fine, but the prices should depend on the style/type of hair cut, not on the gender marker (or personal gender identity) of the person getting the hair cut. If I were you, I would have complained the first time around, simply because I hate the discrimination. Women shouldn't be charged more for the same haircut just because they're women. My two cents.

Yeah it was but I try not to dwell on that because he is a really great guy otherwise than that one aspect of charging me the 15, and because I was so ecstatic that there was this kind of understanding that "hey this person is a guy"

[gilligan]

I've got a friend who owns some clippers, so I had them buzz me to the length I wanted it from then on. They told me what guards they used and now when I go to great clips I just tell them the number of the guards. (3 on the sides and back, 6 on the top)

[Mr.Rainey]

I just tell em to buzz me. I tell em the size and to square my neck, and trim my sideburns. (I dun exactly pass yet and so ppl tend to want to mow my sideburns over. :/

[gtfonnbrayy]

dude i'd just take in a picture so they don't mess it up 

[JohnR]

Print out the picture.
Take it to a hair salon.
"This is what I want. Don't f*** it up."

Do that, gentlemen, and you will get the haircut that you deserve.

[Brent123]

I was nervous when I went to get mine done. I went to a unisex place though. I showed the lady a picture that was obviously male and told her that was what I wanted. People want to get paid so they will usually do what you want. I echo the not going to a salon. The people there told me things like "oh you won't like it that short," or "you'll hate me for that." Its just easier to not deal with that.

[sascraps]

  LOL You guys just gave me a mental image of when I was a little kid and my grandmother would take me to the old mall we used to have, and on the times when she'd take me for a hair cut I remember picking up the mens' styles books and picking from that. And no one said anything about it except my mom when she'd see me and say that she wishes I didn't get my hair cut so short. It's funny now because that's the first time a childhood memory popped into my head that wasn't straight from memory. I see myself as a little boy sitting there looking through the mens' books. 

[emil]

oddly enough, the lady who already cut my hair when i presented as female still gives me the best haircuts....i passed with all the other unisex stylists and barbers i tried (surprisingly, one would think they'd be able to tell from my hairline), but often times i feel like a short haircut is not so much about whether the cut itself is defined male or female, but whether the stylist knows how to work with your hair. Obviously bringing a photo helps, but then again, that also means you need to know in advance what kind of cut will look good on you. It gets easier if you already had one perfect haircut -that way you can just bring a picture of yourself when your hair looked the way you liked it.

[ty.to.the.man]

sascraps: i also remember the first time i got a "boys" haircut in 2nd grade my parents finally let me get one. but even before that my hair was kinda weird it looked like a really long beiber haircut lol! then my parents let me get a "traditional boys haircut" (as my mom calls it) where the sides and back is short but it spikes up in the front. one of the happiest days of my life 

[straightedgechris]

I cut my own but if I were to go to someone, I'd go to a barber too.

[MRH]

I'm too nervous to go to our local hairdressers. Thankfully my partners cousin is a hair dresser and she cuts the families hair every few months. Even though their family do gossip a lot (and ive found out recently they do talk about me) I felt this was the best place to get it done. I handed her a picture of Ashton Kutcher and she just said ok. I was a bit worried and I dont doubt there was a bit of talk about it but everyone says its suits me so it was the best thing I did. My problem now is having to pay for female hair cuts. Some places charge like £5 for a mens cut but £15 for a womans! Thankfully I only pay £7 with my partners cousin but thats £2 more than he has to pay