Hairdressers or Barbers for teen son’s haircut

Amyisalwayshappy

My husband mentioned this morning that he thinks it'll make him "more of a man" if he goes to the barbers and that he thinks the salon will "make him a girl"!

Yes he has longer hair than most boys but that was entirely his choice

Grumpy_chap

Give him a tenner and let him take himself to wherever he chooses.

If he chooses not to go and spend the money on chocolate (or whatever) then so be it.  

He still needs to wait a month until he gets a tenner for a haircut again.

He may make mistakes, or decisions you don't approve, but this is all part of the learning process.

Carrot007

Amyisalwayshappy said:

My husband mentioned this morning that he thinks it'll make him "more of a man" if he goes to the barbers and that he thinks the salon will "make him a girl"!

Yes he has longer hair than most boys but that was entirely his choice

Are you living in the 50's?

And as a male type. How long are you talking. I have cut my own hair with clippers for... er.... More than 25 years. It does not have to be crew cut short, there are much larger cuts. I also did a off centre mowhawk thing once so there are options. (I find it simplere to do it myself, 2 long mirrors are a help though but I have done it without.

Amyisalwayshappy

Carrot007 said:

Amyisalwayshappy said:

My husband mentioned this morning that he thinks it'll make him "more of a man" if he goes to the barbers and that he thinks the salon will "make him a girl"!

Yes he has longer hair than most boys but that was entirely his choice

Are you living in the 50's?

And as a male type. How long are you talking. I have cut my own hair with clippers for... er.... More than 25 years. It does not have to be crew cut short, there are much larger cuts. I also did a off centre mowhawk thing once so there are options. (I find it simplere to do it myself, 2 long mirrors are a help though but I have done it without.

It's only my husband who thinks like that, I don't!

Silvertabby

Does your husband think that a barber is more likely to talk your son into having a 'man's haircut' - ie, a short back and sides?

Ditzy_Mitzy

Carrot007 said:

Amyisalwayshappy said:

My husband mentioned this morning that he thinks it'll make him "more of a man" if he goes to the barbers and that he thinks the salon will "make him a girl"!

Yes he has longer hair than most boys but that was entirely his choice

Are you living in the 50's?

And as a male type. How long are you talking. I have cut my own hair with clippers for... er.... More than 25 years. It does not have to be crew cut short, there are much larger cuts. I also did a off centre mowhawk thing once so there are options. (I find it simplere to do it myself, 2 long mirrors are a help though but I have done it without.

I can't think they are living in the fifties; my dad lived through that time and hated going to the barber.  He couldn't wait to get himself to a proper unisex hairdresser for a do befitting for the sixties.  Barbers were a bit naff back then.

Times change, of course, and now in the 21st century barbers are perceived as macho, apparently.  Ridiculous. 

I go to unisex stylist, like most females.  The majority of other customers are female, but there are quite a few male patrons.  What is interesting is that most of the males who turn up of their own volition, i.e. not the husbands and boyfriends of the female customers who go and get done at the same time, err towards the more stylish end of the spectrum.  Most are young and take pride in their appearance.  That tells you something.  I suspect the reason they are there is because they know the results of a cut from a proper stylist are better than those from a barber who primarily does clipping.  Perhaps it's worth giving up the masculine environment of the barber if one receives a more sophisticated cut? 

There probably isn't much more to it.  If your son cares about how he looks vis a vis hairstyle, and is happy with his current stylist, there is no reason to enforce change.  What's wrong with wanting to look good?  It'll do more for him socially, in the long term, than not taking care.

NBLondon

Ditzy_Mitzy said:

I suspect the reason they are there is because they know the results of a cut from a proper stylist are better than those from a barber who primarily does clipping.  Perhaps it's worth giving up the masculine environment of the barber if one receives a more sophisticated cut? 

There's barbers and there's barbers...    Some can only handle clippers and a limited number of styles which don't suit all hair types.   I've got wavy hair (what there is left of it...) and over the years I found that the barbers who could best handle it were vaguely Mediterranean - old-school Italians in a couple of cases and most recently Turkish.

A unisex salon doesn't guarantee a  "proper stylist" either....

As to the OP - I agree with asking the lad what he prefers.

Savvy_Sue

Amyisalwayshappy said:

BrassicWoman said:

He's 13; let him choose?

He's not sure but he usually agrees with me on most things. But I also don't want him to feel like he can't have his own opinions on things if you get what I mean

I'd say he can't have an opinion on this unless he tries the barbers, for comparison, but if he doesn't want whatever style his dad wants him to have then he needs to go on his own. 

There is nothing to stop him going into a few places and asking if they can do his current style and gauging responses. Go back to where he feels most comfortable. 

Apparently lots of barber shops have opened because some chaps like to get their hair trimmed every day!!!

sammyjammy

Amyisalwayshappy said:

My husband mentioned this morning that he thinks it'll make him "more of a man" if he goes to the barbers and that he thinks the salon will "make him a girl"!

Yes he has longer hair than most boys but that was entirely his choice

Never mind where to get your sons haircut I would be busy divorcing the husband.

seven-day-weekend

I think if your son is 13 HE should choose who cuts his hair!