How to Tell Your Barber How to Cut Your Hair

For most guys who aren’t barbers, it can be tough to describe how we want our haircut.  If you’re the kind of guy who has trouble articulating the type of haircut you really want, here are a few mens haircut terms that you can use.

Mens Haircut Terminology

Arch – The arch is the area above and behind your ear.  Most barbers will trim the arch each haircut or maintenance visit in a way the cleans up the natural arch.  Because barbers are trained specifically for mens haircuts, they blend this in well.  It helps to describe to your barber how your hair grows out (does it flip out, grow over, etc) behind your ears.  Doing so will help make your haircut look neater for longer.

Bangs – For most guys, we wear our bangs straight down or combed to the side.  Let your barber know which you usually do, and which side you prefer to comb your hair if it applies.

Nape – The nape of your hair line is the back of the neck.  When men get haircuts, they typically get their nape blocked or tapered.  Your barber will ask which you prefer.  A blocked nape is also referred to as squared, while a tapered is often referred to as rounded.

Taper – Barbers are specially trained to give men a tapered haircut.  This creates a gradual, smooth change in hair length from one part of your head to another.

Hopefully this helps you describe the type of haircut you want next time you come into the barber shop.  If you’re still not sure, don’t worry about describing what you want the best that you can without the proper terms.

Photo via Flickr