Guides

Guides to asking for a haircut: what to say to your barber or stylist, what clipper numbers leave, and what fade, taper and undercut mean.

• How to Ask Your Barber for a Haircut

  What to say in the chair, in order: the cut's name and a photo, the length on top, the sides and how they blend, and how you style it.

• How to Tell Your Stylist What You Want

  Say the length to keep by a landmark, where the layers start or that you want none, what to do with the fringe, and how you dry your hair.

• Haircut Numbers: What Each Clipper Guard Leaves

  Haircut numbers are clipper guard sizes: a number 2 leaves about a quarter of an inch (6 mm). The full chart from #½ to #8, in inches and millimetres.

• Fade, Taper and Undercut: The Side Terms Explained

  A low fade starts just above the ear, a mid fade around the temple and a high fade near the top of the head. A taper shortens only the edges; an undercut is short underneath with no blend.