Taper Up TeamThere’s a distinct difference between having a signature hairstyle and getting the same ol’ haircut simply out of habit. You see, the former is an authoritative act. Rocking a signature ’do means actively distilling precisely who you are and then broadcasting that loudly to the world each and every day you walk out the door. It’s definitive. The latter, on the other hand…well, the latter’s just laziness, really. It takes exceptional raw materials, full of promise, and perhaps a touch of pomade and squanders them on something tired, all because you’re too chicken to take a risk.
But look, we get it: You’re a man of habit. Perhaps you don’t even realize that, at this very moment, you’re stuck in the bleak, incredibly boring depths of a follicular rut. So we’ve put together this list of six signs that now’s the time to get your ass to a stylist and try something new for a change. Now that you know how to get exactly the haircut you want, what’s there to lose?
Your Hair Takes Too Much Time and Effort to Style
Mornings are hard enough as it is. Between desperately trying not to hit snooze again, showering properly, and getting a decent meal down your throat—not to mention getting to work on time—you’ve got enough going on. So if, in addition to all that, getting your hair to look halfway decent takes any longer than, say, five minutes or involves more than two products plus a blow-dryer, then it’s time to make a change. Life’s too short for that shit.
You Haven’t Changed Your Style Since College
Or, worse yet, high school. Either way, the point is that there are certain haircuts that are better suited for things like frat parties and tailgating than for board meetings and meeting the in-laws. In short, there comes a time in every man’s life when he has to grow up. The same goes for his choice of haircut.
Your ’Do Is Outdated
When one talks about trends, more often than not one is talking about clothes. But grooming—and hairstyles in particular—has trends of its own. What’s cool one year may be stale by the next, and by the third year turn downright laughable. This tends to be particularly true of bolder cuts, those that fall outside a standard deviation or two of the average ’do; in an instant, they jump the shark and people start to lash back. Time your next cut accordingly.
Your Hair Is Showing Signs of Wear
This one goes out to all the long-haired and color-treated dudes out there who have hair that has seen some shit and who’ve tried with all their might to get it back to the way it was years ago, before heat, chemicals, and the elements had their way with it. To them we say: Give up. Cut it off. Let it grow back fresh and new. Because sometimes the only way to move forward is to start from scratch.
Or, It’s Starting to Show Your Age
That is to say, it’s thinning and you’re not ready to accept that. So until now, you’ve kept your old style, despite the fact that it’s not doing any favors for your suddenly less voluminous mane. Come on, folks. You know better.
Your Barber Asks If You Want “The Usual”
We understand that it might feel comforting to walk into a place and have someone know exactly what you want. It makes sense, really. But answer this: Do you really want to settle down now, when you know there are so many other haircuts out there, one of which might be the haircut equivalent of the love of your life?
Well, when you put it like that…
Brigitte Evans
