"How to talk to a barber" by Dennis Rodman

"How to talk to a barber" by Dennis Rodman, Men's Health, Volume 11, Number 4, May 1996, page 139

No really. By Dennis Rodman. And it's good advice. Please read on.

This article offers some common sense advice to talking with your barber. While you may not (or possibly may) want to sport a coif like the famous basketball player, Dennis Rodman's hair is a big part of his trademark.

He suggests three simple steps for customer to barber communication:

• "Step One: Look for the big pole". The red, white and blue (or red and white) pole means that you are dealing with a barber, not a stylist or coiffeur. Why choose a barber? "Barbers understand men, and they talk our language." "...you don't need an appointment weeks in advance" "As a rule, avoide any place where the guy cutting your hair has only one name. In fact, avoid anybody who has only one name", says Dennis.
• "Step Two: Show, don't tell". The advice here, is that unless you are completely confident talking in barber language (with works like 'layered' and 'tapered'), don't use their language. You might ask for something you don't want. The article suggests taking a photograph of a style that you want and asking lots of questions "Is there any scalp showing in the back? Is the hairline receeding? Is purple my best color?" If you have a good barber, they should be able to offer a solution to your hair problem.
• "Step Three: Always look back". The article suggests that many barbers won't show you the back of your head, "to spare you the embarrassment of seeing some skin". However, as everyone else sees the back of your head, you should know what it looks like too.

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