How to prepare for a professional consultation
Tell your barber three things: the clipper number for the sides, how many centimetres stay on top, and whether the edges are tapered or squared. Bring a photo of the front, side and back of a cut on hair like yours, and say what you like about it.
By the LEVEL team · Updated
How do I explain to a barber what I want?
Describe the result, the limit and the routine. The result is the cut you want, shown in one or two photographs of someone with hair like yours. The limit is what must not change — the hairline, a part, the length at the back. The routine is how long you will spend styling it each morning, which decides more than the photograph does. Then let the barber tell you what your hair can actually do, because crowns, cowlicks and density are easier to see in person than in a picture.
What should I bring?
A short brief you can show on your phone: the direction you want, what not to change, how much maintenance you will accept, and a reference image. LEVEL can produce this as a professional card from your plan; the card expires and can be revoked, and sharing it does not give anyone access to your account or your other photographs. For an optician, bring your prescription and the frame measurements you liked.
See it on your own face before you change anything. LEVEL is an AI face analysis app that never gives a score. Its Preview picks the haircut, beard and glasses that suit you from seven private photos, shows them on your own photo, and gives you the exact words for your barber and optician. $19, once.
What should I ask?
Ask what the professional can see that a photograph cannot. A barber can judge how your hair will grow out and how often the cut needs maintenance. An optician can measure fit and advise on lens thickness. A dermatologist can assess skin and hair conditions that no app should guess at. Ask how long the change will take to settle, what it will cost to maintain, and what to do if you do not like it.
When should I see a doctor instead?
When the question is about health rather than presentation: hair falling out in patches, a rash or persistent itching in the beard, a mole that has changed, sudden vision changes, or anything painful. Those belong with a doctor, a dermatologist or an eye-care professional. A visual app, including this one, does not diagnose.
Who decides?
You do. A professional's advice and a preview are both inputs. Keep control of the decision, and of your data: a shared brief should be specific to the appointment, expire afterwards, and be revocable at any time.
What words do barbers actually use?
A few terms cover most requests, and using them avoids the commonest misunderstandings.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Taper | Hair gets gradually shorter toward the neck and ears, ending with some length. Softer than a fade. |
| Fade | Hair goes down to the skin or very close to it. Say where it starts: low, mid or high. |
| Guard number | Clipper length, in eighths of an inch: a 1 is about 3 mm, a 2 about 6 mm, a 3 about 10 mm, a 4 about 13 mm. |
| Texturise | Cut into the ends so hair separates and moves rather than sitting as a block. |
| Line up or shape up | Sharpen the edges at the forehead, temples and neck. On a beard, the cheek line and neckline. |
| Leave the length | Take off only the ends. Say how much in centimetres, because "a little" means different things to different people. |
How do I explain what I want at the optician?
Bring your current frames and their numbers, say what you dislike about them, and name the one change you want. The three numbers on the inside of the arm are lens width, bridge and arm length in millimetres; from them the optician can find frames a few millimetres wider or narrower without guessing. Say how you use your glasses, and ask how thick the lenses will be in the frames you like, since a strong prescription in a large frame makes thick edges. The glasses guide explains how to read the numbers. Try two or three frames side by side and photograph each from arm's length; a few millimetres of width are easier to judge in photos than in the shop mirror. Ask whether the frames can be adjusted at the arms and nose pads.
What if I don't like the result?
Say so before you leave, specifically, and while it can still be adjusted. Most haircuts can be tidied on the spot: a heavy top thinned, a line softened, the sides blended further. Name what is wrong rather than how you feel about it, for example "the sides are shorter than I asked" rather than "I'm not sure". If it cannot be fixed, hair grows about a centimetre a month, so a cut that went wrong is a few weeks of patience, not a disaster. Write down what happened, so the next visit starts from a clearer request. Most barbers would rather fix a cut on the day than lose a customer, so asking is not rude. If it was a misunderstanding, a written note with the clipper numbers and a photo is the best way to prevent it next time.
Quick answers
- What should I tell my barber?
- Three things: how short the sides go (a clipper number), how much stays on top (in centimetres), and whether the edges are tapered or squared. Show a photo of the back and side as well as the front.
- What do clipper guard numbers mean?
- Each number is an eighth of an inch: a #1 leaves about 3 mm, a #2 about 6 mm, a #3 about 10 mm and a #4 about 13 mm.
- Should I bring a photo to the barber?
- Yes, ideally of someone with hair like yours, from the front, side and back. Say what you like about it, because barbers read the same photo differently.
Sources
- Wahl UK — Clipper cutting lengths and attachment combsGuard numbers are eighths of an inch: a 1 is about 3 mm, a 4 about 13 mm.
- StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf — Physiology, HairHair grows about a centimetre a month, so a bad cut is weeks of patience.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology — EyeglassesAsk about lens thickness: strong prescriptions make thick lenses unless high-index.