On the first visit to a new hairdresser, I’m always worried they’ll cut off too much. “Just a little shorter,” I’ll say. Most of the time, that leads to me complaining two weeks later: “I should have told them to cut more. Now I need to make the next appointment soon.”
As soon as I’ve seen them do an okay job, however, I’ll remember: It’s better to have my hair too short for a week or two than to need to pay for another cut three weeks later. My hair grows fast, and the way I wear it, one centimeter more or less barely makes a difference. So I might as well tell the hairdresser to be generous in cutting!
My routine with my current one is well-established. They start, shave the sides, and indicate with two fingers in the front: “This much?” My answer is always the same: “You can do a little more.”
Where you have a lot to give, don’t worry about giving too much. Chances are, your stock will replenish faster than you expect it to—and even if not, karma will find a way to redeem your points. Take more off the top.
