Ten Year Anniversary
This July it will be ten years since I started Tim Carr Hair and I wanted to thank everyone who’s been coming to the salon because you’ve made it all possible—from the people who have only came in for one haircut all the way through the people who followed me from Alexander’s for Hair to the Sola Salon on Wilshire and Bundy, the shop I rented a chair in on Sawtelle in Culver City, to the outdoor haircuts I did in the parking lot behind that salon when I was only able to offer outdoor haircuts during covid, to the Sola Salon Studios I work at now off Jefferson. There were tough times. When I first started on my own, I would hope to get at least 36 services in a week because if I hit that number I would be making a little more than I did at Alexanders for Hair, now I usually do around 65-70 haircuts a week and if I had a week where I only did 36 I would start trying to figure out what happened. Halfway through the ten years the Covid lockdowns happened and I was unable to work do to the restrictions, and then when I was allowed to cut hair again I had to do it in the parking lot behind the salon. Even when they allowed people to start working indoors again I had to stay outside because we had to be at 25% capacity and in a four chair salon that is only one person. The woman I rented a chair from cut mostly women’s hair so she needed access to the shampoo bowls to wash hair before her haircuts and to rinse out color and other chemical services so I stayed outside since I only do men’s haircuts. At first it was fun cutting hair outside, but the novelty wore off fast, especially when it started to get hot. I never envisioned myself cutting hair in a tank top and shorts when I first got into the industry, and knew I had to be looking ragged at the end of some of those hot days because people would say things like, “Thank you for doing this” after I finished their haircuts. I ended up cutting hair outside for a full year until I could start working in the salon again and six months after that I moved across Sepulveda Blvd to where my salon is now, in the Sola Salon Studios. I’ve been working in Sola for a little over three years now and really enjoy having my own private suite and I would only consider moving if everything is perfect because it’s so easy in the shop I’m in now. Perfect would mean the salon being in the same area in Culver City, affordable price, good parking, etc. I’m not even looking, nor have I been in case anyone was getting worried. Every once a while when I’m out and about in the West LA - Culver City area I’ll see a for rent sign in an empty salon or barbershop and I’ll do some research and it doesn’t come close to being as good as where I’m cutting hair right now.
2017 in Hair
As 2017 comes to a close, I thought I would take a look back at the year in men's hair. I haven't had as many opportunities to blog as much as the past, but I'm out of the salon for a few days for the holiday.
At least for the guys that come in to get their hair cut by me, the undercut is still king. This is easily the most requested haircut in the salon. It's a great looking cut, has been in fashion for years now, and I think part of the reason for so many men requesting undercuts from me is that I have more pictures of that particular haircut than any other on Yelp, Instagram, and my website so my numbers my be skewed a little. I tend to fade my undercuts, because of that it makes for a good picture from the front and the side--while scissor haircuts can be pretty uninteresting from the side view. That leads to twice as many undercut pictures. I'm trying to get better about taking more pictures of the haircuts I do.
The number one haircut girlfriends have been sending guys in with pictures of is Ryan Gosling's haircut. There wasn't one picture that everyone brought in, but a few different lengths. All of them were long enough on top where the hair could be parted to the side and fall over (as opposed to spike up) and the sides were long enough to where the hair could be pushed back. This haircut looks great at a few lengths, so you could get one of the shorter versions of the cut and have it grow into how he wears it when it's longer. You could even come in for the hairline clean up service I offer ($10) and get the sideburns neatened, back tapered, and neck trimmed so your hair doesn't look sloppy as it grows out to keep your hair looking its best.
This year I've also seen classic barbering come back into style--men getting their hair cut with a shorter clipper blade and short on top as well. Some guys like the look because it's low maintenance at home. These usually get the hair cut finger length or just a little longer on top. Others just like the classic, clean look or have really thick hair on the sides and need the clippers to rid some of the bulk.
I get a decent amount of guys with long hair coming in to the salon as well. For this blog, when I say "long hair" I'm talking about any hair that touches the collar or longer. While I do see a lot of guys with this length of hair, I think I would see more if I had more pictures of longer haired men. I didn't really take a lot when we first moved to Culver City--when we were in west LA I had a great spot with a neutral background inside Sola to take pictures of my haircuts, and I'd been trying to find a spot at the new salon. The best spot I could think of would be in front of the brick wall at the bank, but no one (including myself) wants to run across the street and dodge traffic on Sawtelle to get their picture taken. I settled on just taking pics at the chair in the salon after I do my detailing and get the hair styled.
Overall, it was a great 2017 at the salon. We left Sola in west LA and moved to Culver City in February. In the hair industry moving is really stressful because there is no way to tell who is going to follow you, especially with the traffic in Los Angeles. I saw a dip in the amount of haircuts I did in the first month we were at the salon, but things really picked up as I got going and I ended up having over 50% growth for the year. I'd like to thank everyone who followed me, and all of the new people I've met while working in the Culver City salon for making this year one of the best.
On to 2018!!
Tim
Back from Vacation
Now that I've been back from vacation for a few weeks and things have calmed down a little in the salon, I thought it would be a good time to catch up on my blog posts. Vacation was great, it was nice getting out of LA for a while and getting the chance to relax for a little bit, but towards the end of it I was ready to get back into the salon and cutting hair again. Generally, I don't bring my tools home to cut hair when I'm back--most hair cutting tools that professional stylists use are pretty expensive (at least the clippers, shears, and clipper blades) and I don't trust checking them. The only updates I really have for the salon at the moment is that we're finally getting air conditioning, most guys who came in to the salon said it wasn't that bad--maybe they they were just being polite because working in there was pretty hot with the weather we've been having in Culver City lately. Now that I've been cutting hair in the Culver City location I've noticed they don't enforce the 4-6 no parking on Sawtelle very much. (I've had a lot of guys ask about that while getting their haircut) But still it's an "at your own risk" type of thing. Another tip--there's been a speed trap on Sepulveda a lot lately, it seems like everyday I see multiple people pulled over on Sawtelle that they've caught. No one who was coming to the salon fortunately, but just wanted to give everyone a heads up. They have a few red light cameras right around the salon on Sepulveda as well, so be on the lookout for that if you come that way to the salon. As I build, weekends have been filling up a little faster. Most Friday nights, I don't have any slots left for haircuts for Saturday, this Friday it's already 9 and I still have a handful of spots. Lately same-day has been hard to do on the weekends, especially if there are only a couple times that work for you.
Just wanted to check in with everybody, hope you had a good 4th of July and to see you in the salon soon!
Tim
Dandruff
People have been using the word dandruff as a catch-all for anytime you get flakes in your hair, but just because you have some flakes doesn't necessarily mean you have dandruff. Dandruff is large greasy flakes while dry scalp is the little white flakes in hair most people think of when they talk about dandruff. In the ten years I've been cutting hair, I've only seen actual dandruff in someone's hair two or three times. Now that we've got that out of the, I was reading a good article on GQ about habits men have that are causing their dandruff. I agree with what they wrote and don't really have anything to add to their list, but there are some environmental factors that you can't control that can affect your scalp. Except for the weather we've been have recently, Los Angeles is generally dry, and I know a lot of guys that started noticing flakes in their hair after moving to LA. The changing of the seasons can also do a number on your scalp. Even though we don't get much of a winter in LA, I do see more flakes while cutting hair this time of year.
If you've followed the advice in the GQ article, and still have flakes, it may be time to switch to a different shampoo and conditioner. I have read good things online about Nizoral AD, but I don't have any experience with that particular product. What has worked best for me is Aveda Scalp Benefits and the Eufora Complete Shampoo with their Revitalizing Treatment. If you do everything in the article, get a good shampoo and conditioner, and still have scalp issues and see flakes in your hair, it may be best to go to a doctor. Below is a link to the article I referenced.
http://www.gq.com/story/bad-habits-causing-dandruff
Moving
I wanted to write a blog post to let everyone know that we'll be moving and I'll be cutting hair in a salon in Culver City. I will be sending an email with the details in addition to this blog post, so unless you've unsubscribed from Vagaro emails you should be getting that shortly. Besides the location of the salon, everything else will remain the same as far as services offered, prices, and the hours I work. I will still be renting a chair from Krissy, not working for her--I know it can be confusing since I worked for her in the past, but I've been working for myself ever since moving out of the salon on Pico. The reasons for the move are because of how expensive it is to work out of a suite, Sola doesn't make any money off of the hair services we provide so they charge a lot in rent so they can make money. The other reason is that at the new salon we will have more space. Sometimes it can feel like we're working right on top of each other in the suite, and there's not really anywhere to wait for your service if you get there early and I'm still cutting hair.
There will also be some benefits on your end by the move to Culver City. I haven't been able to scout it out myself, but there's a free parking lot. No more having to use the garage, valet, or walk from Ralphs. With the extra space in the Culver City salon, we'll be able to have a waiting area and you won't have to find a bench outside of the suite while waiting for your haircut like you currently do at Sola. With the addition of a waiting area, we want to serving drinks again. I don't have a timetable of when that's going to start, Krissy is taking care of that, but we are planning on having coffee, soda, water, and beer again. The beer is something that people who have been getting their hair cut by me since the beginning have been asking for ever since my former salon got rid of it, so I'm glad to be bringing it back. We're planning on getting a bigger TV, putting it on the wall, and having the same set up for sports on it as I do now with the WatchESPN, NBA League Pass, etc.
Just as it was with the move from the last salon, I'm sure there will be some people that Culver City is more of a drive for so I'm willing to be flexible with my hours. I can't open everything up in Vagaro, but if you're looking for a hair appointment a little later than you see available in the online booker so you can miss traffic, give me a call or shoot me a text and we can try to schedule a hair appointment that will work best for you. For earlier appointments, I need to know the night before so I can plan ahead since I'm driving from Woodland Hills to Culver City.
I would just like everyone to know that this decision wasn't made lightly--but this was the best of the few options that were available to me. I looked into staying at Sola, but there are no suites opening up soon enough, and there's a waiting list (which I'm not currently on) for when one does open up. Staying in the current suite by myself would cost too much, and not even an option since I'm not on the waiting list for it. All of the other West LA salon suites are full as well. I checked with Salon Republic and Phenix. I also looked at closer hair salons to rent a chair in, but they were all very expensive, and I also wouldn't have the access I would need to work my hours six days a week. Some people at Sola offered to let me do hair out of their suite, but I would only be able to work one or two days a week doing that. I don't want anyone to think I'm just going to be bouncing around all over different salons in Los Angeles, Krissy signed a five year lease on this space, so this will be my last move until I'm able to open my own salon--which is years away at this point. With very few options, I think the salon in Culver City will work out best.
In closing, I really hope this works out and everyone is able to make it into the new space. I genuinely like cutting everyone's hair who comes in. I've had friends who don't do hair ask me how I handle difficult/rude clients and I always tell them that there's not anyone who's hair I cut that I wouldn't go out and grab a beer with. I will be sending an email when I know the exact date for the move to Culver City, which depends on how long it takes a plumber to get our shampoo bowls and sinks in. We're hoping for Feb 1st, but will know for sure after the plumber gets a chance to to look at the salon. I will send out an email as soon as I know. Stay tuned for photos or the new salon!
Hope to see you soon!
Tim
Update 1/3-/2017
The plumbing is done and the moving day is set. I will start doing hair out of the Culver City salon on January 31st. The last day in the Sola suite will be Saturday the 28th, I won't be working in either salon that Sunday because we will be moving things between the west LA and Culver City spaces. If you didn't receive an email, you may have unsubscribed yourself from Vagaro's emails. I will update the confirmation emails when we move with instructions for getting to the new salon, parking, etc.
Men's Hair FAQs
I thought this would be a good place to answer some frequently asked questions that men have while getting their haircut in the salon. I will add more as they come up.
Does my hair grow faster in the summer?
There may be a slight shift in your hair growth do to UV exposure, but it should be marginal and mostly unnoticeable. With men who wear shorter hairstyles, I think the hot summer days make them want to get a haircut sooner, so it feels like the hair came back faster. In the summer I have some men come in to get their haircut every two to three weeks.
Do I need to use conditioner?
This really depends on your hair. If you come in to the salon often, and have a really short hairstyle, you might not have to use it because your hair is getting cut off before it becomes too damaged. The longer your hair is, the older the ends of your hair are, making a need for conditioner to put moisture, protein, and other nutrients back into your hair that get stripped out everytime you shampoo. For men having issues with dry or frizzy hair, I recommend using conditioner. I use it everytime I shampoo, and if I go to the gym on a day where I don't normally shampoo, I use conditioner instead. Experiment a little and you can figure out what makes your hair look best.
How often should I shampoo?
This is another question that really depends on your hair type. Again, if you're a guy who has a shorter hairstyle and you get your haircut often, you can get away with shampooing your hair everyday if you want. Every other day and every two days is fine too. I noticed when I started shampooing less my hair was greasy at first. This is because your hair is used to being overwashed and trying to put more natural oils back in. Over time your hair will get used to less washing. Even the most gentle professional shampoo have cleansing agents to clean your hair, which is why shampooing less is a good thing.
What is _________ haircut called?
This is one I don't really get behind the chair, but I see people asking in the male hair advice subreddit. Some men on there look all over the internet to try to find the name to a particular haircut when it's easier to just bring in the picture. Even if they get the name of the haircut right, there are different lengths and versions of each haircut, but with a picture everyone's on the same page. It's even helpful to bring multiple pictures if you like different things about a couple of different haircuts. It's also helpful to have a few pictures to pick out which ones will be best for your hair thickness, texture, and your face shape.
How do I get rid of dandruff?
More than likely, what you have is dry scalp and not dandruff. Dandruff is large greasy flakes. I've only seen real dandruff a couple times in the ten years I've been cutting hair. Since dandruff is greasy flakes most dandruff shampoos are really drying. If you have dry scalp that can make the problem even worse. The first step is to figure out whether you have dandruff or dry scalp. If it's dry scalp, you may need to cut back on how much you are shampooing. If you don't already, get a good moisturizing conditioner. A leave in conditioner will work too. If that doesn't help, there are shampoos and conditioners that help promote a healthy scalp. I've had good luck with Aveda Scalp Benefits (you can order that from aveda.com) or the Eufora Complete Shampoo and Revitalizing Treatment. For more serious scalp conditions it's best to see a doctor.
I'll post more FAQs as they come up in the salon, or if you have any feel free to comment below.
Growing out a buzz cut
I was just reading an article on GQ about Justin Beiber (sorry) growing out his buzzcut. Regardless of how you feel about him, there were some good tips in it for not just growing out buzzcuts, but ones men can apply to any type of haircut they're trying to grow out. Instead of repeating what they said verbatim, I'll link their article at the bottom and offer more tips in addition to what they wrote here.
As they touched on in the article, one of the main issues with growing out the buzzcut is how round it gets. This is a big reason I don't like buzzcuts on most men. Since the clippers are following the shape of your head, the haircut ends up really round. As your hair grows out, it gets even rounder. When transitioning from a buzzcut to something new, you'll need to come in to the salon often to get the sides of your hair cut. If you don't quite need that much hair cut, I offer a service called a hairline and neck trim. What I do for this service is clean up your sideburns, tidy up the hair around the hairline, trim the hair on the neck, and do a taper in the back. I do not touch the hair on the sides or the top or give a shampoo with this service. Since it doesn't take me a lot of time I just charge $10. It's good for growing out any type of haircut, not just a buzzcut. It's also a quick way to keep your hair looking it's best as it grows out.
When growing out any haircut it's also a good idea to get it all cut once in a while. If you just let your hair grow without trimming it, you can get split ends which can cause breakage further down the shaft, hindering the process of getting your hair longer. One strategy I have been using over the past year as I've been growing my hair out is using a leave in conditioner. This is a conditioner made to be used outside of the shower and worn in your hair throughout the day. They don't have any hold, so if you need your hair to stay put, you might want to use a hairspray alongside it.
A few other quick tips for growing out your hair--wash your hair as little as you can get away with, be gentle with your hair when it's wet (this is when hair is its most fragile and can break), and try to avoid putting heat on your hair. I know most men don't have to worry as much about the last tip, but the things to avoid are blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, and any other hot tool. If your hair is long enough to pull back in a pony tail or man bun, try to wait until the hair is dry before putting a band around it to help avoid breakage while the hair is wet and fragile.
Here is the GQ article I referenced earlier in the post.
http://www.gq.com/story/justin-bieber-buzz-cut
Finding the Right Haircut for You
There are a few things men need to consider when choosing a hairstyle. Hair texture, thickness, your face shape, and what you do for a living can make a big difference in finding something that looks good on you. The same haircut on a guy with curly hair is going to look a lot different on a man with straight hair, or even one with a little wave in his hair. I wouldn't give the same haircut to a teenager that I would to a older man who's hair is thinning. It's not just a matter of the thicker hair being thinned out by adding texture, a hairstyle that looks good on a guy with really thick hair may make the guy with thinner hair just look like he's trying to hard to hide his hair loss or to cover something up. Today I'm going to talk more about face shapes and which hair styles I think look best for each particular shape. These aren't written in stone-hard fast rules, even stylists have some disagreement on which styles look best for each face shape.
For men, the ideal face shape is square. When a man has less of a square face, the idea is to get a cut that creates more of an illusion of a square. This doesn't necessarily mean every guy who sits in my chair gets a square haircut, but there are little tricks I can do to create the illusion of a square face. I'll get into that as I talk about each face shape individually.
If you are one of the lucky guys who already have a square face shape, pretty much any haircut from longer to short will look good, but neat and clean haircuts are going to look the best. The only thing that you have to worry about if you're a guy with a square face shape is that the shorter you go, the more it will look like a military hairstyle.
If you have a rectangle face shape (long and narrow) what you really don't want is a big contrast between the top and sides--this will create the illusion that your face is even longer. A beard will do the same thing. A cut where the top and sides are proportionate and some hair falls over the forehead looks best on a guy with a rectangle shaped face.
On a man with a round face shape, I like to do the opposite that I would on a guy with a rectangle face shape. You want that contrast between the top and the sides. On a guy with a round face shape it helps great the illusion of having a strong jaw line. A well groomed beard can help with this as well.
Less men have diamond shaped faces than the ones listed above--but if you're a guy with one, you want something with softer lines, not too short (that will make your ears look bigger), and a side part. If you have a heart shaped face similar haircuts will work for you too.
For a triangle shape faced man, longer lengths are usually better. This adds volume to help offset the narrow forehead and wide jawline. I think beards don't look the best on guys with a triangle face shape because they're already so wide at the jawline and the beard makes it look even wider.
Below are some examples of the different face shapes on men.
When you do have an idea for a new hairstyle, or even if you don't have an idea, it's best to find pictures on the internet to show your barber/stylist. Even having multiple pictures is good if you only like part of one and a different part of another. I go on Reddit Male Hair Advice and I see so many posts with a picture asking, "What is this haircut called?" There will always be a lot of responses saying, "It's called take the picture into your barber." and then other comments with people debating on what the haircut is actually called. This is why I think bringing pictures in is best, the same haircuts are called different things regionally, or just from person to person. Where I moved from "the combover" when when an old guy brought all of his hair from one side across his bald head to try to cover up the fact that he's bald. A lot of people here call it a combover when a guy with plenty of hair parts it to one side. I had only heard that called a side part until I moved here.
Thanks for reading, I hope this blog has been helpful in helping you find a new hairstyle that will look best on you.
