Growing a beard in Chennai weather
The itchy weeks, the heat and the patchy cheeks: what to expect and what helps.
How to ask for the haircut you actually want
Bring a photo, but also know three words: length, fade height and texture.
Most bad haircuts start with a vague request. “Short on the sides” can mean a number 3 guard or bare skin, and your barber has to guess.
Start with a photo, ideally of someone whose hair is like yours. Thick straight hair will not sit like a wavy photo from a magazine. Then tell your barber three things. Length on top: how many fingers you want left when it is pulled up. Fade height: low sits just above the ear, mid at the temple, high near the crown. Texture: do you want it to sit flat and neat, or messy and lifted?
Also mention how you wear it on a normal day. If you never use product, say so, and we will cut it to fall in place on its own. If you wear a helmet daily, a longer top will flatten; a crop or textured cut copes better.
Finally, say what went wrong last time. “It stuck out at the crown” or “the sides grew out too fast” tells a barber more than any photo. We would rather spend five minutes talking than thirty minutes guessing.
