How often should you get a haircut? A schedule by style
Most short men's cuts look their best for two to four weeks. Fades and sharp lines need a cleanup sooner, often every two to three weeks, while longer styles can go six to eight weeks between trims. The right schedule depends on the cut, how fast your hair grows and how neat you like to look.
By Carlo's Barbershop ·
A schedule by style
These are a barber's rules of thumb, not fixed rules. Everyone's hair grows at its own pace, so use them as a starting point and adjust.
- Skin fades and tight tapers: every two to three weeks. The shortest part of the cut is the first to look grown in.
- Classic short cuts (clipper sides, scissor top): every three to four weeks.
- Blocked necklines: a full cut every three to four weeks, with a quick neck cleanup in between if you like it sharp.
- Medium-length cuts: every four to six weeks.
- Longer hair: a trim every six to eight weeks keeps the ends and the shape in check while you grow it.
Signs it's time
- Hair is touching the tops of your ears or your collar.
- The back of your neck looks fuzzy, or the neckline has lost its shape.
- Your sideburns have grown past where you keep them.
- A cowlick you normally tame is standing up again.
- Your usual styling takes longer, or stops working.
Growing it out? Still come in
If you are growing your hair longer, skipping the barber altogether is the slow way to do it. Short trims at the sides and back keep it from looking shaggy in the awkward middle stage while the top catches up. Tell your barber you are growing it out, and they will only take off what needs to go.
Kids and special days
Kids' hair often grows fast, and a cut every three to five weeks keeps it out of their eyes. For school pictures, weddings or interviews, get your cut three to seven days before, not the morning of. A few days lets any sharp lines soften so the cut looks natural.
Planning around the shop
Both Carlo's shops are open Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Saturday closes at 1 p.m., so it is the busiest morning of the week. We aim to take our last customer 15 to 30 minutes before close, and on a busy day we may be full before the posted closing time.
If you have a favorite barber, check the schedule first. It shows who is cutting each day at our Broadview Heights and Independence shops.