Ask the barber: Tipping, baldness and what not to say

Sure you should tip the person cutting your hair, but how much? Well that was a question from KIRO Radio’s Andrew Walsh and part of the reason why he wanted to start a new segment: Ask the Barber! Alycen from Rudy’s on Capitol Hill joined Andrew to share her wisdom as a seasoned barber/hair stylist.

What should people tip?

Alycen says people should tip what they can afford. For a $29 haircut at her Rudy’s location, people generally tip $3 to $7.

What’s a barber’s biggest pet peeve?

When someone comes in with the request that their hair be shorter – it really gets Alycen’s goat. Barbers aren’t always sure what that should mean, and which parts should be shorter.

She said it never hurts to come in with a picture of the look you’re going for. And they see a fair amount of celebrity photos at Rudy’s, the most popular of which are Michele Williams, Jude Law, and George Clooney.

If you come in without a photo – that’s OK. Some people who just want a change should be ready to talk about what they do with their hair. The barber will ask if you wear it up, down, is it mostly curly, wavy or straight – in order to get the perfect new ‘do.

What should men with a little less hair do?

Put down the clippers! Alycen is not a fan of the all over bald look. She said there are a lot of ways she can work her magic to make hair shorter or longer in certain areas, depending upon where the thinning spots are. Alycen said the egg-shaped head most people have is unflattering.

But despite Alycen’s protests, Andrew stuck with his opinion that some guys can make the totally bald look work.

And that was, Ask the Barber!