How do I get what I want from a barber?
Hey all, I'm a trans guy (not currently on HRT) and I just moved back to the States from abroad. I don't have a regular barber here yet but it's been like four months since my last haircut so I'll be seeing someone near me next week.
I've found I really struggle to figure out how to ask for what I want at a barbershop. When I've gone to salons or otherwise had my hair cut by women, I can usually just vaguely describe roughly what I'm going for and they do something based on that, but whenever I've gone to a barber he seems to want a picture -- but maybe I just don't know how to describe what I want in the type of detail a men's barber is used to.
First three pics are of my hair currently, which I don't hate but think is too long for me atm. The fourth pic is of me right after my last haircut, which I didn't hate but which I think was maybe too short bc it makes my face look a little too round. The last two pics are of my brother, who has a haircut that he also usually doesn't put product in that looks somewhat close to what I'm aiming for, but I have no idea how to describe it to a barber in a way that gets me what I want.
I'm not completely without ideas about what I want. I like my brother's haircut but don't want to just duplicate it. I *think* what I'm after is kinda a longish/messy/textured French crop, maybe with a taper or fade (I don't know enough about men's hair terminology to know the difference)? I'm not confident enough in my knowledge of men's haircuts to walz into the barbershop and say that. Here are some pics from the web of things I like: [X](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0946/7314/2135/files/Swanky-Malone-French-Crop-Long.jpg?v=1762973962), [X](https://www.gatsbyglobal.com/en/technique/undercut-hairstyles-men-classics-hottest-trends/images/img7.jpg), [X](https://p.kagi.com/proxy/Semi\_Disconnected\_Undercut\_style\_553\_6390.png?c=5V8irNBtGBh22KIH891OD8YA\_-RC9gTFWUoEQ83vCb7NMZkSPUSPcauHMA647yOza1aWUys4UpqMtIQrUtNUYAFZlxWvdWLwbecdiWMxL3TrY7RRiHOPSC\_a9dTCLf31Q1HEhaI12RBPZH6tFq4htd2AxnAHGhqyOAWoaazZHsU%3D)
I have very thick, extremely straight hair, which I assume affects my options. But perhaps more importantly, I am *extremely* lazy when it comes to styling my hair. I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be the type of person who puts product in my hair on a regular basis, so I need something that looks decent when the bare minimum I'll do is run a brush or comb through it in the morning or after a shower. I know the typical advice in this scenario is a very short cut, but having done a full-on buzz cut before, I don't think the look is for me.