For women, changing one’s hairstyle may be as easy as walking into a hair salon and switching from a simply pony tail to a retro-blonde hairstyle. That is not the same case with men. They get stuck with the same hairstyle from their high school days, through marriage and beyond. They become comfortable with the same hairstyle year in year out. To them, it is always a question of ‘if it’s not broken, why bother fixing it?’

Here’s what you need to know if you are a man. If you’ve had the same hairstyle for more than a decade, then something is broken and it needs some urgent fixing. It may not be easy at first but with the following tips up your sleeve, you can always go for a new haircut as often as you wish.

Don’t fear change

Men tend to be fearless. As far as courage is concerned, men are miles ahead of women. They’ll shoot guns, bungee jump, drive fast cars and even sky dive. The same cannot be said when it comes to something as simple as getting a new haircut. Men simply wimp out. This should not be the case for the sole reason that your hair will always grow back if for one reason or the other you don’t like your new haircut. Be sure to go for new haircuts during summer or winter. That way, you can always cover your head until you get used to your new look.

Understand your facial features

Everyone has that one thing on their face that they don’t like. Luckily for men, some features can always be hidden. All it takes is one cool haircut and impressive styling of the facial hair. Find a hairstylist who has been to a good esthetics school then work out with him or her how your desired hairstyle can downplay features on your face you don’t like. Knowing your face shape, features that need to be hidden and how a new haircut can balance your facial features are extremely important. So take time to learn these three things before considering a new haircut.

Steal ideas online

There is nothing wrong with this. Simply go online, find hairstyles that appeal to you and print them out. Take them to your hairstylist and find out if the hairstyle you chose will look good on you. Don’t be shy taking the pictures with you to the barber shop. The barber will actually appreciate your effort and advice if your desired hairstyle will complement your character as well as your facial features.

Trust your hairstylist or barber

Do not at any point disregard or ignore their opinion. They are trained to know how specific hairstyles and haircuts can flatter one’s facial features. But that’s not everything. Barbers and hair stylists also know hairstyles and haircuts that work with certain hair growth patterns and hair types. So if you are considering changing your hairstyle or haircut, talk to your barber or your hairstylist. He or she will know what to do with your hair, especially if you have been a long term client. Then keep in mind that as a general rule, hair stylists are better with longer traditional hairstyles while barbers are better with short and simple haircuts.

Get some opinion from friends and family

Women do this a lot. That is probably why they always have an easy time changing their hairstyles. Simply ask the people within your social circles what they think about your hairstyle. Ask them if they think you should change your haircut or hairstyle. There is a high likelihood that most of them will give you a positive node. Should that be the case, then do change your hairstyle or your haircut or both.

Time it right

Always go for a new haircut or a new hairstyle at the start of a weekend. The reason is simple. People often take time to adjust to new look. A new haircut at the start of the weekend can for instance give you enough time to get used to your new look and feel confident about it. This may not be necessary if you went for a minor hair style adjustment. For anything major, don’t gamble or take the risk. It is all about getting enough time to adjust to your new reflection in the mirror. It is also about confidence which sometimes take time to gather.

Stick to the same barber or hairstylist

This one is pretty much obvious. Always have the same hairstylist or barber working on your head. That is, go back to the same barber who worked on your new hairstyle or haircut. The barber or stylist will have an easy time on your head since he will have known your hair growth pattern and what it takes to handle your hair type.