This is gonna sound a little crazy, cuz it is. I have never gotten a professional haircut in Germany.

I have occasionally hacked off my own dry ends and taken the clippers to my husband, he has been to the Turkish barbers for a traditional buzz and ear hair burning (more on that later), and I have carefully trimmed my daughter’s bangs a time or two. But I am an amateur and it shows.

Are those bangs straight? PHOTO: Ekaterina Koroleva

After 9 years, it is more than time. We need some help.

There is no good reason we haven’t gotten our hair cut. Berlin is full of Friseur (hair stylist). There are two on my block alone.

But aside from general worries about a bad haircut, there are other concerns about a whole new set of German vocabulary. The internet is littered with accounts of shaky German-English encounters. The popular blogger, ohgodmywifeisgerman, has a typical account of poor translation in “An American Attempts to Get a Haircut in Germany“.

I wanted to avoid that. Especially with a fussy 4-year-old with crazy long hair that she hates to brush. I know a trim is the best thing for dealing with her ever-tangled hair so I was looking for an English-speaking hairdresser with a lot of patience and experience with kids. How hard could it be?

A rare happy hair brushing photo PHOTO: Erin Porter

Where to find a Hairstylist in Germany

For so many things these days, facebook groups are my go-to when looking for something in Berlin. (If you haven’t checked it out already, German-Way has a Facebook page as well as a forum to ask questions). Since I was looking for a specific service for kids, I went to the hive mind for all things kids in Berlin, ExpatBabies Berlin.

There were a variety of posts about kid-friendly hairdressers so I started messaging. I heard back from one that I saw a friend also went to and quickly booked an appointment through messenger for all three of us.

On the appointed day we showed up at her home studio, and ran into our first problem. Her name was not on the buzzers. There was an empty slot, so we tried that one. No answer. We hopped around trying to stay warm in the frigid February air and I messaged her. No answer. For 30 minutes we waited to see if perhaps she was running behind or would get back to us. But…nothing. Epic fail. (The next day she finally got back to me that her buzzer was broken and she didn’t know it – awwww flaky Berliners).

So I am back at it again and have tried another hair stylist from Facebook (am I nuts? We will see). He at least lists a phone number so we have a back-up if need be. Hopefully this week these mangy heads will be transformed.

Berlin family in need of a haircut PHOTO: Ian Porter

Besides the social media route, there is an array of ways to find a Friseur in Germany.

Places like Kaufhof and Fast Cuts often offer cheap, easy, haircuts if you are into no thrills. Prices for a men’s cut can be as low as 8 euro.

The website, berlinforallthefamily, has a list of child approved hairdressers in the city.

Another option is at a hair school like the L’Oréal Academy in bigger cities. They are frequently looking for models (aka guinea pigs) as they perfect their craft.

Turkish barbers are plentiful in places like Berlin and have cheap offers for men, women, and children. My husband has been a few times for a basic shave and has even enjoyed getting cleaned up fire-style. Check out a video of the process where they singe off excess hair from your nose, ears, and borders.

German Vocabulary for Getting a Haircut

Even if you don’t speak a word of German, there is no reason to fear the hairdresser. Many stylists speak another language and when in doubt, just bring a picture. That transcends any language barrier.

Note that measurements are generally in mm and if they are using clippers, they are usually in units of 3 (3, 6, 9 or 12) rather than a 1-4 blade.

• die Haare – hair
• die Frisur (m)/Die Friseurin (f) or Frisör – hairstylist
• der Termin – appointment
• ein bisschen – a little bit
• Waschen und Schneiden – wash and cut
• Schneiden und Föhnen – cut and blow dry
• kurze Haare – short hair
• lange Haare – long hair
• Glatt – straight
• Lockig – curly
• Der Pony – bangs
• Der Pferdeschwanz – ponytail
• Der Pagenkopf – bob
• stufig – cut in layers
• VoKuHiLa – mullet
• Farben – Colors
• braun – brown
• blond – blonde
• schwarz – black
• rot – red
• grau – grey
• Der Haarspliss – split ends
• Die Strähnchen – highlights
• Das Haarband – hair tie
• Der Föhn – hairdryer
• Der Lockenstab -curling iron

Tipping for a Haircut in Germany

Tipping is lower than in places like North America, but still much appreciated. Generally, tip around 10%.