Blowout Taper in Mississauga: Book the Cut, Learn the Blow-Dry

Check your length before you book

A blowout needs length to lift, so measure before you book: pull a strand from the front of your top straight up and see if it reaches about 7 cm. If it does, book a blowout taper. If not, book Haircut Only anyway and tell us you are growing toward one; we will taper the edges and shape the top so it grows in evenly.

Where the style came from and which hair types can hold one are covered in our blowout taper guide. This page is about the appointment and the months after it.

Who to book for a blowout

Marcel Shabo leans toward low tapers and texture on top, which is most of what a blowout is: a small taper at the edges and a top that has to be layered to stand up. His work is on Marcel's barber page.

Mark Yousif also cuts blowouts, and he is the one to choose if you want the taper finished on skin with a razor-sharp lineup, or blended into a beard. Both will ask how long you spend on your hair in the morning before touching the top.

Scissors first, clippers last

A blowout appointment runs in the opposite order from a fade. We cut the top with scissors while it is damp, building layers so the hair supports itself, and only then taper the sideburns and nape with clippers.

After detailing and the razor lineup, your hot towel, wash and head massage come next, all included. We then dry the top with the blow-dryer in front of you, so you can see which direction to push the heat and how little product it takes.

Bring the product you already own if you like it. We will tell you honestly whether it suits a blowout; heavy wet-look gels tend to fight the volume, while a light paste or powder usually works with it. If you have nothing yet, we will suggest a type rather than a brand.

Humidity, rain and toque season

Blowouts fight the weather here more than most cuts. Humid July and August days make straight hair drop and wavy hair frizz, so a pre-styling spray and a light hold finish are worth using on those mornings.

In winter, a toque flattens a blowout in minutes. A small tin of paste in your bag lets you rework the front after taking the hat off, or you can ask us for a looser, lower version of the shape from December to March. Our page on avoiding hat hair has more ideas.

How often to come back

Rebook a blowout taper when the front starts falling forward instead of lifting, which usually happens a little before the taper looks overgrown. For most people that lands between three and four weeks.

• Every 3 to 4 weeks: the standard rhythm, keeping the taper tidy and the layers working.
• Every 2 weeks: if you asked for skin at the edges and want it sharp at all times.
• Every 5 to 6 weeks: only while growing the top longer, with the taper cleaned up each visit.