How to cover hair for a barber to prevent cutting that particular hair?

Question

I lengthen my hair to be gathered to a ponytail when the time comes.

I started that process about 3 months ago from starting point, that is, after totally shaving my head.

My problem

My problem is that I went to a barber that did for me the following crappy job:

I have asked the barber to only shave my hair in the crescent around each ear in which my hair is somewhat more curly for some reason and in the lowest part of hair of the nape, where my hair is also somewhat more curly for some reason. I recall I also pointed on the areas "exactly" (quote marks because this is interpretable, of course).

Instead, the barber trimmed some of the hair covering my ear also, thus somewhat (~25%) destroying the balance I had for 3 months and thus lengthening the process from about 6 months to 7 months approximately.

Interim notes

1) I live in the country in which I met this barber as an expat and me and him didn't speak the same mother tongue, but a similar problem happened to me in my far past with other barbers which did share my mother tongue, yet didn't understand that by "around the ear" and "in the end of the nape" (or similar terms and with pointing directly) I meant only to the curly lines and not to the regular head hair that covers them.

2) Interestingly enough, another barber in front of that barber did understand me but she already closed the shop when I went to that barber.

My question

How to cover hair for a barber to prevent cutting that particular hair?

That is to ask;
What kind of flexible (rubber stripe) or hat or whatever I could use to "mecanically" cover the main parts of the hair (such as hair covering the ear or covering the lowest part of hair of the nape) so it would be clear, even without lingual explanations, that I want only the aforementioned curly parts to be trimmed?

_{Yes, I know "some barbers are better than others" but I need an "hacky" way to prevent this problem that happened to me too many times already.}

Why I believe I was wrongly accused in XY problem

XY problem is a general rule that can have exceptions; following it fanatically does more harm than good and anyway I have started with a problem and not with a question, in this case, so XY is totally interpretive.

Answer 1

If you need a device to get your haircut,
… get/buy a rubber mens/women's swimming cap.

Instructions for use:

1. Pull it over your head.
   It s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s to cover all the hair on your head.

2. Cover all the hair you don't want cut.
   Expose only what hair you want removed.

3. Done.
   Sit down in the barber's chair.

Good luck.

Answer 2

I suggest a different approach to covering or tying your hair before going to have it cut.
You shouldn't have to go to that extreme.

Don't rely on a description to be understood the same way you intend.
Doing that is not reliable as you've discovered.

I suggest that you use a diagram. A picture is worth a thousand words.
- Find an image of the hair style you want in a magazine or online.
- Print it and take it with you to your hair stylist/barber.
- If you don't have or can't find an image of the hair style you want,
- make, or get a front, side, and rear view of your own head
- draw what you want directly on the picture(s).
You can get prints from a photo booth.
Enlarge them in a photocopier if you want for clarity.

After you show the marked-up pictures to your barber, there should be no misunderstanding. Most creative people I have met find descriptions are not so explicit as a photo or diagram. If you use your own head as the example, that's even less chance for misunderstanding or miscalculations.

Good luck.

Answer 3

By far the easiest method to get the ponytail that's your goal is to simply stay away from all barbers for a year or more.

"But I'll have shaggy hair over my ears and collar!"

There are home trimming tools that cost (in the USA) only about twice as much as a barber haircut (they're often marketed for beards, but they work equally well for head hair). You can use one of these to trim the area above your ears yourself, and either use two mirrors or ask a trusted friend to trim the part above your collar.

Every time you do this, you'll save the cost of a barber visit, and you'll get exactly the trim you want (at least on the ears, and it's likely your friend will understand you better than the barber does for the neck trim).