Booking a haircut shouldn't be confusing. But every barbershop does things slightly differently, and if you haven't been to Xin Fade before, it's not always obvious what the options are. This is everything we'd want to know if we were booking ourselves in from out of town.
The ways to book
There are three ways to get an appointment, in order of reliability:
1. Instagram DM. This is the most common way people book. Send a message to @xinfadebarbershop with what you want (cut, beard, package), when you want it, and whether you have a barber preference. We usually reply within an hour or two.
2. WhatsApp. If you're already in Bali and you have the number, a quick WhatsApp is the fastest way to confirm something same-day or make a change to an existing booking.
3. Walk in. We take walk-ins whenever a chair is free. The studio is on Jl. Pantai Batu Bolong No.45 — find us here. If the door is open and you can see an empty chair, come in. The riskiest times for walk-ins are Saturday afternoon and the week between Christmas and New Year. Outside of that, most of the time we can fit you in or tell you how long the wait is.
What to tell us when you book
You don't need a novel, but a couple of details make it smoother for everyone:
- Roughly when you want to come in — morning, afternoon, or a specific time
- What service you want: just a cut, cut and beard, or the full package
- If you're coming from out of town and have a tight schedule, say that. We'll make it work.
You don't need to describe the haircut in the message. That's what the consultation is for. Save the details for the chair.
Same-day and last-minute bookings
Can you get a same-day appointment? Usually yes, but it depends on the day. Mondays and Tuesdays are quiet — we can almost always fit you in on the day. Fridays and Saturdays book up a few days ahead.
If you need something last-minute, send a message and ask. The worst that can happen is we say we're full and suggest tomorrow. We'd rather you asked than assumed we're busy and went somewhere else.
Changing or cancelling
Plans change. Surf gets good. Scooter breaks down. It happens. The only rule is: tell us as soon as you know.
A message an hour before your appointment is fine. A message five minutes after the time you were supposed to be there, not so much — we've already turned down a walk-in and kept the chair free.
If you're running late, send a quick note. Ten minutes is nothing, we can adjust. Thirty minutes and we might need to move you to a later slot so the people after you don't get pushed back.
What to bring, what not to bring
Bring yourself. Bring reference photos if you have them — a screenshot, something from Instagram, whatever. We'd rather look at a photo than try to decode a verbal description of "short on the sides but not too short, you know?"
Bring a helmet lock or a bag for your helmet if you're on a scooter. We have hooks inside the door, but a lock outside is safer for an expensive helmet.
What not to bring: wet hair straight from the beach. It's not a disaster, but a quick towel off saves time and gives a better cut.
After the appointment
Before you leave, we usually recommend when to book the next one. For a fade it's about ten to fourteen days — see how to maintain one. For a textured cut or a blend it's three weeks. If you know you'll be in town, booking the next one while you're still in the chair means you don't have to think about it again — and if you are leaving Bali soon, our pre-holiday checklist covers how to time the last one.
And that's it. A haircut appointment is a simple thing. Most of the time the whole process takes less time than reading this guide. We'll see you in the chair.