His reaction was because he knew after a haircut he'd be able to look for hairs as evidence, not the fact that he had gotten a hair cut. The is one of my favorite 80s episodes.
I agree, J. and Glenn, but wouldn't the moment of realization come when he heard that the victim went to the barber? Barber pretty much implies haircut.
The episode is one of my favorites too. The 80's look and sound is pretty bad, but once you get past that, Tyne Daly is hilarious, and Greg Evigan is surprisingly good.