I used to get regular haircuts, nothing special, until one time this one woman, think her name was Rose, gave me a haircut that literally everyone was saying stuff like, “Hey, lookin’ good!”, to the point it was a bit unnerving. Like, wtf did I look like all those other times I got my hairs cut??
Anyhoo, when I went back for my annual haircut, she wasn’t there, I asked, and was told that, well, she died (BC). That was a kick in the gut.
As time went on, I gravitated towards low maintenance. When I was a kid, my hair was straight and manageable, but in high-school, it developed a mind of its own, and any damp day, it’d stick out on all the corners of the earth, worse that the flaps of hair covering my ears would curl back that my head would look like a chicken with wings.
Got to the point where I was like f’it, just buzz me. #3 on the sides, #4 on top, then #2 on the sides, and #3 on top. Then The Plague hit, and salons were shut down. F’it again, I just buzzed myself. It worked, so I buzzed shorter. Oooooh, what a nice feeling! So soft like a raccoon, and I could “comb my hair” with a washcloth. The Ultimate in low-maintenance!
Then that became the norm, just buzz buzz buzz whenever I’d get a bit shaggy. I got a bit braver and am now into a sort of high’n’tight. Hardest part is not screwing up the transition, as it’s still unwieldy doing it one-handy while. holding the 2nd mirror behind. Worst case if anything goes wrong, just buzz the whole f’n thing to stubble, which is guaranteed to be even.
Oh, the bad experience. This guy who owned the shop I first went to, must’ve sold the shop and got a chair at a different place. Well, I popped in after work to make an appt, saw him, caught up on old times, and when he asked what I was doing there, I said I was gonna make an appt with Lola. “Hey, I got time now if you want…” Urg. I didn’t want to make him feel bad, as he was the owner of his old place, but wasn’t all that great as an actual cutter, but wtf…
So I let him. I told him in no uncertain terms I just wanted a quick buzz, but he was insisting on doing it with comb and scissors. “Hey, who’s the professional here, you or me?” I’m like wtaf?!??!? Like, seriously? I’m the f’n CUSTOMER, so you should be doing what I I I I want.
I got home, looked in the mirror, and my head looked like a bald tire with the steel wires sticking out. I spent the next half-hour in front of the mirror with scissors snipping the loose stragglers sticking up outta my head.
Yah, never again. I used to just pop in on my way home when I’d go to work by bus, just to see if they had an opening then, or if not, make an appt for around that time at night whenever. Since then, if I ever saw him there, I just kept walking.
Things are way easier now that I’m doing it myself. I followed around former stylist when she worked at a different salon, then went out on her own, then moved to a different location farther away. Each time was a chore. Then I started at the place I used to walk past and recognised the woman who also worked with/for Mr Bad Haircutter. Then when I was too shaggy and wanted a quick buzz, she was on vacation, and that’s what prompted me to DIY (DIM?). Soooooooo easy.
Plus, I can just rebuzz the sides/back whenever I feel like, and leave the top for later.
I always picture that scene in “Predator” where Bill Duke is just running the razor over his face to pass the time. Like, why not? 