“One of the most intriguing characteristics of the haircut is that it constitutes a direct change of our body at an alarmingly quick speed. One minute we may have hair down to our knees, while the next we are completely bald. This kind of phenomenon causes immediate perceptual change of our body and self.” Steven Handel
I won’t explain the psychology of my haircut, but it was a pretty big deal. It may be cliché, the whole life change/haircut thing, but for all the times I’ve said, “I’m turning over a new leaf!” I haven’t been able to cut my hair due to fear. I fell prey to the motto: “long hair is hot, short hair is not,” so I was afraid to cut it lest I further increase my odds of dying alone.
But the moment I entered the land of enchantment, I felt total conviction to JUST GET RID OF IT. Total excitement. It was time. Behold Before and After Pictures (and I will only briefly mention how I think it’s creepy I made almost identical expressions at almost identical angles in these).
Before After
Now that there’s been much rejoicing (YAY!) I’d like to take a moment to list a few qualities that, I think, make a hairdresser great:
1. They have a full schedule, which indicates their quality because they’re in high demand, yet they manage to squeeze you in because they can hear the desperation in your voice.
– bonus if you’re not a regular…or, as in my case, a complete stranger (I had a recommendation)
2. They manage to squeeze you in again even after you wrote down the wrong time and missed your appointment.
3. They have great hair. (I think that’s a good sign)
4. They’re honest with you, and gentle in their honesty. For example: you bring in a picture of Jennifer Aniston and say you want to be retro and bring back “The Rachel.” You say, “Will my hair look like that? You know, considering I put in actual effort to style it and maybe even use some products?” First of all they say, “Heck, yeah!” to the retro thing, and they say, “Well, your hair is a bit finer than hers, so this is what would happen.” Then they explains how the cut will look and behave and you realize you can never be Rachel.
5. Then they’re able to offer a SUGGESTION that combines what you want with what will work best with your hair. They have a suggestion. A suggestion. It’s amazing.
6. They don’t cut your hair in awkward silence.
7. Their 3-year-old daughter (if present) seems to only want a hairdryer for christmas and asks to sweep up the hair after the haircut (this just adds a cuteness factor to the entire experience.)
8. They demonstrate expertise in the actual haircutting aspect, which means when they are finished, you don’t have to worry about withholding the urge to weep as their three-year-old daughter sweeps up the last pieces of your happiness.
9. They style it…stylishly.
10. They hand you the bill and you ask where the other half is. HOW IS IT SO CHEAP?? You’re so happy with the haircut and with life that you want to hug her and become facebook her friend. “Please find me,” you say as you leave the salon.
I dedicate this blog to Jessica.
They Call Me Fushilou 