Inching Closer To The Haircut You Actually Want

(I get my hair cut maybe once every six to nine months or so and while I usually try and stick to the same people, it’s a lot more difficult when you don’t go very frequently. I also have thicker, pseudo-curly hair which can be somewhat difficult to manage. It usually grows to my neck between cuts, so I’ve learned it’s easier to have it thinned out while they cut it, which actually winds up feeling really nice for me as it doesn’t it doesn’t quite grow back right. With the few “regular” barbers and hairdressers I’ve had this isn’t a problem… for everyone else, though, this usual exchange occurs.)

Hairdresser: “Hi! How do you want it today?”

Me: “Down to about a quarter of an inch all the way around, trimmed square at the neck, no sideburns, and please thin it out while you’re at it.”

Hairdresser: “Are you sure? A quarter of an inch is really short, and your hair doesn’t look like it needs to be thinned.”

Me: *still smiling* “I’m sure. I don’t get it cut very often, so cutting it that low helps it grow back the way I like. Also, it’s thicker than it looks, and it won’t grow back right if I don’t get it thinned out. I just like the feeling. I know that some people don’t know how a quarter looks, but I actually like it, so it’s okay. I promise.”

Hairdresser: *usually running their fingers through their hair at this point* “I don’t knoooow! I still think a quarter of an inch is too little, and this definitely doesn’t need to be thinned. I’ll just cut it down to about an inch and you can tell me how that looks, all right?”

Me: *sighing* “All right.”

(Then they proceed to cut my hair, having a difficult time with it being thicker as they cut it, having to switch manually to scissors, combing and cutting it down despite my already having combed out the tangles. They generally get tangled up as they have to keep parsing my hair back and forth, taking an extra ten minutes just to work on getting the hair down to an inch.)

Hairdresser: *pleased and showing me the results* “See? That’s about an inch; how’s that look?”

Me: “I’d actually prefer it to be down to a quarter of an inch and—“ *running my fingers through my hair* “—can you please still thin it out? It’d feel really nice for me.”

Hairdresser: *usually sighing* “Well, okay, but now that it’s already down to an inch it’s going to take me a little longer, okay? It’s such a shame to waste such nice hair.”

(None of them have ever been downright rude to me, and it’s a hard enough job with what is demanded of them. I also entirely understand that people genuinely don’t understand how long or short their hair looks on themselves, so I understand these feelings. But it still sucks to have this interaction almost every time I go to get it done and I don’t have someone that’s not willing to argue over it.)