The Hair Therapist

There are necessities in life, and getting your hair cut is one of them, for most. In an earlier post, I mentioned the barriers involved when speaking with dental hygienists. With hair stylists, the only barriers are conversation-skill-oriented (along with the occasional hair dryer). This brings me to my main point, stylists should be great conversationalists or mimes, but nothing in-between.

I don't claim to have the greatest hair cut, nor do I claim to be the best conversationalist. However, last time I checked, these weren't required credentials for a valid opinion. I digress. Back to the point, a great hair cutter doesn't just cut hair, they also are your modern-day confessional. When you're in such tight quarters, hair is flying, and all you can do is look in the mirror. The hair therapist is a natural outlet. Not only do I often tell my now-regular stylist, Kat, the inns-and-outs of my life, I also overhear those around me doing the same. A great stylist sparks this and carries it, and we never stop to ask why we tell them these intimate details.

The mime stylist is okay as well. This could be an old fashioned barber who just gets the job done. Wham-bam, thank you mam (or sir). I have no complaints about this approach, as long as the final product is presentable.

Now, lets talk about the stylist that falls in-between the 2 above. We can call them Awkward Annies. They're easy to spot. Conversations usually start with the weather, move on to the weekend plans, and then tail off in awkward silence. The silence can persist for awhile, and if they're good at their particular craft, they'll probably ask a few more yes-no questions right when the blow dryer comes out. If you were in a bar, this is the person that you'd escape from with a bathroom break. However, half done hair cuts just aren't in fashion any more. Therefore, the plan B for this one is to order a few more drinks (probably water or tea at the salon, unfortunately), as the conversation will surely not be memorable, and hope that you stumble upon someone better next time...