For around 30 years I never needed a barber. I combed my hair straight back and had a ponytail. When needed, I would hack off a few inches. Then, on a lark, I shaved my head. For the next four years, once or twice a day I’d shave. Again, no barber needed for going on 35 years.
A coupla months ago my SO was curious about what would happen if I stopped shaving. So I did. My hair grew. It reached around 1 inch and I started freaking out. I didn’t want to deal with combing, drying, etc so it was either go back to shaving, or find a way to keep it short.
This past weekend we traveled to Johnstown, PA for The Flood City Music Festival. (Tromobone Shorty, Kenny Neal, The Pawnbrokers all kicked ass) We noticed a little neighborhood barber shop and on a whim I walked in, got a haircut, and was very happy.
So, my problem. The barbershop is a 90 minute drive. I can justify doing the drive occasionally by finding other reasons for going to Johnstown. How often does a guy need to get his haircut? (say keeping it 1/4 to 3/4 inches or so) Is 90 minutes too freaking far?
90 minutes? Really? Yeesh. I’d say that’s ridiculous. Isn’t there a closer barber? Trust me, one barber is much like another - I’ve never bought into the whole “Oooh, only Jorge (or Michel, or Francois) really understands my hair” claim. They have scissors. They cut hair. Choose the closest one.
Incidentally: You shaved your head twice a day? I keep my hair reasonably short, and get it cut every month or so - sometimes it stretches to 6 weeks and I get annoyed. My barber is 15 minutes walk away, but then I live in a big city, so clearly it’s not the same.
After a 90 minute drive, the haircut better come with a happy ending.
For your kind of hair and keeping it as short as you do, buy a good clipper for around $50 bucks and do it yourself, or have her do it. They’re pretty foolproof.
90 minutes is really too far for a haircut, unless:
a) you’re specifically patronizing a barber who you really, really like
b) you’re going in that general direction for something else anyway
I’ve been going to the same stylist (yes, stylist; I used to work in the hair care industry, and hair is probably my only real vanity) for 16 or 17 years. Even so, it’s only a 10-minute drive to her location. If it were 30 minutes, I’d likely still make the trek (but, I live in suburban Chicago; a 30-minute drive is pretty common for things); if it were 90 minutes, well, as much as I like Kristin, I’d be looking for a closer stylist.
I don’t have long hair, nor do I have a shaved / super-short style. I get my hair cut once every 4 weeks, and week #4 usually has my hair looking a little on the shaggy side.
I’m not artistic at all. I can shave my head bald with no problem, but the guy who cut it used a straight razor on “edges”, and trimmed my beard. If I try to cut my own, I’ll get pissed off and shave.
Hmm. I’d go a little while for a barber I really liked–for me, that’s about little amenities as much as the quality of the cut itself (which is also important, I admit). My place in NYC did a straight razor shave on the back of the neck (which I in no way needed, IMO, and actually always kinda freaked me out since I have this big mole on the side of my neck…) and then wiped the excess foam off with a hot towel, which segued into a little mini-neck massage. That’d be worth driving, I dunno, 20 minutes out of my way for. 90 minutes… yeah, we’re getting into “happy ending” territory for that.
Like the OP, I haven’t had a haircut in a very long time. I only shave my head once a day, though. A buzz cut is very easy to maintain. Get a set of clippers, set them on the desired length and cut away.
I used to know a guy who had electric clippers that he set to 1/4 inch and every Sunday went all around his head and face. So he always showed on Monday morning with that 1/4 inch hair and beard and by Friday afternoon he had a 1/2 inch hair and beard.
Self cut ain’t gonna happen. I have a nice set of clippers, but I can afford better than me. IYKWIM.
Locally, I took my sone for a buzz cut to a local traditional barber who spouted Rush Limbaugh rhetoric, so I don’t wanna go there. Otherwise, there are wimmin’s places.
I have wavy hair which turns into a complete mess if I let it grow too long. seriously, I tried to do the “burn-out” thing in high school and all I accomplished was looking like an Airedale. I’ve not had a problem changing barbers; an experienced one should be able to get close to cutting your hair the same way as previous. might take a few visits until you get exactly what you want.
I’m a wimmin, and the place I go would be considered a “wimmin’s place” I suppose, all the stylists are wimmins and there’s a spa, and beer and wine in the fridge, liquor for the coffee. They’ll happily do a buzz cut (any cut) on any dude who dares to enter and be surrounded by good lookin’ wimmin folk. They really do a solid percentage of dudes hair, you should call the local places and see if they’ll do what you need for barber shop prices, I’ll bet they do and you can stay in town. If you dare.
She offered, but jokingly. She’s closer to autistic than artistic.
