I went to get a haircut the other day and walked out with mixed feelings. The fade was solid, no complaints there. But then my barber asked if I wanted anything done on top and I told him no. What I actually said was what would you recommend, just making conversation, not giving him a green light. He took that as permission, grabbed the machine, and shaved off the front edge of my widow’s peak to start a lineup along my hairline.
I did not ask for that.
Here is why it bothers me. I am very big on symmetry and evenness. When you clean up one area like that, it stands out against everything else and creates an inconsistency I cannot unsee. On top of that, I had a plan. I am growing the top out to one even length, building it back gradually. Now the front hairline is shaped up and the rest has to catch up to it. My hair is still pretty short so it will get there, but that is not the point.
The point is you ask first. If you have an idea or a vision, you say it out loud and let me decide. Something as simple as hey, do you mind if I clean up that widow’s peak would have been enough. I would have said no thank you, and we would have moved on. Instead he just did it.
Barbers are skilled professionals and I respect the craft. But the chair is my chair. Going forward I will be much more specific before a single machine touches my head. Do exactly what I ask. Anything beyond that, you run it by me first.
Leave a Reply