A Haircut

Day 33 of writing every day.

The last time I had a hair cut was in November of last year. I think hair grows at different rates for me at different times of the year and it probably varies from person to person. It probably grew slower in the late fall/winter this season and I didn’t feel like going in to get my hair trimmed.

I can’t really say why I keep my hair long. There was a curious side of me when I was in middle school that wondered what it was to have traditional hair like the characters in Chinese movies set in some historical period.

I wouldn’t say I had a role model or someone I wanted to be like growing up and through adolescence. We might like songs sung by talented artists but that doesn’t mean we all want to emulate their dress and style of hair. I frankly could have cared less about celebrities and the lives they lead that I thought I’d never be a part of anyways. Why pry into people’s private business just because they appear on a TV or movie screen?

I think it’s the Sikh religion that holds the body to be sacred if I remember hearsay correctly. I’d have to read more into it to have an accurate statement prepared, but believers don’t cut their hair, or at least some don’t. For me, there wasn’t any religious association with my hair but I kept growing it out and by the last year of middle school I was touchy about classmates who were curious and wanted to feel my hair.

It stemmed perhaps from some misguided understanding that only those close to you may touch your hair as a man who has grown it out, not to be petted like someone who has just seen a dog with a nice coat of fur. And it wasn’t completely wrong either. Touching people’s hair can be considered a form of sexual harassment. And on the opposite end images are often shown when depicting Islamic societies as oppressive by using women who have to have their hair covered or be charged with public indecency.

For me, the length of my hair seems to have become part of my identity. I can cut it short, and I’ve done it before, but given how men continue to be seen differently simply for the length of their hair, I’d be a completely different person in most people’s eyes. Some occupations still adamantly expect men to have short and “well-maintained” hair styles.

If cutting my hair was required to get a job, I would have cut it short, but fortunately I haven’t come across such a situation and the world is slowly learning to accept men with longer hair.

My hair being long isn’t about trying to look good or anything though. People have complimented me on my hair’s smooth texture and shine, but that’s part genetics and lifestyle, and perhaps they just want the same type of hair is all. If I wanted to look good I’d probably be focused on hairstyle trends and changing things up by going to hair stylists and requesting all sorts of treatments and long hair style cuts.

Perhaps part of me wanted to see my hair growing long as a symbol of the past we all carry. Our past grows longer just like our hair. Some people may want to ditch their past because it weighs them down, and going from long to short hair can be quite liberating after you feel all that hair get cut off. You just didn’t know how much of a burden the past is until you’ve set it down and let it go.

Others might hold on to their past because it’s comforting and you don’t want to start over from what feels like nothing again. The same goes for hair, especially if you’re getting older and not sure you’ll ever be able to grow it out the same again. I’d be going bald I think if I wasn’t taking hair loss prevention medicine.

Feeling refreshed

After getting my haircut with a head spa I decided to extend from 10 minutes to 20 minutes, I felt quite refreshed. Budget haircuts are quick and focus on speed, accuracy, and affordability. I used to go there instead when I was more stingy with my money even though I was making more then than I am currently.

Cheap cuts are as the name would suggest. You go in, tell the barber how much to cut and any additional instructions and off they go. In my experience there’s a ticket machine where you pay for the cut in advance and wait in line. It’s a matter of knowing when to go to avoid a long wait. Once the cut is finished you get brushed and wiped off and then off you go.

Going to a hair salon on the other hand costs about 3-4 times as much as a cheap haircut. I’d budget 1500 JPY for a cheap haircut and probably 6000 JPY for a haircut at a hair salon. But prices are going up due to inflation, so probably have a little more ready to be safe.

Growing up poor, my mom gave me haircuts as a kid with store bought barber razors and scissors. That might have had an impact on my not being used to going to the barber in general. Add not cutting my hair for years as I grew it out in adolescence and I’m an adult who’s just learning what kind of services are available.

For the price of a haircut at a hair salon you get a stylist who patiently asks you what kind of cut you would like as you sit in a comfortable barber’s chair. Once the order has been confirmed, a bib and towel to keep you dry will be wrapped around your neck. The chair gets raised and tilted back and the stylist or an assistant will come and rinse your hair.

To provide maximum comfort that shuts out light and guards against splash, a rolled towel is carefully placed over your eyes and folded to cover your face while leaving your nose open for breathing. The warm water on your head feels great and if whoever is shampooing your hair is good at it, the rinse itself feels like a smooth massage as well. Throughout each step of the process, you’ll be asked if there’s any discomfort such as with the bib being too tight or the water temperature being too hot or cold.

When the rinse is over, your hair is wrung of any excess water and patted dry. Then the actual haircut begins.

Hair salon haircuts take time so if you’re in a rush and feeling stingy, then I wouldn’t recommend it. If you are willing to use the time and money, then it becomes an experience to be enjoyed. Depending on your personality and your stylist, some people make conversation throughout the haircut while others just pass the time silently. You’re more than welcome to just rest your eyes the entire time and unplug yourself from devices and so on.

I personally also enjoy the head spa service the salon I go to. It’s not cheap to be sure and costs over 2300 JPY for 10 minutes but getting longer spas is a better deal, so I sometimes get the 20-minute one for around 3500 JPY.

You can do all the self-care in the world but there’s no replacing getting cared for by others. A head spa feels very relaxing and I think is qualitatively different from body massages. Some massage salons might offer head massages too, but I think there might be a difference in quality when it comes to getting a head spa from those who work with people’s head and hair versus generalists that work with the human body overall.

Anyways, get a massage or a spa and treat yourself if you have a chance too! You have a body full of sensory receptors, so go and enjoy what can be felt and live in the moment!

Thanks for reading!