Thought Of The Day – Haircuts Suck

Here’s the thing. I hate anything to do with my hair. When I was a child I used to scream so loudly when my parents washed it that my neighbours would be able to hear. When I was at university I grew my hair down to my tailbone as I went two years without a haircut *shudders*. Even now, I hate washing my hair and see it was the world’s most laborious task and will do anything to postpone it for a day two days. I’m just notoriously lazy and stingy with it. I genuinely just did a loud sigh when I wrote that sentence – that’s how much it makes me groan.

Part of the issue is that I’d never really found a hairdresser and someone to discipline me and get me excited when it came to my locks. When I was younger my Mum trimmed my fringe and my Aunty the rest of my hair, and so when I was thrown out into the big wide world I didn’t really know where to look for a haircut – hence the two years of just growing it all out, split ends and all. Then when I did go into a salon and get a haircut it wouldn’t be the best experience. I’ve had the classic ‘ask for a trim and leave with a pixie crop’ thing happen countless times. There was an occasion when I had ridiculously long hair that a salon assistant tried to brush it out when it was wet with a tail comb. I think I built up the majority of my neck strength through being so tense for the proceeding 30 minutes of tugging. I once got an amazing haircut with a lady who was also a colourist who convinced me that I should try going ‘caramel’ for summer. So I did and ended up with hair the colour of wotsit dust. That was then followed by having to do an at-home box dye that turned my hair into the colour of Simon Cowell’s and I’m still trying to grow up my slightly orange tips now.

So if you couldn’t already tell I have some trust issues with hairdressers. It’s also the whole process that’s a bit odd, isn’t it? Having someone wash your hair is just a bit bizarre (rewind to the first paragraph for personal context on this), but I have to say that it’s something that I’m starting to enjoy the more I actually visit the hairdressers. During the last one I had I think I may have snorted as I napped, that’s how good it was. It’s also the small talk thing. Being a perpetual people pleaser, if someone wants to chat I’m all ears, but sometimes I just want to read celeb gossip and ogle at the ‘Torso Of The Week’ (side note: is that still a thing?). Parts of the experience that I do love though are the gowns, because it’s basically like wearing a very thin, but still very comfy dressing gown and free biscuits. I’m always down for a shortbread.

There is a reason for this post though because I have found a hairdressers where I never leave with a bad haircut. In fact every single time I walk out the door I feel like I’ve stepped out of some Pantene advert (aside from the fact that it’s always raining because sod’s law just likes to show its face sometimes). Basically take yourself to Hershesons and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. I’ve had my haircut by Gemma Moore and Samuel Broadbent and have seriously loved both styles (P.S Armani at the Conduit Street salon gives the best head massage). They get it, I don’t leave with some kind of poodle curl and I don’t feel the need to wash it out and restyle it when I get home. THANK YOU!

Whilst it’s nice to go up to London and have a bit of a #TreatYoSelf moment and feel like Donna and Tom, it would be nice to find somewhere closer to home that I could pop along to too, so if anyone has any Brighton and/or Sussex-based hair trimmer extraordinaries then I’m all ears because I can’t leave it two years again. Please tell me I’m not the only one? Are you a haircut dodger too? What are some of your disasters? Go on, we all need a giggle for Monday…

 FOUR TIPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT HAIRDRESSER

It’s an obvious one, but if you’ve got a friend, or even spot a girl in a coffee shop with amazing hair – ask them where they get it done. Fingers crossed it will be local and from my experience of stalking girls with swoony haircuts and colours, they always have a recommendation that they swear by.

If the IRL referrals don’t amount to much then have a look online. Scout Facebook pages, Google and Yelp reviews and see what other people’s experiences were like. Although take into account that people can be pretty savage in the online reviews and tend to only post on when they want to complain *hangs head*.

Before booking a cut or colour, I like to look at the profiles of each hairdresser at a salon if they have them on the website, instead of looking at the pricing brackets, because I’m a believer that the priciest haircut might not be the best for you. Even better, have a stalk of them on Instagram to see pictures of their work

When you find yourself in the chair and ready to roll, make sure you have some pictures on hand of styles you like and hate. I’ve heard that it’s sometimes more helpful to show a hairdresser what would make you cry at the end, so you can really make sure you’re on the same page.

Photos by Lauren Shipley

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