Going to the barbers

Who here feels awkward about going to the barbers/hairdressers? I am beginning to look like a down and out type and need a hair cut. Have not been to a men’s barber for well over 30 years. My wife used to cut it and after she died my youngest step daughter would cut it when she visited every 6-9 months, or so or she would get her female friend who was a hairdresser to do it.
However it doesn’t look like she’ll be visiting any time soon . Am considering taking myself to the barbers but dread having to make conversation while having it cut . It’s definitely a social anxiety thing coupled with difficulty making small talk. Also not being good at explaining how I want it cut other than “make it shorter”. I leave that kind of thing to my step daughter/her friend.
One thing I don’t want is it cut ultra short.

Remember the vacuum hair cutter from the 80’s? Try the Flowbee!! :wink:

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You have my sympathy firemonkey. I have for nearly all my life dreaded going to a barber/hairdresser and have tended to let it grow long and then buzz it off. Thus has been my style, I’ve tried now and then gowing to a hairdresser but the awkwardness has always driven me back to growing it long and buzzing it off. Why I didn’t just keep it buzzed all this time? I truly don’t know. But for a while when I was living in my previous city I was in an outpatient program that made me find a place to get my hair cut so I found Supercuts. I even found a girl who gave me her card and said when you need a cut call and request me, but then the woman at the desk used language that lead me to not leaving a tip…holy crap batmant I should have gone back and left one as I’d make the drive to this day even though I don’t live the3re anymore.

These days I buzz my own hair and with a mirror trim the back as best I can, this is how bad the awkwardness of a haircut is for me. I buzz it, not too short, not too long, and it doesn’t look too bad, not my best but hey.

My best advice is to put an add out there for a hair stylist to do a house call, you’d be surprised how many hairstylists there are trying to make a living in their field or having failed would love to make some extra money, hell I know one but am too shy to ask honestly.

I used to avoid going to hairdressers for years. I cut my hair myself and I did it ok, but I was beginning to hate to do it myself, it’s so tiring using two mirrors and taking too much time. So about a year ago I started going to hairdresser again. I was also worried about small talk, but there was actually one place where they ask you whether you want to talk or not while having your hair cut. But this place isn’t very good technically so I found another place which I now go to every 3 monthes. I tried not to talk much from the beginning and now my hairdresser knows that I don’t like to talk, so she doesn’t talk to me about things other than what kind of hair style I want or how to do hair-care, etc. I think it’s ok to say “1 inch shorter” or something. They have hair catalogues too.

They get used to the silent customers. If you just give one word responses, very chill-like but don’t elaborate, they pick up pretty quickly that you’re not the chatty type. So then typically they will just ask a few “how ya doin” questions to break the ice, and then be quiet and work on your hair.

My mother and I used to go to the same hair dresser and would go at the same time. It was a bit funny because the whole time my mother would chat away with the lady, and then I would get in the seat and there would be silence. Sometimes I’d just shut my eyes and half-nap through the whole thing.

My suggestions: bring a picture of what you would like it to look like. This helps eliminate lots of confusion. Also, I think plenty of hairdressers chatter because they feel like they’re expected to - smile, answer their questions politely, close your eyes. Generally they will pick up on this and leave you in peace.

If you feel the need to speak, ask them questions that invite a lot of detail - do you have kids (how old are they, are they in school, etc), are you studying anything (oh, tell me about that, what are your plans with that), how long have you been here/been doing this - and let them talk about themselves.

I hope it goes well! I’m with you, though. This always makes me feel nervous.

That’s exactly what I did

i’ve been trying to find a good barber for eons and the place i went was pretty good and it was cheap £7 but you are right about the small talk, i think they expect it bc they want the customer to feel cared for while they are there, i think its all about customer satisfaction, most people enjoy talking to the barber but we don’t,

i think i have an answer to most things but there are harder things to answer like the dreaded ‘and what do you do?’ i just said i just started working for a charity helping carers so that worked, sometimes i’m more honest a say that i’ve had a mental illness and i’ve been out of work for a while.

for the hair cut it is a bit awkward bc i ask for a short back and sides but i have a coo’s lick on my fringe and it never sits right which makes it harder when getting it cut, i sometimes just say keep it long at the front so it weighs it down but its a pain in the butt.

I feel nervous about small talk at the hairdresser. I avoid going because of it.

I’m due a haircut. I might get to do it this week if I’m lucky. But I hate going too.

I hate going to the Barbers - My father helps to Buzz my hair.

I dont like strangers touching me and I hate the small talk.

Going to the hairdresses has been a bit better for me the past while as I’ve been getting my hair cut by people who are from a different country from me and they normally just talk amongst themselves in a language I don’t understand. But as for going for haircuts I also don’t like to go.

People elsewhere were saying they went the DIY route with hair clippers. I wish I could but with my not exactly stellar motor skills I’d end up looking even weirder than I really am.

The last time I got a hair cut was between Christmas and New Year 1997. I guess you can say I feel awkward about getting it cut. Nowadays I wear my hair in a pony tail. It is not unusual for a man my age to have a ponytail where I live.

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When I go to the salon I close my eyes and pretend to fall asleep in the chair.

I feel awkward when getting my haircut. Basically putting my hair into a strangers hand…if they ask questions I answer but I never initiate conversation, eventually get bored with me and start talking to other hairdressers. I mean what do you talk about? I make some passe comment about weather or biggest news story, but beyond that I’m clueless. Not only that my voice has been horse ever since the hospital and its hard to hear me especially with all the noise in the shop from people talking to hair-dryers and whatnot.

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