Hair Salon

[Structrix]

Do any of you (especially the women) have to mentally prepare yourself to go to the hair salon? I have an appointment on Saturday and I find that I have to mentally prepare myself for not only the touching (I get body shivers from people touching my head) but also because I have to make small talk with the stylist. I just want to get up and out of there as soon as possible but my visits are at the minimum 2 hours.

 

[Saragrl]

I have always hated getting my hair cut. All that touchy and talky, need a nap when I am done. I keep my hair pretty short and have learned how to cut it myself, I have not gone to a stylist in over a year.

 

[Structrix]

Yes, after going to the salon I ALWAYS nap. It's very draining mentally. It's cool that you know how to cut your hair yourself.

 

[toothless]

same as saragrl here,am biologicaly female but use a pair of electric clippers and a razor to keep the hair totaly shaved off,shave it every few days. hair is pointless and really irritates,but it probably doesnt help that am a padded helmet wearer which makes the head itch.

 

[King_Oni]

Well, I'm male, but I guess I have my share of "hair related" issues. I'm growing my hair now, and I've changed my hairstyle as well as color quite a bit over time.

The last time I actually was at a hairsalon was over 15 years ago though. I always dreaded the wait there. Having to listen to someone talk about some mundane subject never goes over well with me. Not to mention the inadvertent eavesdropping on other customers or even the music on the radio. But perhaps I'm just intolerant over it. I don't mind people touching my hair though. Maybe it's that thing I don't mind and have decided to man up to when I decide to visit a hairdresser or something.

But in the past 15 years I did my hair myself. Coloring, cutting split ends, trying out new haircuts (anything from mohawks, to fully bald and currently I've got it about shoulder length again).

It's funny though since every once in a while when I walk into stores that are pretty specialist in terms of hair, hairdyes and stuff like that, I always come across as if I'm totally lost until I start telling them what exactly I need up to the correct mixtures for dyes and such. It always confuses these ladies, lol. I don't look like the type of person who knows about hair I guess.

 

[Rudy Schmidt]

I never liked the chitchat, either, though the touching doesn't bother me.

What DOES bother me is when people constantly bring it up. I get my head totally shaved every couple months, and for at least a week afterwards I get comments, every day. I did it this week, and I've been counting - after four days, I'm up to around forty comments, fifteen in the first day alone. It drives me crazy, having to answer the question "what happened to your hair" every ten minutes. Irritates me pretty badly.

 

[Progster]

Just been to the hairdresser's. I don't like being touched. I can tolerate it, but often flinch. I don't like that the haridresser will try to engage you in mindless chitchat, or be chatting to other customers and expect you to join in. No thanks. It's forced interaction; I prefer not to talk.

 

[watersprite]

I had skipped my recent appointment for update of color and cut, as I could tell I was NOt in the mood to handle the smells, chit-chat and the mirrors. But I was responsible and called and said I needed to re-schedule for friday. I will ready myself but it's not a thing I like doing at all.

 

[Spiller]

I'v been to hairdressers several times in my life - each time, I had no idea what the current fashion was and so asked them to assist me.. and every time I've come away vastly uncomfortable with the result.
Each time, also, has been more stressful than the last..
I don't know if I was just resistant to this change from unkempt mop to.. er, that.. .. or if it was just bad - or good. No way to tell, no-one to ask.
I've learned to cut my own hair with trimmers in the last two years.. the back's a little tricky, but people don't stare and several people I know now say it's ok.. whether or not they're just being diplomatic, I've no idea
If I wasn't trying hard to 'look normal' these days I'd seriously consider going back to dreadlocks..

 

[AsheSkyler]

My problem with stylists is that they're in love with the sound of their voice and don't pay attention. I say "don't cut my bangs", they go and cut my bangs. And don't get me started on the last trip I ever took to a stylist! Mouse and curls and teases and hairspray, I've never had such a horrible hairstyle in my life, not even when I'd got to bed with wet hair back when it was as short as a boy's. Took me three days to wash all that crap out. That was ten years ago. I've cut my own hair ever since, even when I had my boy cut.

as I could tell I was NOt in the mood to handle the smells

I'm glad I'm not alone in that! I CAN'T go to a salon anymore. My SPD has gotten too severe for prolonged exposure to poison.

 

[Datura]

Hmm, I guess it doesn't bother me that much. The smells are unpleasant, the music sucks, and the chitchat can be awkward. I am fairly good at getting lost in my own thoughts though, so that helps. Also, my last hair dresser was higly opinionated, and a bit insane, which at least made things interesting.

Now I let one of my friends do my hair. It's an excuse to have her over, and it's cheaper than going to a salon.

Maybe I should learn to cut my own as well, but I fear it would turn out horribly.

 

[Time of the Butterflies]

I got my hair cut today and I was constantly brought back to this thread! As I am a boy, my haircut takes only 15 minutes, but that doesn't make it stress-free. If I wasn't moving, I'd switch to a different place, but today was just not a good day for me. My haircutter expects me to talk about sports and know everything about them (I know nothing about sports, nor do I desire to). Afterwards, my mom had to pick me up, so I had to wait outside for ten minutes under the hot sun. When I finally got home, I really did feel like I had to take a nap, like someone else in this thread said. But yeah, I know now why I've always hated getting my hair cut: it's socially and mentally exhausting. It's like having an intense interview with someone for the job of your dreams. That's pretty much what every single social interaction of mine feels like.

 

[Cerulean]

I don't like going to new people, the regular girl I see know who I am so she asks me questions about what has happened since we left off, new people you have to start all over- what do you do, do you live around here, blah blah so tedious.

 

[Warmheart]

GAAAAHHH!! Perfumes and stinky sprays! Glare of bright lights! Mirrors everywhere! Gurgle- slurk-slurk water sounds! Slippery chair! Gotta sit still! Itchy-slick-grabby-cold-then-hot plastic cover snapped 'round my throat!
GABBA-GABBA-GABBA Smalltalk! Fssst Fsssst SPRAYS of DOOM! Poky-spikey comb stabbing, scissors snapping near face, scalp afire with scratchy hamster-feet poking! Floof Floof choking miasma clouds of talc!
Cue epic, blammo, newsworthy "Film At Eleven" non-verbal meltdown in 3....2......1....! Aaarrgghh! And then, there's the solid 2 weeks of struggling to adjust to the change in appearance. Extra-Aaargh!

Haircuts are a perfect storm of raging yuck!

 

[Progster]

I don't like going to new people, the regular girl I see know who I am so she asks me questions about what has happened since we left off, new people you have to start all over- what do you do, do you live around here, blah blah so tedious.

Yes exactly - and the thing I don't get is how they don't sense when someone would rather not talk? I mean, taxi drivers are supposed to be able to do that, so why can't hairdressers?

 

[Spiller]

GAAAAHHH!! Perfumes and stinky sprays! Glare of bright lights! Mirrors everywhere! Gurgle- slurk-slurk water sounds! Slippery chair! Gotta sit still! Itchy-slick-grabby-cold-then-hot plastic cover snapped 'round my throat!
GABBA-GABBA-GABBA Smalltalk! Fssst Fsssst SPRAYS of DOOM! Poky-spikey comb stabbing, scissors snapping near face, scalp afire with scratchy hamster-feet poking! Floof Floof choking miasma clouds of talc!
Cue epic, blammo, newsworthy "Film At Eleven" non-verbal meltdown in 3....2......1....! Aaarrgghh! And then, there's the solid 2 weeks of struggling to adjust to the change in appearance. Extra-Aaargh!

Haircuts are a perfect storm of raging yuck!

Wow, Warmheart, that's about the most vividly detailed and accurate description of.. well, anything really.. that I've ever read! Have a flower to make us both feel better..

 

[qwerty]

I have been putting off getting my hair cut for three weeks now because of the forced intimacy, blehgh I hate small talk and the touching. I have been wearing a hat for the last two weeks because my hair is starting to go all Einstein on me. I really am going to have to force myself to get it cut soon.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

I've been putting off getting my hair cut for about 2 months now. My hair is a complete mess, but I really have to psych myself up before being able to face going to the salon. I really like getting my hair washed, but everything else (the smells, the chit chat, the music) I really really hate. Also I have a rather bitchy resting face, so I have to deal with awkward "do you not like how I'm cutting it?" "is there something wrong?" questions, which is just annoying Of course the amusement of seeing the horror on the hairdressers face when they try blowdrying my hair and it turns into a frizzy poofball is almost enough to make up for it

 

[AsheSkyler]

I feel most here would enjoy this article: 27 Problems Only Introverts Will Understand

I've been tempted to print it off and start a bit of a handbook called "How To Train Your Ashe" that I can pass around to new people.

 

[zurb]

I always seem to wait too long before getting it cut. After I notice its getting long, it usually takes me a few weeks to organise actually getting there. Then they seem to just take a standard amount off, so its never enough. To make matters worse, I never know how to describe what I want. Once I find someone who does it 'right' I'm likely to stick with them as long as I can.