Horror at the Barbers

General Discussion
1

I first visited Virginie’s salon over 24 years ago and she had a very young asisstant who cut my hair just as I wanted it but followed it up with ‘shall I trim your eybrows and beard?’

Of course not, the eyebrows are my inheritance from my Grandpas and my Dad, definitely on the bushy side and I only cut them myself when they get snagged with my eyelashes. Not only that but I can trim my beard when needed myself thank you.

I visited her every 3 months for about 3 years and, now fed up with all the home trimming I finally decide to give in and announced it on my arrival. The cheers from the assembled cast rang up and own the street. :rofl:

She then got pregnant (not guilty m’Lud) and took a few months off and I had to put up with a callow youth for one session. Useless, he cut exactly how he wanted it, a failing of male barbers I find. Then a year or 2 passed and she was pregnant again. Fair enough but this time she had a 3 year break, :astonished: and I had to make do with Virginie herself during this time. Soon, that became permanent and Virginie became almost as skilled as Angelique so I have got used to it over the latter years.

The horror? I phoned last week and an unfamiliar voice took my booking. When I arrived there was a very young woman just finishing off an older mate of mine. She looked about 15 and had certainly not seen 20 yet. ‘Oh is Virginie not here’ I asked, thinking things had tuned for the better (V struggled during and after covid) and she had taken on an apprentice. But no, the answer was simple ‘vendu’.

I thought for a moment, could I trust myself to this junior, but it would be rude to flee so I decided to give her a chance, after all the pain would only last 3 months, plenty of chance to jump ship ( in a village which now only has 1 butcher, 1 baker, 1 bar, not always open, but does have 2 hairdressers). My friend Laurent goes to the other one, I might sound him out. :thinking:

Half an hour later I was back on the pavement, with a not less than perfect haircut, brow and beard trim and a feeling of dizzying astonishment. How could she possibly have learned her trade so well in such a short time? I might, if word gets around, have to book my next one in 2 months time, there might be a waiting list. Her name is Choe, I have her card with a little stamp on the back which means in 2 year’s time I can have a freebie. :joy:

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You can’t beat a DIY tondeuse.

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What a tease. You built me up thinking Sweeney Todd, only for it to have a happy ending!

:joy:

I’ve been doing my own barbering for the last 10years with a beard trimmer - being a little shiny above is not always a disadvantage.

Regarding not following instructions, female hairdressers always seemed to do what they think. At one stage it became a battle for my wife not to have far more hair removed than she wanted - and short hair REALLY doesn’t suit her - but they would always just hack away regardless. Our grandson’s mum does it now, and perhaps being part of the family, she takes more notice.

4

I too always insist on trimming my own beard and eyebrows. I’m actually less fussy about my haircut: as an old colleague once told me, the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is about a week.

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I’ve learnt to avoid the “middle-aged” hairdressers in town who seem to think I need an “elderly” haircut. I now go to the one in the mall alongside Leclerc where the hairdressers tend to be in their 20s/30s. I take with me a photo of myself 20 years ago - smart business haircut - and say do it like that. Always works and each one puts their own particular twist on the general effect.

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I’m afraid my village hairdresser has been influenced by Capote’s swans. All I can do to stop the teezling and hairspray. I exit the salon looking like a cross between Jackie O circa 1960 and a processionary caterpillar nest. i’m sure people enjoy a laugh all the way along Le Cours as I hurry home.

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So, one pair of eyebrows was handed down…?

That’s a fairly unusual (and if you don’t mind my saying, a somewhat paltry) inheritance … :wink:

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What’s all this about trimming eyebrows ? :thinking:. If one gets too long, I just pluck it out. In saying that, I haven’t been to a barbers since1987.

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2 sets actually, my Grandpas were brothers, and, as far as paltry goes it doesn’t bother me much as I don’t really belief that inherited wealth is a good thing, especially as in the case of Fran it sickens me that her 3 shits might one day benefit from our endeavours.

By the time my Dad died at 94 after long years with dementia, his 2nd wife had wasted all the money that would have come to me and, if Mum, who died much earlier, had known she wouldn’t have left everything to him.

I did inherit something though, £1,500 which they gave us to buy the little plot of land next to this one, which years later enabled us to extend our tiny house to a small one. This was advanced to us to equalise their gift to my brother who had got himself into financial difficulties. Like Dad he had one good wife and one bloody awful one but in his case the bad’un came first.

I, on the other hand, have had 2 belters, so inheritance has always been the last thing on my mind. :joy:

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I used to go to a Turkish barber in the UK. First time he did this was a bit of a shock!

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Must admit I tend to do my own - especially as my ‘solar panel’ is getting bigger, so less to trim around the edges. Beard is only grown for the winter and comes off at the start of spring and I can cut a fairly straight line to keep the moustache under control.

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Not exactly on topic, and at the other end of the anatomy, the feet, or more precisely, a comfortable well-fitting pair of shoes.

I bought a new pair of shoes from a shoe supermarket where I could select, try on and walk about unhindered until I found the right pair. Always had a problem with shoes – find them all mostly too narrow.

I tried on several pairs and came away with what felt like a well-fitting and comfortable pair of shoes, so much so that I found myself striding around manfully, which I don’t generally do! I potter rather than stride, and I was striding around manfully.

As the laces tightened up, I could feel my ankles and feet being brought and held together firmly, securely and comfortably. Imbued with a new sense of confidence I’m striding. Feet are the foundation we rely on after all.

I wish I could enjoy having things done to what covers my head. Going to the dentist is preferable, which is why I tend to visit the barber on a yearly basis!

My barber is a man, but on the visit before last his female assistant sorted me out. I just said ‘short’ when asked and she did me proud and also trimmed my beard and eyebrows. I felt new again.

Which brings me to a question. I have a beard trimmer, had several, but none that worked so well as the barber’s professional trimmer. Any suggestions?

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Pleased you’ve seen the light, like me, and come over from the dark side, never looked back since my first lady barber back in 2000. :joy:

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Back in my 30s my girlfriend persuaded me to go to her hair stylist, a female establishment where men could also have their hair cut. I went and didn’t need to say how I wanted my hair cut – I was told how I should have it cut, and to come back for a regular trim. I didn’t complain.

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What I have noticed here is that the tendency for women’s harcuts is very very short. Doesn’t suit me at all since I end up looking pin headed :rofl: . My previous hairdresser got it looking quite good but she’s now left. I think another hunt is on… sigh…

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Funny that, it was precisely the males telling me that that put me off them, whereas all the females have been more responsive to my :laughing: requirements.

@AngelaR , sorry but I am not recommending you to mine, she’s mine I say, all mine and I am not revealing her name to anyone. :rofl:

Oh, just realised I did earlier :rage:

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No use to me since I don’t know where you live except that it’s a long way from me :rofl:

18

I’ve been using a Phillips Series 5000 for several years - it’s easily adjustable in very small increments between 1mm and 2cms and the charges last a long time. Also it doesn’t need lots and lots of different attachments.

The best heavy duty, thick hipster beard option is probably the Wahl Aqua Blade 9899.

I previously used a plug-in Wahl professional clipper for twenty odd years - still got it, but it’s big and unwieldy.

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19

Mmm.

i have long hair, when we got married my then fiancé (now wife, obviously) wanted me to look my best and booked me in with her hairdresser.

It was the most humiliating experience I’ve ever had - wild horses would not drag me back.

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I’m the lady barber in our house ! Haircuts only.