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As long as I can remember, I have liked to cut hair.  From the time I was nine I knew I would be a hairdresser.  I started trimming and styling my friends' hair in early middle school.  By the time I could have finished high school, I was busy working as a hairdresser.

It's now been ten years since I started working and I still like cutting hair.  I have always worked at places that did mostly women, young and old.  I work in a smallish town in the not so deep southern US.  For the past six years I have worked at the same place that caters to tweens, teens and younger women.  I love most days, but still cannot get enough of really getting to cut hair.  If it were up to me, almost every client I have would have short hair.  Not every client, as some women really look better with long hair.  Let's face it, long hair is great at covering things up.

In my opinion, most teens and younger women look great when their features are shown off.  The right short hair style almost always does this.  It also shows confidence in people seeing the really person under the hair.  I find that many guys like short hair on women (especially on their girlfriend/wife), but often are taught that saying that girls with long hot so that is what you want your girlfriend to have.  You would be amazed at how many of my clients have guys who prefer their hair short.  With younger guys that are almost afraid to admit it. 

Okay, enough with the philosophy.  My first goal is to do what is best for all of my clients (even ones I cannot stand).  This includes: listening to the client and respecting their wishes; stopping the client from doing anything they will regret (note - I refuse to do post break up cuts).  With that said, it is rare that a week goes by when I do not get to do one or two major chop jobs. Some weeks in May, June or July) I tend to do more.  I give myself part of the credit for this.

I'll take for an example, Samantha, a recent PWC.  Samantha has been my client since she was 16.  She has always had the same bunch of friends, most of whom go to me.  Her best friend Carol came to me before Samantha ever did.  Samantha first came to me with mid-back length hair that she streaked a bleachy blond color.  By the time she finished high school her hair was layered and shoulder length and the streaks were grown out.  About a year after that she wanted something shorter.   I knew shorter meant chin length.  I let her explain the style to me and show me a few pictures. I then suggested more layers in the front, but still everything pretty longish.

Samantha loved the style.  Her hair was wavy and the shortish layers in the front brought out her face.  The back remained below the hair line and the sides covering the ears.  It was not long after that cut that she had met a serious boyfriend (to be honest I forget his name at the moment).  When she returned to me she told me about her new man who she had now been seeing for a month or so.  I always like to hear about these things so I had her tell me all about it.  She had me do the same cut, which I made a little shorter.  I took the back up to the hairline.  She was happy with the cut, as always.  Near the end of our discussion, I asked her if her man likes the short hair.  Her answer was, "I think so."  I left it at that.

A few months later she returned and was still with the same guy.  Things were getting even more serious.  She mentioned that after her cut the last time, she asked him if he liked her hair short and he said he did.  He told her that this was the first time he was with someone with short hair.  (This is a good sign as girls like to distinguish themselves from the tramps their guys have previously dated).  We talked about going shorter and she decided that she would wait until the next cut (by then spring) and try something a little more daring.  She left with the same cut as the time before, with perhaps a little less length in the back.

It was a few weeks later I heard from Samantha's friend Beth that Samantha got engaged.  I was thrilled for her.  The next appointment Samantha told me she wanted to grow her hair out for the wedding. (I personally hate the fact that women are just expected to have long hair for their wedding.  It drives me crazy when girls who look amazing with shorter hair decide to go long just because they think it is part out getting married).  Personal convictions aside, I do what my clients want.  So we cut her hair a little in the back and let the front grow out to even things up.  Samantha's hair grows fast.  Withing three months is was at her shoulders.  The next time I saw her was for her friend Charlotte's wedding.  I trimmed her hair a bit and set it for the wedding.  I did the whole wedding party (which is generally how I spend my weekends).

As an aside and Charlotte got a great PWC the next week, but that is another story.  The next time I saw Samantha was about two months before her wedding.  Her hair was now below her shoulders.  We talked about her wedding style.  No disrespect to Samantha, but she choose the typical bride style that made her look like "a bride" instead of herself.  Again, I will keep my opinions to myself.  She also mentioned how she cannot wait to chop her hair after the wedding.  This is by no means uncommon.  I did not push the topic and let her talk.  I added a few comments, like asking if her guy likes her with short hair (acting like I did not remember asking her that before).  I also planted the seed by mentioning that it would be cool to show off the emerald stud at the top of her ear that her guy bought her (how romantic).  I knew that was enough to get the idea in her head.

When she booked her wedding she also had me book her for the Tuesday after the wedding.  On her appointment card I wrote PWC.  She laughed.

All were super pleased with the wedding styles.  The day of the wedding when Samantha was getting her hair done with the wedding party Charlotte asked her if she was looking forward to her PWC.  Samantha just laughed.  As another aside, Charlotte looked the best of all of the brides mates with her short hair.  Her friend Pam remarked that she was definitely doing it after her wedding. 

Samantha came in Tuesday morning as scheduled.  I was expecting her to bring in a magazine, but she surprised me.  We made small talk for a bit as we washed her hair and then she brought up how sick of her hair she was.  She went on say she was ready to go short.  I asked her if her "husband" likes short hair on women (I do not ask this question when I know my clients have anti-short hair boys).  She told me she discussed the cut with him and he said it would look cute real short.  I asked her what real short was and she told me she had not really thought about it.  We then joked how guys rarely express what they are really thinking in any event.

After letting her talk about the cut for a while, I stopped her and just said, "so are we taking it real short".  She asked what I thought.  I like to deflect this question, as I do not like the call coming from me (with some exceptions).  I just said (in a joking manner), "your married now, you had better listen to your husband".  She turned red and just said, "okay real short".  At times, I  like to take hair short a little slower (over two or three good cuts), but in this case, I thought she was ready.  To get technical, I also had the hutch her man thought the short hair was sexy, by his use of the words "real short".  It is hard to explain.

I then asked a few questions and was left with the following: not too too short, definitely above the ears, and low maintenance.  I explained that for short hair to be low maintenance, we are talking less than 3 inches or so on top and short sides and back.  I suggested taking it very short in the back (but not buzzed), taking off most of the length on the sides (to be sure to show off the stud) and leaving it cropped on top, but long enough that there is length to brush and control it.  She took about a minute and then told me to go ahead.

I pinned it back and worked the back first, removing the length.  I worked fast, as I saw she was getting nervous.  Within five minutes I was on working on the sides, which took longer (it is actually pretty difficult to cut hair very short, but leaving just the right amount of length.  I will admit I got a touch scissor happy on the top, but it certainly suited her.  I gave her bangs (a little over an inch long) brushed a little to the side that looked amazing on her.  The cut must have taken 45 minutes.  She seemed a little in shock the whole time.

I did not need to blow it out and just put in a bit of gel.  She looked at me and said, "this will be the first time since I was 11 that I will not have the blow my hair dry.  I think I like it already".  I knew she was pretty unsure, but did not want to hurt my feelings.  It is the natural reaction.  I find it takes a few weeks to sink in.  She told me she liked it and must have said "I can't believe how short it is" ten times.  After seeing the final product, I knew I had done good.  I was sure Samantha would like it, but was not as sure about her man. Guys often get scared the first time their partner goes very short.  Without going into unnecessary detail, this fear usually is replaced with stronger and more loving feelings after they enjoy their first intimate time. with a short haired girl.  In my experience, the liberation and confidence many girls feel with short hair often translates meaningfully in the bedroom.  Any further detail might change the rating of this story.  By the next cut, many guys are the ones hinting to their partner that they should  "keep it short or maybe try it a little shorter". 

Well it was not two weeks later that Samantha called to book an appointment two and a half weeks in advance.  I asked Samantha if she was happy with the cut.  She said she loved it, but it was already growing out.

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