?Ready for what?? I asked. ?The treatment.? John said as he motioned for me to get in the chair. The chair seemed to beckon me and I remembered how comfortable it was. I sat down in the chair and John placed a tissue around my neck and adjusted the cape to fit snugly around my neck. My hair was just below my shoulders and was due for a trim. I looked around wondering what I was doing. John?s dad was working on an older gentleman giving him a flattop and I wondered if that was what I was about to get. Not a word was spoken between John and me to discuss my options. John began to comb my hair out still not saying a word. I could tell he was thinking about what cut he wanted to give me. He stepped back to look at my head in the mirror and when he did the lady who had gotten the flattop with her son walked in the door. She said hello to John and sat down and then looked at me. She recognized me and asked me what kind of haircut I was getting. I looked at her and motioned to John, ?ask him, I?m still not sure what I am doing here!? I said laughing nervously.

She stood up and sat down in the barber chair next to me. ?Honey, once you experience the clippers you will never go back!? she said rubbing her hands over her shaggy flattop. Those words sounded familiar. I began to ask her questions about the treatment when I heard the popping sound of the big clippers. It startled me and I looked straight ahead into the mirror. John was starting at the back of my head and I felt it. The vibrations of the clippers running up the back of my neck. Slowly and methodically he would run them up going higher and higher with each pass. My eyes must have been wide as saucers because the lady stood up and came over to grab my hand. ?Just close your eyes and enjoy the moment honey!? she said as she rubbed my hand. I was tense but she told me to take a deep breath and close my eyes. I did and after a few more seconds I began to relax. She was right the clippers did feel good. It was the not knowing what I was going to look like that was the scary part!

She let go of my hand and sat down again making small talk with John while I kept my eyes closed. John moved the clippers to the side of my head and began shaving over my ears and then up the sides of my head. I had a feeling I was getting a flattop like the woman next to me and I hated to admit but was beginning to enjoy the feel of the clippers. Although the clippers seemed loud when they were first placed up to my head, the humming and the sound they made as they ate through my hair was actually quite soothing. I could feel my hair falling on my shoulders and then dropping to the ground but I dared not open my eyes. I was expecting to feel the flattop comb on top of my head but instead felt the clippers now running on top of my head with no flattop comb! Was I getting an all over buzz? Now I was beginning to get nervous again. I grabbed the sides of the chair but heard the lady tell me to breathe. She was right and I began to relax again. The clippers felt weird on top of my head and I was not sure if I was getting a buzz or if I was being shaved bald. The answer came when I felt the hot towel on my head.

I opened my eyes and all I saw was the towel. I was curious as to what it looked like and John had walked into the back. I looked over at the woman who was smiling and she told me that I was going to look great! John came walking back with a straight razor and took the towel off. I was bald! But it looked good. I closed my eyes again enjoying the feel of warm shaving cream rubbed all over my head. John took very short strokes as he began to shave my head clean. I could feel my hair being removed from my scalp. I was about to be totally hairless! After a few minutes he was through and he wiped the rest of the shaving cream off. I opened my eyes and got the first look. I was completely bald! My eyes were so big and I looked so much younger! John asked me what I thought and I smiled. ?It looks great!? I said. He smiled and told me to feel it. I took my hands from underneath the cape and felt my head with my fingertips first. It felt so good! And then I rubbed my hands over my head and I could not stop rubbing my head!

He loosened the cape and then took the tissue off. He took some talcum powder and dusted me off and then took some drops of oil and rubbed them into my scalp. He then began to massage this oil into my scalp and I closed my eyes again enjoying the moment! After a few minutes of massaging my scalp he asked me what I thought about ?the treatment? and I replied that I was a very satisfied customer! I got up out of the chair and paid John anxious to get home and show my husband. On the way home I stopped by the store to pick up some shaving cream and some new razors so my husband could give me the treatment tomorrow morning!