Home » Location » Barbershop » Bonnie and Clyppers – Part 4 (Sandra Grows Up)

clipper-banner
Our Reader Score
[Total: 9   Average: 3.1/5]

I was by myself on a Sunday evening during the summer at Bonnie and Clyppers when a woman and her two daughters came in.  I got up and greeted them.  “Hi, My name’s Bonnie, is there somehting I can do for you?”  I asked.  The mother replied, “I’m Mary and I’ve decided that it’s time my daughters got short haircuts.” “Great, who’s going first?”  I asked.  The mother grabbed the hand of her younger daughter and led her forward a bit.  The girl had dirty blond hair that hung past her shoulders with a few subtle layers in it.  “This is Sandra.  She’s turning 16 tomorrow.  I think since she’ll be able to drive, she should look more like an adult.  I nodded in agreement.  Come sit down and we’ll discuss what kind of style you’d like her to have.”  I said.  They followed me to my station while the older daughter took a seat in the waiting area and picked up a magazine.  I ripped a tissue from the dispenser and wrapped it tightly around Sandra’s neck.  Then I threw a large cape over her and secured it over the tissue.  I turned to Mary and asked, “So what are we doing here?”  She ruffled her daughters hair and said, “Something nice and short.  Mature looking.”  “Do you want something like a bob?  Or shorter, like a pixie?”  I asked.  “A pixie sounds fine.  It needs to be quite short though.”  She said.  “Especially in the back.  I want it clippered in nice and close.”  I nodded and said, which guard would you like me to use?”  I held out several and she pointed to the 1/8th inch one.  She said, “Taper it in really close at the bottom though.  I want her sideburns and hairline shaved to the skin.  I think I’d like you to use the 1/4th inch guide near the top though.  I think that would blend better with the top.”  I nodded in agreement.  “Shall I do the top at about 3/4 of an inch?”  I suggested.  Mary shook her head and replied, “Better make it half.”  “Thats fine.  Anything else?”  I asked.  “Nope, I think that’s it.”  She said.  She looked at Sandra and said, “I know you don’t want to get this haircut, but you need to be mature about this.  Sit still and be quiet.  Don’t give Bonnie any trouble or you’ll get it.”  Sandra, looking quite sad, nodded.  I picked up my scissors and said, “Are you ready?”  Sandra shrugged.  I patted her on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry hon, you’ll look great.”  She nodded slightly and stared at the floor.  I picked up a large chunk of her hair and sliced through it. I quickly moved around her head reducing all of her hair to about an inch long.  When it was all done, I said, “There, the worst is over.”  Sandra looked in the mirror and had to hold back tears.  I picked up my clippers and snapped on the quarter inch guide.  I said, “Alright, keep your head down and sit still sweetie.”  She bent her head down, but I pushed it further and anchored it in her chest.  I turned the clippers on, and they made a loud POP.  I let them hum for a few moments then I placed them on Sandra’s neck then pushed them up.  Buzzzzzzzzzaaa. When they reached her crown I pulled them away from her head and flicked the thick tuft of her dirty blond hair off.  Then I began the next pass.  Buzzzzzzaaa.  I worked quickly and sheared the back in no time.  I tilted her head to the right side and began clippering the left.  I repeated this on the right side.  Then I turned the clippers off and switched the guard.  I put the 1/8th inch guard on and started them up again.  I pushed Sandra’s head into her chest again and ran the clippers partway up her head again.  Buzzzzzzzzzaaa.  I used a comb to taper her hair nicely.  Buzzzzzzzzza. When I was satisfied with the length, I took the guard off the clippers and used the comb to taper Sandra’s hair in close to the skin near her nape.  Then I put the guard back on, and did the same to the sides of Sandra’s head, then took the guard off and tapered her sideburns to almost nothing.  Buzzzzzzaaa.  I turned the clippers off and hung them up.  I ran my hands over the back and sides of her head to brush off any loose hairs then I picked up a spray bottle.  I wetted down the hair on top of Sandra’s head then picked up a comb and scissors.  Little wet chuncks of Sandra’s dirty blond hair flew everywhere as I snipped away.  I trimmed it all down nice and short, with the longest parts being half an inch.  When I finished, I took Sandra to the wash basin and washed her new short hair.  I towel dried it off then ran some gel through the top to make it spiky. Then I took off the cape and threw the tissue in the trash.  Then I took a large clean white towel and put it around her shoulders.  Then I got some hot shaving cream from the dispenser and spread it along her hairline and sideburns.  I took a straight razor off the shelf and stropped it along the leather belt attached to the chair.  I pushed Sandra’s head into her chest and carefully shaved along her hairline, then I wiped the blade, tilted her head to the right, and shaved off her left sideburn.  I wiped the blade, tilted her head to the left, then shaved her right sideburn.  I put the razor in the sink and got a washcloth.  I ran it under some hot water then wiped her sideburns and nape to get the excess shaving cream off.  I dusted her nape and sideburns with some sweet smelling powder, then I took the towel off and patted her on the shoulder.  “There you go dear.  All finished!”  She slowly looked at herself in the mirror.  Mary got up and walked over to us.  “Oh that’s perfect Bonnie.  Great Job!”  She said.  “Thanks.  It definately makes her look older I think.”  I said.  “Yes it sure does.  This is much more suitable for a young woman.”  Mary said.  “Ok Sandra, you may go sit down, Sam, your turn.”  Mary said.  Sandra got out of the barbers chair and slowly walked to the waiting area.  She looked at herself in every mirror she passed, and looked a little glum.  The older daughter stood up and trudged over to my station.  Unlike Sandra, her hair was a deep reddish brown.  I swept all of Sandra’s hair up from the floor as Mary said, “This is Samantha, but we call her Sam.  She’s 18 and will be heading off to the University of California in Santa Barbara in a couple of weeks.  I want something very easy to maintain for her.  I want it good and short.”  How about a pixie like Sandra’s?  Or something similar to that?”  I suggested.  Mary shook her head and said, “No, I don’t think that will work. Since it will be short it’ll need to get cut quite frequently, so it should be something simple and quick to cut.  She won’t have much time to sit around getting it styled.”  “Were you thinking of some sort of crewcut?”  I asked.  Mary nodded and said, “Yes, I think that’t the best way to go.”  “Alright, well would you like me to give her a flattop, or something like that where the top is longer?”  I asked.  Mary pondered.  “Or I could cut it all one length and she would be able to cut it herself.”  I suggested.  Mary seemed intrigued.  “Really?  How?”  She asked.  “You’d just buy a set of electric cli
ppers and choose the length with a guard.  Most clippers come with a large selection of them.  And when she needs a haircut, she can just run them over her head herself, or have a friend do it.  Make sure they are always fully charged, and have a few mirrors around to make sure she got the back even.  It’s quite simple.”  I said.  “I think that’s a great idea!”  Mary said.  Sam rolled her eyes, obviously not happy about it.  “Let’s get started then!  How long would you like it?  If you like, I can start with a longer guard and go shorter depending on what you think.”  I said.  Mary agreed, “That’s a good plan.”  I held out the guards for her.  She said, “Well I don’t want it longer than 1/4 inch, so start with that and we’ll go from there.”  “Sounds good.  You can go sit down if you want and I’ll call you when I’ve shortened it.”  I said.  She nodded and went back to her magazine in the waiting area.  I picked up my scissors and looked at Sam’s reflection in the mirror.  She was obviously furious with her mother for making her do this.  I smiled and said, “Sam you’ll love how soft it’ll feel when it’s clippered nice and short.”  She sighed and said, “Just get on with it.”  I snipped the first piece about half an inch away from her head.  Sam’s eyes were fixated on the mirror and the followed the long chunk of her dark reddish brown hair from her head into her lap.  She watched me cut several more strands then she closed her eyes.  When I was done getting rid of the length, I asked Sam “does your head feel light?”  She nodded.  She shook the cape to get rid of the pile of her hair in her lap.  I put the 1/4 inch guard on the clippers and said, “I need you to sit real still sweetie, ok?”  Sam nodded.  I turned them on and they made a loud POP hummmmm.  Sam was shaking as the clippers got closer to her.  I put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down and waited a few moments.  I mouthed, “are you ready?”  She took a deep breath and nodded, so I put the clippers on her forehead and pushed them back, making the first path.  Buzzzzzzzaaa.  Her eyes were shut tightly as I continued to clipper the hair on top.  Buzzzzzzzzzzzzaaaa.  Large tufts of Sam’s thick dark hair rolled off her head as I reduced the length to 1/4th inch.  When I finished the top, I spun the chair and tipped Sam’s head to the side.  I clippered her sideburns and the side of her head.  Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzaaaa.  Then I walked behind the chair and pushed her head firmly into her chest.  I placed the clippers on Sam’s neck and pushed them up.  Buzzzzzzzzzzaaaa.  As I ran the clippers up again and again, more and more dark reddish brown hair tumbled to the floor.  Buzzzzzzzzzaaa.  Most of Sam’s hair was shortened to 1/4th inch by the time I worked my way to the other side.  I tipped Sam’s head the other way and sheared off the rest of her hair.  Buzzzzzzzzzzzaaa.  Finally I turned the clippers off and called Mary over to inspect it.  “What do you think?”  I asked her.  Mary walked around the chair and ran a hand over Sam’s head.  “Well it sure feels nice and soft, but I don’t like how it doesn’t taper at the bottom and on her sideburns.  There probably isn’t a way for her to do that by herself either is there.”  She said.  I shook my head and replied, “I’m afraid not.”  “Hmm.”  Mary said as she thought for a moment.  “Well I really like the idea of her being able to cut it herself.  The longer hair on her neck and sideburns looks sloppy though.  The hair there needs to be close to the skin.”  I nodded.  “Well the only way to have her nape and sideburns that close, AND have Sam cut it is to cut all of her hair that short.”  I said.  Mary squinted as she stared at Sam’s head for a minute.  She replied, “Alright, I think that’s what I’ll have you do then.”  Sam’s eyes got wide in disbelief.  Mary saw her and said, “Really Sam, it will be fine.  You’ll look fine.”  I shrugged and took the guard off the clippers.  Mary stood by the chairand watched as I quicky shaved Sam’s hair all down to stubble.  Buzzzzzzzzzaaaa.  I turned the clippers off and said, “What do you think?”  Mary ran a hand over Sam’s now stubbly head and replied, “I don’t like the stubble at all.  It feels like sandpaper and just doesnt look nice.”  “I could shave it smooth.” I said.  “Yes.  I think that would be better.  It would look more feminine, don’t you think?”  She said.  “Yes.  It would be.  And with her long neck and nicely shaped head, she could easily carry it off.  It would bring out her features.”  I said.  Mary nodded and said, “Will she be able to shave it herself?”  “Yes of course.”  I said.  “Great.  I’ll go sit back down and let you finish then.”  Mary said, going back to her magazine.  I took the cape and tissue off and got a fresh towel.  I put it around Sam’s neck and then I soaked another towel in hot water.  I wrapped it tightly around her head and then I stropped a razor on the leather strap.  Then I pumped a large amount of hot shaving cream from the dispenser into my hand.  I took the towel off Sam’s head and spread the shaving cream all over her head.  I washed and dried my hands, then I picked up the straight razor and started shaving Sam’s head from her forehead backwards.  I used long slow strokes with the razor and wiped the blade after every stroke.  Slowly but surely, all of the stubble was shaved away, nice and clean.  When I was done, I wiped Sam’s newly smooth head with a wet wash cloth to get any excess shaving cream, then I patted it dry.  I put a few drops of oil in my hand then rubbed it into her head to make it shiny and to slow the hair growth.  Then I dusted Sam’s head and neck, and took the towel from her shoulders.  “All done.  What do you think?”  I asked her.  Sam stared at herself and held back tears.  Mary came over and rubbed Sam’s head.  “Oh Bonnie this is much better than that stubble, I must say.”  She said.  “I’ve never been a fan of that stubble look myself.”  I told her.  “Clean shaven is the best.”  “I agree.  And it does bring out her features, as you told me.”  Mary said.  “What does she need to know about shaving her head herself?”  Mary asked.  “Well, first of all, always use a clean razor, and lots of shaving cream or gel.  Soak your head in a hot towel or shave after you take a shower to soften your hair.  Remember to wash your head with shampoo or soap first, to clean off any dirt or oils, just like you would with your skin.  If you have in the shower, have a fog free mirror, and a non skid mat to stand on so you don’t slip.  Just go very slowly, and run over each spot with your fingers after you shave it.  When you’re done, always rub in lots of lotion so your skin doesn’t dry out.  Other than that, just be patient and remember that it’ll take some practice.  If you do cut yourself, press a tissue against it to stop the bleeding, then dot on some aloe vera gel.  Feel free to call me any time if you have questions.”  I answered.  “How often will she need to shave?”  Mary asked.  “Tha
t all depends on how you want it to look and how fast her hair grows.  I’m assuming you don’t want to see stubble, and she has quite dark and thick hair, so she should shave every day.  I would suggest shaving before you go to bed because if there is any growth, laying on a pillow might cause ingrown hairs, so it’s best to go to bed with a smooth head.  But, depending on how fast her hair grows, she may also want to shave every morning so that it stays nice and smooth all day.”  I said.  Mary nodded and said, “thats a good plan.  We’ll practice shaving every night and morning before she goes off to college.”  “Oh, and remember, that regular razors like the one’s she’ll use won’t shave as close as the straight razors barbers use, so today’s shave will last longer than the ones she does herself.  So don’t be surprised.”  I added.  “Thanks for telling us.  Alright girls, go get your things.”  Mary said.  She paid me then she, Sam and Sandra grabbed their coats and purses and took off.  I cleaned up and locked the shop and went home.

Leave a Reply

clipper-banner