I made my seven-week hair appointment as usual, I was working my way around all the local salons- I hadn’t found a new stylist since my regular hairdresser had left to travel the world with her boyfriend.

My beautiful wavy auburn-brown hair always went to approximately my armpits. I had it cut layered, sometimes up to my neck, sometimes with a fringe sometimes without.

I had never felt comfortable with it above my neck-line.

I entered the hair salon and realised straight away that this wasn’t like any hair salon I had been in before. The smell of incense wafted around and the sunlight disappeared around me as the door closed. The lights were dimmed and matched the furniture and paint-work. The receptionist was dressed in a long dress with a flowing blouse with her shoulders exposed. The waiting area was brown sofas that I just collapsed into. WOW! This was pure heaven.

The receptionist indicated to me “Door 5, She is waiting for you.”

I walked down this straight corridor with amazing abstract paintings with bright colours, on the other sides the doors were numbered 1-15.

She was waiting for me at the door “Hi, I’m Paula. This is how it works. We discuss what you don’t want me to do and I decide what to do. I will shampoo your hair, style your hair and dry your hair. If you are not happy you are welcome to tell the management. Everything that happens in this room is my responsibility and if there is anything you want that will make your trip here any better please let me know. Massage, food or drink, music? Just let me know. A happy customer is a loyal customer.”

“Thank you.” She ushered me into the same comfortable chairs that they had in the waiting room.

“I would like a head massage while you shampoo my hair.”

“So, your hair?”

“I don’t really mind. I am out of ideas, I have never had it shorter than neck-length but I have had layers. Really, it’s up to you. Just not too short. Trendy I suppose.”

She gave me a sideways look, squinted. “As you are out of ideas, how would you feel about trying something you never have before?”

“OK.” She beamed a broad smile then placed a cape around my body. “Lean back until you are comfortable and we will begin.” I heard her turn the tap on.

I lay back as she instructed and I felt my hair grow heavy under the water as she started to wash my hair. Then it started, she moved her hands slowly up my neck around my ears then around the back of my head. She appeared to stop then repeat the motion. My hair was in a pony-tail in her hands. I started to snooze this was heaven.

Paula picked up her scissors and quickly cut from the back of my neck to the top of my head and my pony-tail was gone. I was oblivious still in ecstasy. I should have realised when she moved her hands to the top of my head and they didn’t fall over my face but I was enjoying this too much.

I don’t remember when she removed me out of the sink but she did and the hair cut proper began.

She combed out my shampooed and conditioned hair- it was then I realised what she had done as the ends only reached my jaw- MY JAW?! I had never had it so short. I turned around quickly and still saw the wet pony-tail clinging to the sides of the sink. She second-guessed me. “Don’t worry. I’ll do you proud. Do you trust me?”

“If you don’t I may as well stop now and you can request another stylist.” Actually, I was a little surprised by her actions but I was willing to give her a go because I quite liked her. Whether or not she screwed it up afterwards would be the basis of trust.

I smiled broadly at her. “It was a bit sneaky but I am curious as to what you intend to do.”

She smirked at me and continued. I felt breathless as she pushed my neck down and plugged in the clippers. She clipped the top part of my hair and combed out the hair on my neck and I heard the clippers being clipped in. She turned them on and ran them up my neck all over the back of my head. I felt her blow my neck and the rest of the hair fell to the ground. I felt quite bald. She second-guessed me again. “Do you trust me?” I smiled at her.

So she continued, she released the hair on the top of my head and combed it out again. I watched as she moved her hand from the ends to nearly all the way down and started to cut. She worked her way around my head then fluffed my hair. I didn’t have any hair on top.

I watched her go around my head with comb and scissors. “There.” She showed me the back.

She had cut my hair in a boy’s short cut with a flick. My hair was like Jamie Walters from that old TV show “The Heights” only my hair was short. I looked at my face in the mirror. WOW! I looked really attractive. My hair cut extolled my virtues. I was SO happy. I could’ve kissed Paula right then and there. Screw losing my long hair. I would keep it like this.

I paid her and gave her a 35% tip. She was going to become my regular stylist. I would be back in 5 weeks for a trim.

I showed my friends and my family. I had told them all that she had cut it short but I would show them. My mother loved it. My Dad that I looked like my mother the day they met and was on the verge of tears. EVERYONE complimented me on it. I should have done it years ago. It showed people the real me.