My name is Sandra and I’m a college freshman at Texas A&M. I have green eyes and chestnut colored hair that has long layers and reaches the small of my back. I am home for Thanksgiving break, and decided that I want to have my long hair cut short. I haven’t always had long hair. In fact, it used to be very short. I live with my Aunt Reggie, and she’s a barber. She has worn her auburn colored hair in a flattop for a long as I can remember. She likes to keep it short and neat; half an inch long on top, and tapered from a quarter inch on the back and sides, down to shaved smooth at her nape. I wore the same flattop for many years, and had short hair until I was 11. I loved getting my hair cut short; feeling the clippers running over my head, getting a hot lather shave on my neck, rubbing my velvety soft hair and smooth shaven nape, it felt so great. Reggie never forced me to have it that way. And even though I was constantly teased and called “butch,” I liked my hair short. It actually bothered me when my hair grew out more than a few milimeters. It never felt quite as good a few days after Reggie cut it. Getting clippered and shaved was sort of a high for me, or maybe an addiction. For that reason, Reggie cut it for me quite frequently. I vividly remember one day, when I was 9, of running into Reggie’s barber shop, my pink dress muddy after being teased at on the playground at school. I was almost out of breath as I said, “Haircut Aunt Reggie, I really need one.” She put down the magazine she was reading at her empty station, and said with a little laugh, “but you just had one a few days ago!” Nevertheless, she got up out of her big red leather barber’s chair and put the booster seat in for me to sit on. She would never refuse to cut my hair as long as I wanted it short. As I climbed in, she noticed my tear streaked dirty face and asked, “did you get teased at school again Sandy?” I nodded, so she said, “you know, you don’t have to have a flattop just because I have one. If you grow your hair out longer, you probably won’t get teased.” I replied, “But I like my hair short Aunt Reggie. I don’t want long hair.” It’s funny, after a long day of being teased for my short hair at school, all I wanted was another haircut. I needed to feel the clippers on my head. Reggie shrugged and said, “alright, if that’s what you really want dear.” She tore a piece of tissue paper from the dispenser and wrapped it tightly around my neck. The she threw a big heavy cape over me and tied it good and snug around the tissue paper. I couldn’t move under that cape. It hung a good 6 inches past my feet, and was heavy like those things they put on you at the dentists’s office when you get your teeth x-rayed. It was probably a good thing; if I moved, my hair might not turn out the right way (which tends to happen when kids get haircuts). I watched Reggie as she took her big electric clippers off a hook and asked, “Can you maybe cut my hair shorter today Aunt Reggie?” “Don’t you think it’s short enough honey?” She said as she opened the drawer where she kept the plastic clipper guards and put one on the clippers. I shook my head no. Part of the high for me was feeling the clippers chew through my hair, and watching the little tufts and clippings float down into my lap and onto the floor. I loved it when enough hair was cut off to make my head feel lighter. But I got it cut so often I rarely had much hair to cut. If she cut my hair the same length as always today, maybe a dusting would get buzzed off. It had been a while since my hair was long enough to have much more than a few milimeters buzzed off anyways. I wanted her to cut it short enough so I could actually feel the clippers cutting it, and see the hair fall to the floor, and feel my head get lighter. “Let me get this straight, you were just teased all day for your short hair, and now you want me to cut it shorter?” Reggie asked me. I nodded and said, “Yes.” “Why?” She said. I shrugged and said, “It’s really hot out and when my head gets sweaty the top doesn’t stand up. It would be better if it was shorter.” Reggie chuckled and said, “You have a point there. But if it was much shorter it would have to be a buzzcut. I’m not giving you a high-n-tight like your uncle Larry.” “That’s ok. I think I’ll like a buzzcut.” I said. She thought for a few moments, then sighed and said, “Alright, since it’s almost summer, I’ll give you a buzzcut. If you promise me that this is what you really want.” I grinned and said, “I promise.” She chuckled and switched the plastic clipper guard to a shorter one. I heard a loud POP followed by a low buzzzzz as Reggie turned the clippers on. I looked at myself in the mirror and a big smile spread across my face as Reggie walked behind me with the buzzing clippers in her hand. Instinctively, I bent my head down in anticipation of the clippers running up the back of my head. I had butterflies in my stomach as the roaring of the clippers grew louder, inching closer to me. Reggie put a hand on top of my head, then I felt the vibrating clippers at my nape. I could barely sit still as Reggie waited a few moments before pushing the clippers into my hair. It was only a few seconds, but it seemed like a million years. Reggie’s hand pushed my head down further so my chin dug into my chest as she slowly moved the clippers up the back of my head. Buzzz Buzzzz Buzzzzzaaaa. My nape was already really short, so the clippers didn’t cut any hair until higher up. Finally, hair started falling into my lap. The hair tumbling down got longer as the clippers went higher up my head. Reggie pressed the clippers into my head very firmly as she worked her way up the back. I shivered as the clippers ran over my occipital bone. When the clippers reached the top, she flicked a tuft of hair off the blade and placed them at my nape, next to the first path she’d done. She slowly clippered the next swath of hair shorter. As little hairs started falling into the cape, I closed my eyes. I was put in a trance by the methodic buzzing and soothing vibrations, and forgot about the teasing and name calling. Buzzzzz Buzzzzzzzz Buzzzzzzzzzzaaaa. Aunt Reggie continued making slow passes up the back of my head, and I felt more and more hair trickle down into the cape. I was relaxed and enjoying getting buzzed when suddenly she turned off the clippers. She put them on the counter in front of me and said, “Hi Sally, how are you today?” I looked up and saw a boy from my class named Donny with his mother. Sally replied, “I’m just fine Reggie, thanks. Enjoying this nice warm weather.” “What can I do for you?” Reggie asked. Sally patted her son’s head and said, “It’s time for Donny to get a summer haircut. Can I make an appointment with you for tomorrow?” Reggie walked to the desk and said, “yes, that’s fine. How about 4 o’clock?” “That will work out perfectly.” Sally said. Then she added, “See you tomorrow Reggie,” and nudged Donny, who had a slight smirk on his face, but said, “uh, see you at school Sandra.” All I could say was a quiet, “yeah.” Then I turned my head so I looked at the mirror again. I couldn’t see the back, so I didn’t know how much shorter it was, but there was more hair in my lap than I expected. I was very excited. I wanted to touch my hair, but the cape was too heavy for me to lift my hands out from under it. Aunt Reggie came back and picked up the clippers, so I bent my head back down and soon felt the clippers again. Buzzzzzz Buzzzzzzzz Buzzzzzzzzzzaaaa. Reggie’s firm hand held my head still as she finished clippering the back, then she tilted my head to the right, and walked to the left side of the chair. She put the clippers behind my ear and slowly buzzed a path up from there. As she flicked the hair off the clippers when she pulled them away at the top, little pieces of hair fell into my ear and tickled. But I sat still while Reggie continued. She clippered the next path starting at my sideburn. Buzzzz Buzzzzzz Buzzzzzzzzaaaa. The clippers roared very loudly in my ear, a so
und I loved. She clippered a couple passes up to the top, then bent my ear over and made a path around it. She blew in my ear to make the hairs fly out, then tipped my head to the left and walked to my right side. She clippered behind my right ear, then buzzed off my sideburn, and all the way to my crown. Buzzzz Buzzzzzz Buzzzzzzzaaa. Then she clippered around my ear, just like she did with the left one. Reggie picked my head up and I looked in the mirror. She turned the clippers off and put a different plastic guard on them, then said, “now sit real still for me Sandy.” I sat up straight and smiled as Aunt Reggie turned the clippers back on. I stared into the big mirror as she put them on my forehead. I held my breath as she pushed them back. Hair started raining down, into the cape and onto the floor. After Reggie finished the first path, it looked like I had a reverse-mohawk. I grinned at my reflection as she started buzzing another swath. I watched intently as the clippers sheared my hair shorter. I had always had the top of my head clippered, but this time it felt different. She was cutting the top much shorter. As Reggie continued, I started to feel the breeze on top of my head. Buzzzzz Buzzzzzzzz Buzzzzzzzzzaaa. As she ran the clippers over the last path of longer hair, I held my breath. The last bits of longer hair were set free from my head and tumbled to the ground. Reggie quickly ran the clippers over everything on top a second time, to buzz any stray hairs she might have missed the first time, then turned the clippers off. She rubbed the top of my head and said, “What do you think of your buzzcut so far Sandy?” I turned my head both ways to see how short Reggie had buzzed the sides, and I bent forward a little to see if I could see skin through the very short chestnut colored hair on top. I could, which I was kinda excited about. “It looks really soft. I like it this way.” I replied. “It IS really soft. I’m glad you are happy with it so short. I’m almost done, I just have to clean it up nice and neat, then you can go back to the playground if you like. She took the plastic guard off the clippers and said, “head down dear.” I bent my head forward and a few moments later, heard the roaring clippers behind me. I felt the cold steel blades of the guard-less clippers on my neck. Reggie pushed my head down so my chin dug into my chest again. She started to push the clippers up the back of my head. She pressed them hard into my skin at my nape, clippering the hair as short as possible, and pulled them away from my head as she moved them higher. She only clippered about three-quarters up my head this time. She continued clippering me very deliberately and slowly, until she had tapered everything in back of my head. She did the same thing to the sides of my head, tapering the hair to almost shaved at the bottom. I sat very still, and stared into the mirror as Aunt Reggie finished the sides. She ran her hand over my whole head, and ran the clippers over a few spots, then turned them off and hung them up. She dusted my head and neck to get rid of any loose hairs, then undid the cape, shook it out, and hung it up next to the shelves. I reached my arms and stretched, then rubbed my head. As I rubbed my newly shorter hair, I felt almost a bolt of electricity through my body. But I had to put my hands back down as Reggie draped a big thick white towel over my shoulders. She took a washcloth and ran it under steaming hot water, then wiped my nape and hairline. It burned a little bit, but I didn’t mind. I heard a whining sound and saw Reggie pumping some hot shaving cream from the dispenser into her hand. She spread a thick coat on my hairline, from my left sideburn, around to my nape and all the way to my right sideburn. Then she wiped her hands and took a straight razor out of her pocket. She flicked it open, and stropped it on the leather belt attached to the chair. Aunt Reggie pushed my head down, and started to shave the back. She carefully shaved about two inches up my nape. I loved the scraping feeling, and she had never shaved that high before, so it was kind of exciting. I felt all the warm lather gone from my nape, then Reggie tipped my head to the right and started shaving the left side. She shaved about an inch up on my sideburn, then bent my ear down and shaved around it. My stomach was in knots as she slowly continued to shave the rest of the left side until there was no more hot lather. She tipped my head to the left and began shaving the right side. Up my sideburn, around my ear, up the sides. Reggie shaved the right side just as she had the left. I enjoyed the feeling of getting shaved very much. It was over all too soon. Reggie put down her razor and I lifted my head up. She took another hot washcloth and wiped the excess shaving cream from my head. Then she dusted the freshly shaven skin with some sweet smelling powder, and took the towel off my shoulders. She patted my shoulder and said, “There you go honey. A nice short buzzcut for summer. I hope it’s what you wanted.” My hands flew up to my head, and I rubbed the soft, freshly buzzed velvety hair that covered my head. I turned from side to side, then Reggie spun the chair backwards and gave me a hand mirror so I could see the back. I rubbed the back as I looked in the mirror. My new buzzcut was an eighth of an inch by my crown, but quickly tapered shorter and was shaved clean for a couple inches at the bottom. It was a quarter of an inch long on top. My head felt a little lighter for sure. I stared at it for several minutes, then Reggie turned the chair back around and said, “alright, you go play while I clean up the shop, ok honey?” I stood up on the footrest and looked at my new haircut one more time, grinning at my reflection. I barely recognized myself. She patted me on the behind and I jumped down from the chair. Then I gave her a hug and went to the playground, rubbing my head the whole time.

I got teased mercilessly for my buzzcut. But I loved how it felt. I kept my hair like that for the summer, getting it cut every week, sometimes even twice a week. I grew it back into the half inch flattop for the school year, because Aunt Reggie wanted me to. For the next two summers Reggie gave me the same short buzzcut. After the third summer of having the buzzcut, I decided to grow my hair out. I was going into middle school and wanted to get noticed by boys. By the time I got to high school a few years later, my hair was well past my shoulders. I liked the attention I got from boys, and had fun doing things with my hair at slumber parties. But missed the feeling of short hair, getting it buzzed and shaved, and how easy it was to take care of. And long hair felt so heavy on my head. After high school, all I could think about was feeling the clippers on my head again, and having my head feel nice and light. I went off to college and couldn’t stop thinking about the day I first got a buzzcut. I replayed it over and over in my mind. By the time Thanksgiving break rolled around, I knew I had to get my hair cut short again. I didn’t care that people would stare at me. Besides, I am in college, it’s not that wierd for a girl to have short hair.

I’ve been is the car for several hours and I’m finally driving into my hometown. All I’ve been able to think about the whole ride has been getting all of my hair cut off. My stomach is full of butterflies and my car just doesn’t seem to go fast enough. I can’t wait to feel the clippers on my head and get a hot lather shave. It’s been way too long. I’m not even going to stop at home first, I decide. I park my car on the street in front of Aunt Reggie’s barber shop and run inside. Reggie is at the desk with someone making an appointment. They leave and she gives me a hug. “Oh it’s so great to see you honey.” She says. “It was so nice of you to come down here on your way home.” She adds. “It’s great to see you too Aunt Reggie.” I say. “But actually, I was hoping you could give me a haircut.” I say. “Sure, come on back
and sit down.” She says, leading me to her station. I sink into the comfy red leather barber’s chair and Reggie asks, “so would you just like a trim sweetie?” “Actually, I want short hair again. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. It’s so hot at school, and long hair is such a pain to take care of.” I say. “Well, if you’ve been thinking about it then I’m not going to say no.” She says. She picks up a big pair of shears and gathers my hair into a ponytail. “Last chance to back out.” She says. I shake my head then hear a loud shhhiinnk then a thud. All of a sudden my head feels a lot lighter. I look in the mirror and see that my hair in now in a rough bob above my shoulders. I look down and see my long ponytail on the floor. Reggie rips a tissue from the dispenser and wraps it tightly around my neck. Then she takes the big heavy cape and throws it over me. She ties it nice and snug around my neck then asks me, “what are we doing here?” I want a buzzcut, like the one I had for a few summers.” I say. “That’s a pretty big change. Are you sure you don’t want a pixie or something, even a longer buzzcut?” “No.” I say, adding, “I loved my hair like that. It felt so great and was easy to take care of.” “Alright, if you’re sure.” She says. Fireworks are going off in my stomach in anticipation of having a buzzcut again, while Reggie uses scissors to trim my hair short enough for the clippers. Thick chunks of my chestnut colored hair fall all around me. Reggie asks, “How were your mid-terms?” as she works her way around my head. “Math was hard, but I think I did ok on everything,” I say as I watch in the mirror. Soon Reggie is done, and my hair is about an inch long all over. She takes her big clippers off the hook and opens the drawer with the plastic guards. “A quarter inch on top, right honey?” she asks. “Yeah.” I say. She attaches it to the clippers then says, “I’m going to go over everything with the quarter inch guard first, but I’ll switch the guard and go over the back and sides again to clipper them shorter.” “Ok.” I reply. She positions herself behind me with the clippers in one hand and the other on my shoulder and says, “Alright, let’s get your hair buzzed nice and short. This will keep you much cooler at school.” I nod, then hear a loud POP buzzzzzzz. I start to bend my head down and feel Reggie’s hand push my chin it into my chest. I’m nervous and excited as the clippers touch my nape. Soon they are being pushed up the back of my head, plowing through my hair. Thick chunks of my hair tumble into the cape and down to the floor as Reggie slowly buzzes the back of my head. Buzzzz Buzzzzz Buzzzzzaaaa. I am so happy to feel the clippers shearing my hair again. I can feel the cool breeze from the air conditioner on the back of my head as Reggie buzzes more off. She makes nice slow passes up the back of my head. Soon the back is all done, and she tips my head to the right side. Reggie runs the clippers up in front of my ear first. They roar in my ear as she buzzes off my sideburn. Buzzz Buzzzzzz Buzzzzzzzzaaa. The clippers reach my crown then Reggie flicks a chunk of hair off the blade. She folds over my ear and slowly runs the clippers it. She clippers everything on the left side of my head to the crown. My head feels light and bare as Reggie tips my head to the left and buzzes a path behind my right ear. My chestnut hair covers the floor below me and is piled up in my lap. Part of me is sad that my hair won’t be long anymore, and I worry that I’ll miss it, but as Reggie buzzes off my right sideburn and the clippers roar in my ear, I forget to care about long hair. This feels so good, so right. Buzzz Buzzzzz Buzzzzzaaa. Aunt Reggie finishes clippering the right side of my head then tilts it upright. I stare into the big mirror and giggle at the girl with the silly haircut in front of me. Clippered nice and short on the sides, and an uneven mess on top. Soon that mess will be gone, I think, as Reggie puts the clippers on my forehead and pushes them back, making the first pass. Hair rains down as Reggie clippers my hair shorter. I watch in the mirror as she shears the hair on top of my head down to a quarter inch long. I can’t wait to run my hands over the soft pelt of chestnut hair. As Reggie runs the clippers over the last bit of longer hair, I take a deep breath, kinda sad that it’s gone, but excited that I’ll have nice, cool, short buzzcut. She rubs my head, then runs the clippers over my whole head in long passes, to make sure she got everything. Then she turns the clippers off and changes the guard to and eighth of an inch for the back and sides. I hear the loud POP buzzzzz again and Reggie pushes my head down. Little pieces of hair float down into the cape and tickle my neck as she clippers the back shorter. The buzzing clippers feel so great on my head. Reggie makes nice slow passes, and little tufts of my chestnut colored hair tumble into the cape. There is so much hair in my lap and on the floor around the chair. I can’t believe that not too long ago it was all on my head. Reggie works her her over the whole back of my head with the clippers, buzzing everything to an eighth of an inch long. Buzzzz Buzzzzz Buzzzzaaa. She tips my head to the right and starts shortening the hair in front of my ear. The clippers buzz happliy as they chew through my hair. She clippers around my ear and up to my crown. Then Reggie tips my head to the left and repeats the clippering on the right side of my head. Before I know it she turns off the clippers and removes the guard. I lift my head and look in the mirror. I don’t recognize the stranger staring back at me. I can’t stare for long though, because I hear the POP buzzzzzz and feel Reggie’s hand pushing my head back down into my chest. She puts the clippers at my nape and slowly starts to move them upward. She pushes the cold steel blade into my skin and pulls it away gradually as it moves up the back of my head, fading the hair from an eighth of an inch near the top to shaved at the bottom. The little hairs she buzzes off itch but I can’t move or scratch my neck. Reggie only clippers about three quarters of the way up the back of my head this time. She flicks off a little tuft of my hair then starts clippering another path. She goes very slowly. I am starting to feel a little impatient. I’m so anxious to see my new buzzcut and to rub my hands over the soft velvety hair that now covers my head. But I sit still, knowing it will be worth the wait, and stare down at the floor while Aunt Reggie finishes the back. She tips my head to the right and clippers a path in front of my ear. The clippers dig into my skin, and feel like they are peeling the hair off my head. She slowly fades the hair on the left side of my head. Around my ear and all the hair three quarters up to my crown. Reggie tips my head to the left and clippers a path in front of my right ear. More little tufts of my chestnut hair tumble down from my head. Reggie buzzes everything in a nice fade like the left side and back as I sit still, awaiting the hot lather shave coming at the end. My neck is starting to hurt when she tips my head back upright. Reggie runs her hand over my whole head. She carefully buzzes a few stray hairs, then finally turns the clippers off and hangs them up. “Wow, look at all your hair on the floor. You sure had a lot cut off.” she says while she unties the cape. I nod and reply, “uh huh,” as she pulls the heavy cape off of me. All of the hair sitting in the cape falls to the floor as Reggie hangs it up. “It probably feels wierd now that your head’s so much lighter doesn’t it?” Reggie asks as she puts a couple of washcloths in the sink and turns the hot water on. “Yeah, my head kinda feels like it’s floating.” I say. Then she picks up a little brush and starts dusting off my neck, sideburns and around my ears. She says, “lets dust those little hairs off you. They probably itch.” “Yeah, but it’s ok.” I say. Reggie takes a big thick towel and drapes it over my shoulders, then gets a hot washc
loth from the sink and wipes the back and sides of my head. I hear the loud whining sound from the lather maching and watch Reggie pump a large blob of hot shaving cream into her hand. She spreads a thick coat at my nape and around my ears. Then she wipes her hands off. The warm lather feels so nice against the freshly buzzed skin. My heart starts pounding as Reggie pulls a straight razor out of her pocket and flicks it open. I stare blankly into the mirror as she strops it on the leather belt attached to the barber’s chair. “Almost done sweeie. I’ll just shave the edges nice and clean then you can head home and unpack.” Reggie says to me. She pushes my head down again and I feel the cold razor blade on my neck. I take a deep breath and close my eyes as she carefully shaves the first stroke at my nape. She wipes the blade and shaves another long stroke next to the first one. The freshly shaven skin feels cold after Reggie scrapes the lather and stubble away with the straight razor. Reggie’s slow methodic strokes feel wonderful as she shaves my nape clean. I can’t feel any hot lather on my neck anymore as she tips my head to the right. She slowly shaves off my sideburn, then folds my ear over and shaves around it. It feels like bolts of electricity are running though my body as she shaves me. Reggie takes her time, but all too soon she tips my head to the left and starts shaving off my right sideburn. I take slow deep breaths as she carefully shaves the right side. I don’t feel much hot lather left. Reggie shaves a few short strokes, then runs her fingers over all of my shaven skin. Her fingers touching the newly bare skin sends chills through my body. She shaves a few small patches, then tips my head back up and puts the straight razor down. She gets a new hot washcloth and wipes away any excess lather. She pats the shaven skin dry with the towel around my shoulders, then takes a small bottle of talc off the shelf. “This might sting a little, but it’s been a long tine since you’ve been shaved, and you don’t want ingrown hairs.” Reggie says as she puts a few drops on her hand. I sit patiently as she rubs the talc into my freshly shaven skin. It stings a little, but it doesn’t bother me. Reggie takes the towel off my shoulders, then dusts some sweet smelling powder on my neck and around my ears where she had shaved. She pats my shoulder and says, “There you go Sandra. A nice, cool, short buzzcut.” I look at myself in the mirror, and reach my hands up to rub my head. I barely recognize myself. My hair is so short that my skin shows through it. A smile spreads across my face as I run my fingers over my soft chestnut colored hair. My whole body feels tingly. As I rub the smooth shaven skin I get a rush of warmth. I turn my head from side to side. My sideburns are shaven clean almost to the tops of my ears. I fold my left ear over to see how short the hair around it was. The sides are shaved smooth about an inch and a half from the hairline before fading into longer hair. “Want to see the back?” Reggie asks. I nod, so she hands me a small mirror and spins the chair around so I can look at the back of my head. I hold the mirror in one hand while the other rubs my shaven nape. My skin is so soft where its shaven smooth. Reggie shaved the back nice and clean about two inches high, then faded it into the eighth inch hair. “So what do you think?” she asks as she spins the chair back around and puts the small mirror on the shelf. “It looks really good Aunt Reggie. It’ll be so much nicer having short hair again.” I say, not taking my eyes off the mirror or my hands off my head. “Just remember that a short buzzcut like yours requires a bit more upkeep. You’ll want to keep it short and clean so it looks really sharp, so you’ll need to get buzzed and shaved at least once a week.” Reggie says, then adds, “You’re only home for a week, but I’ll cut it for you twice; once in a few days, then again just before you head back to school. Since you haven’t had short hair in a long time it’ll grow a little faster to begin with, but it should slow down a bit after you’ve had it cut several times. You’ll need to find a barber when you go back. You should try to find one close to school since you’ll need your hair buzzed and shaved frequently.” “Ok, there’s a barber shop about a block down from my dorm I could probably go to. All of the guys I know go there.” I say. “Great.” Reggie says as she picks up a broom. She starts sweeping up all of chestnut hair that had been cut, buzzed, and shaved off of my head. I look at myself in the mirror for a few more moments, then say, “well, I think I’m going to head home and unpack.” Reggie says, “That’s fine, I’ll probably be home in about an hour.” “Thanks for the haircut.” I say giving her a hug. “No problem, see you at home.” she replies as I get out of the big comfy red leather barber’s chair. My head feels so much lighter as I walk to the door. I wave goodbye and head to my car. As I drive home I am on cloud nine, rubbing my freshly buzzed velvety hair and smooth shaven skin. It feels even better than I remember!