Erica is sat in the salon chair, her hair is washed and combed down nicely, her long hair hanging on the outside of the chair, I had seen this site of her many times and I have lost count of the number of times I had wished to be able to go up to her and discuss cutting all of it off. Today was the day, she was sat still waiting for me………….

On the table next to her is her bag and a photo……………

God I have been dreading this day……I know it needs to be done………….I am so scared though……….I love my hair long……..it must be every woman’s nightmare the day that her sexy long hair is finally cut off short. There is no point waiting any longer….as we get older it just does not look the same…….

Hi Erica…………how are you? Fine Nicola she says.

I start to think about all the past boyfriends who have loved it long, so many have said never cut it short…………so many past lovers playing with it during love making saying how sexy it is……..and my husband who loves it long…………should I keep it for a few more years………there is no point I know it is time for it to be cut off and I have had a consultation with Nicola and she agrees……..its time to go short……

So, what have you decided to do with your long hair I ask……….hoping!!

The thought of saying cut it off brings butterflies to my stomach………………..I must be brave and the bob will look great, I had it like that years ago and everyone liked it on me…………

Well, I am 35 and I just feel that at my age I can’t hang on to my youth with long hair. I told you that Ive just been promoted and as a senior manager I feel I should look more professional now that I am also going out to see customers, accountants should look smart not sexy and flirty!!

Yes Erica I agree but isn’t Pete your husband against it?

Against it………..that is a gentle way to say it, he does not want me to cut it but I just feel such an old dated woman with long hair, how many times over the years have friends seen women with long hair who are past their younger days and commented that it is time she did something with it……..I do not want to be like that……..no it is time to cut it off………still in a sassy sexy style but smart and more classy.

Yes but he understands what I am feeling and we have agreed on a style. You know he loves my hair to be shiny and vibrant, well do you remember how I had it 10 years ago in the sort of short Lady Diana style, he loved it, he liked the way it swung quite cute when I turned my head.

Oh yes I remember that,your hair was even longer than now when I cut that style for you, everyone loved it and you were so nervous as I cut off the length, I constantly had to assure you that you would look great as it was the first time that you had had your hair cut off into a shortish style, do you remember that when your head was tilted forward and I cut it across your neck and the length dropped down you had tears in your eyes?

Oh I do yes, how silly of me, I was a young Mum then and I felt that short hair was a sign of getting old, I promise you I wont cry today when you cut it all off!!

So, are you sure you want all this hair cut off?

Am I sure, yes I am, I really would love to keep it long and sexy but I just feel I am too old now……..I must be brave and accept my age and go for a more womanly look…………..

I really do Nicola, do you agree I should?

Truthfully Erica I do feel its time for a change, you have wanted a change for a while and you have discussed having it all cut off many times but it was always Pete who was the problem, you didn’t want to upset him. I look at your hair and feel it, I think to myself how beautiful it is and how much I want to crop it off short, some really close scissor over comb layers, nice tapering really close and as I am thinking this I feel a lovely warm glow at the thought of cutting off a stunning head of long hair…………I think to myself as I remember the style……….that is so dated now, it will look awful, best cut off the bulk and get it shaped in short then comment that I am not sure about the style, there will not be a problem coming up with reasons why it does not suit her now………..then I can really get to work and crop her down short without any disagreement!!

OK Erica, are you ready,,,,,,,,,sure?

I see myself sat there, glorious long hair hanging down……..looking so beautiful………part of me………..

Yes Nicola, Pete is OK with the glossy short bob,it is a compromise for us both.

With that confirmation I comb down her long hair, I section it into three, the back hanging down the back of the chair and the two sides both coming forward onto Erica’s chest hanging down nice and long. I do this so I can cut along the hairline and drop the length to the floor but also I will cut the bulk off at the bottom of her ears so I can watch the lovely shorn long hair drop into her lap, it will give me chance to make a comment!!!

With it sectioned I know that it will soon be done………..after such a long time I will loose it…….probably for good………I suppose I could grow it again if i want too, it would be possible………

With that done I gently tilt her head down and without saying a word I lift my scissors and without any hesitation I cut it close and very slowly along her hairline, I enjoy watching it drop, Erica can’t see it fall on the floor, I stand on the cropped hair to mess it up and it makes me feel good that it has been cut off.

I gasp inside as I feel the cold scissors slowly cut my beautiful hair off across my hairline…………..God I hope and pray I am doing the right thing…….no going back now…….

She says nothing as I move to the side, now another good bit, I comb down the length and lift the scissors and cut straight across at mid ear……………wonderful. The mass drops down straight into her lap…….I flood as it happens……..wonderful she is now short for good, no changing of mind.

Ahhhh what have I done………I see it slide down my shoulder and into my lap……dismembered, cut off…………god oh it so short about 20″ is coiled and severed from my head…………

I walk around the other side and now comb down the remaining long side, I also comb down the short side for comparison,I want her to see the difference in length also, such a comparison, I feel myself getting wetter with pleasure, I need to have it the same lengh I say.

I feel like bursting into tears……….look at the difference…………one side short and severed at my cheek the other side stunning and long……………have I made a terrible mistake……..what can I do………I realise…………..nothing.
Erica remarks, It looks so short compared to how it was. I agree and say well you will have it all nice and short soon, just think how much less you will have to dry!!!

I then quickly snip across her ear and a mass of straight length drops into Erica’s gown.

Less to dry……as I think that the final long coil slides down into my lap……….I see myself for the first time in years without my trademark hair………and see it hacked off and piled up in my lap………….severed.

I cant believe how much has been cut Erica says.

Yes, its short now I say, no going back!!! Let me get the junior to sweep up the length for you so it wont upset you seeing it now it is gone. With that I shout Lynne, “Can you get the brush and sweep up all of Erica’s hair, I have just cut it off and it may upset her to see it” Lynne comes over and starts to sweep up and Nicola casually brushes off my shorn hair that is nestling in my lap, she says “may as well get rid of
that also”

Do you want to keep it Erica she asks? Without thinking I say No. Lynne is told to bin it.

As I heard her say bin it I realised the finality of it all……………my hair had been cut off……….I was now short and there was nothing I could do about it except hope I loved or even liked the new style……………I was unsure.

Tilt your head down for me Erica, let me start to shape this neck down nice and short for you…………

I start cutting some layers in, not too short, I stand back and look, I make a hmmm noise…..OK I say and carry on. I shape more layers in and stand back again…….hmmmm

Whats the matter Nicola she asks?

Well, I am not sure this is going to suit you.

What do you mean?

Well I don’t think It will look good anymore, its 10 years since you had this cut, your featured have matured and I feel it is a dated look.

Oh……….what do you advise she asks?

Well, as Ive already cut off all your length it will need to be a short cut.

Oh she says.

It was going to be short anyway I say.

Yes but it was full on top.

I answer that that was probably the problem.

Look, this style isn’t going to work for you, I feel you need a smart business style for your job, something that looks like you are professional and mean business so clients will take you seriously. Something smart and sophisticated that Pete will like too.

What do you advise Nicola she asks?

A simple sassy layer cut, it will look shiny and sharp.

Well if you feel that’s best, I haven’t much choice really now its been cut.

I could leave it in the style you wanted but…………..

No, I agree if you advise me not to have it, I hear the disappointment in her voice. How much lengh will be left she asks?

I was dying to tell her that I planned on cropping it down to about an inch all over and giving her a middle aged woman’s crop but I thought it would put her off and one thing was sure, she was going to get cropped and I mean cropped.

I am going to make it soft and feminine, stylish, don’t worry about the lengh, you will look right when Ive done.

I hope Pete won’t be annoyed when I come home with a different style she says.

Don’t be silly you are going to look gorgeous.

With that I get out my spray bottle and wet it down, I needed it wetter as I now planned on doing a very detailed short cut, Erica was going to be given a very short layered crop, what was left now was also going to be cut off.

Head down for me…………she does so, quite unaware of how much more was going to be cut off.

I lift my comb and cut the nape hair close to the head, up I go layering the hair very short all the way up, this was going to be a cut that would take many years to grow out. I knew she could feel the spikes of the comb against her head, the thought of Erica suspecting she was being cropped close pleased me………I said, Erica, this is going to be so much better, you will love it.

I came round to the side and started cutting down the ears, my comb close to her scalp, cutting it down without any mercy as she watched forlornly, she knew this was going to be a short cut as she saw I was cutting all her hair off round her ears,I took the arch nice and high round the ear so as to clearly define she short shape to detail the ear. I left a little soft point at the front. I was tempted to crop that also but I felt I wanted to leave her just a touch of femininity especially as she had such a wonderful head of long hair 20 minutes ago!!!…………she said It seems very short Nicola?

I answered, fairly but I want to give you lots of shape and a soft fem look Erica, wait till its done, relax you will love it.

I carried on, she was so quiet, probably scared about what her husband will say when he sees her without her pretty hair, I really felt sure he will hate it as it is a style that will age her terribly………….but wonderful for me to cut!!

After I had cut the ears into shape I started on the top, I lifted and cut at about finger length starting from the crown. I was quite excited at the thought of how she would feel when I took off all her fringe, she had had it past eyebrow length for years, it was now going to be spiky short just below her hairline. fringes are very emotive as all clients hate having them cut up, its such a final step to a new crop. When I had layered most of the top I combed down her fringe, it was still long like a veil almost on her eyelashes, I didn’t waste any time I just stood in front of her, combed it down again and started to chop into it high up starting at her temple, going across slowly knowing all the time she could see it drop and reveal a short full fringe just below her hairline, it was lovely to do,my juices squirted as I cut it off. As the fringe was quite thick I needed to thin it out, I got my thinning scissors and lifted what was left and cut into the fringe at her forehead, not only was it going to be short it was going to be thin as well!! To soften the top I also thinned out all the crown hair so it would be fine and wispy all over. The long hair was now a memory………….

After another few minutes of detailed cutting and shaping she was done, what a site, she had gone from sexy long hair, really bouncy and girly to a no nonsence crop. The two looks were totally different.

Let me show you the new you in the mirror Erica, this is what she saw………..

http://www.hairdos.com/interior.cfm?section=viewStyle&sid=1362&view=1&startRow=1

http://www.hairdos.com/interior.cfm?section=viewStyle&sid=1362&view=2&startRow=1

http://www.hairdos.com/interior.cfm?section=viewStyle&sid=1362&view=3&startRow=1

http://www.hairdos.com/interior.cfm?section=viewStyle&sid=1362&view=4&startRow=1

http://www.hairdos.com/interior.cfm?section=viewStyle&sid=1362&view=5&startRow=1

Well, what do you think of the back, she saw herself for the first time, she saw a woman who wore her hair in a simple easy crop, who wants an easy style who is not into fashion.

Remember how it was I said?

We both thought of how she used to look,

The old you hid your great face, Look at you now Erica,you are showing your cheekbones, I love it, you have such great features for short hair. What do you think?

I am a bit shocked Nicola, it’s a lot shorter than I really wanted but I understand why it was necessary. For me it will be so much easier I just hope Pete likes it.

I am sure he will, as I say that I take the gown off and a huge mound of hair drops to the floor………to think that all that used to be on your head a while ago.

I look at her and think, what a bitch I am, I’ve just cut off a stunning head of hair solely to please myself……….great I say silently!!!

As she walks to the reception she is constantly touching it, feeling the back and obliviously thinking that she has had all her hair cut off. I say, you will be used to it in about a week.

Jenny the receptionist sees Erica and stops dead, WOW You have had all your hair cropped off, God it is less than an inch now, you are so brave as it used to be so long, I love it on you Erica. Nicola has worked her magic on you, you look totally different without all that long hair.

Thanks, it will take a bit of getting used to. Erica gets out her phone and says to Jenny,”Would you take a couple of pics for me so I can send them to my Mum to see what she thinks?” Jenny takes 3 shots of the front back and neck, Erica sends them to her Mums phone.

Jenny asks when Erica wants her next appointment, 6 weeks?

I say better make it 4, when long hair is cut off so short it can loose its shape so quickly.A quiet Erica says OK.
As Erica leaves Jenny says to Nicola, Erica must have been mad I think she looks dreadful,it is a cut for a woman in her mid forties and she had such stunning long hair.,her husband will go crazy when he sees her, its beautiful
ly cut but so short, she will never be able to grow it long ever again as it would take five years.

I know Jenny but she wanted something smart easy and mature and I have to do what a client wants. I was so upset at cropping it all off, I tried a mid lengh style first but she wasn’t`t keen and insisted I take it down to a no nonsense all off crop…..so I did.
As I walked away I thought to myself, Another good day at the office!

Erica unlocked her car door and got in.

Look at me I’ve aged years………..it’s far too short….there is virtually nothing left to touch………Pete will go crazy………there is short hair and this………..what am I going to do?

Suddenly the phone rang, Erica answered it…….Hi Mum…….well what do you think?

Darling I love it, the shape is stunning, it shows off all your features, you will be ready for work half an hour earlier. When you get used to it you will also love it I promise.

You know that I hated you with it long,it never felt long hair suited you, do you remember I had Marie my old hairdresser cut off all your long hair off when you were 11, you were so pleased then and I only let you grow it long again as you were 15 and you wanted to, you thought boys liked long hair!!

I remembered my short haired days well when I was at school, I felt I looked like a boy, no boys fancied me till I grew it long.

Do you think Pete will like it Mum?

Just get home, put on a sexy outfit and he will be putty in your hands dear!!!!

Thanks Mum………

I hope she is right…………..