The last time, until today, that I got my hair cut was just before Christmas, during the last-minute blurry rush that always takes place from around the 20th of December until Christmas Day. I fully expected I’d be back at the end of February, or, more likely, in March. I always intend to get my hair cut every couple of months, but it usually ends up being more like three.
So we got to mid-March, as expected, and I was just vaguely thinking that it was probably about time to go get my hair cut again…
…and then we all know what happened next. Hair appointments were off the table for a long time.
As such, I’ve spent the last four months getting steadily more and more annoyed by my hair. I’m not really bothered about what it looks like, as I’ve not been going out anywhere – it’s more that it gets in my way and in my eyes and in my face and just generally irritates.
So when it was announced last month that hairdressers would be able to open again, and my usual hairdresser started taking bookings for July… well, I got in there sharpish. I’ve generally been pretty cautious about returning to normal life (I haven’t been to a pub or restaurant or non-essential shop yet and probably won’t for several more months at least), but I made an exception in this case, partially because it was made clear that there would be a lot of precautions and everyone involved would be wearing masks and PPE.
So off I toddled this morning, excited about having normal-feeling hair again. I couldn’t wear the transparent mask I wrote about last week, because the elastic straps on it tie at the back of the head and would get in the way of my haircut. Instead, I wore a running buff (everyone in the running community calls them buffs after the brand name, though non-Buff brands tend to refer to them by other names such as ‘cowl’ or ‘snood’ or ‘neck tube’ or ‘multi-purpose headwear’… you get the idea) to cover my face, as I thought the back part would be low enough down my neck that it would be okay. However, after I’d been ushered in and was sitting down having my haircut, my hairdresser suggested that I wear one with ear loops next time, as it would make things easier. A good reason to start learning how to make my own transparent masks!
The salon did feel a bit bizarre with everyone – staff and customers alike – decked out in PPE and face masks, and perspex screens all over the place. However, I really appreciate that this is what the world needs to look like as we start moving on with our lives again – it was similar when I drove Geth to his hospital appointment yesterday and the entire hospital was full of people in masks – and to be honest, these kinds of precautions really do help me feel a lot safer when returning to situations I haven’t been in since before lockdown.
I paid an extra quid for the PPE (which is basically half a bin bag that you put over yourself during the appointment), and took it away with me so that I can clean it and bring it to reuse next time. I’ll need to remember that I’ve got it!
Post-haircut:
I’m home now with comfortable-feeling hair, which is all I wanted, really. I expect it will be a long time before we don’t need to take precautions at the hairdresser and similar situations, so it’s probable that the experience will be identical when I go for my next appointment in September.
Or October, as is more likely…
