I accidentally went to the barber of my nightmares
Sorry y'all, I just need to vent a little. I was unhappy with my previous barber and was trying out a new one. It was close by, had good reviews, and the same prices for men and women. Great. But man, my previous barber might not be the most skilled but at least she was quick and knew how to shut the fuck up. This guy took an hour(!) to do my really simple super short cut and talked the entire time. He fixed what I wanted to have fixed fine, but he doesn't believe in clippers(?) so it's way longer than I wanted, and I'm just exhausted. Honestly, my entire day has been ruined by the sheer amount of energy that has been sucked out of my soul from having a stranger talk to me for an hour straight for something that could've been done in silence in 20 minutes.
Lots of people see getting a haircut as a time to chat, and the longer the job the more it feels you've got your money's worth. Not me, but lots of people look at it that way. I imagine that's why your barber drew it out for an hour and talked the whole time. I hope you find a barber that gets you.
Yeah, I totally get that it meets a certain need for a lot of neurotypicals, that's why so many barbers are like that. I'm happy for them it exists but damn it can be rough to find one who is more introvert/autistic friendly
I did that for a good while when I was really sick of having my hair cut, and I thought at the time I could get away with a buzzcut, but looking back on the photos... I really can't. I'm stuck with barbers for now
that sounds rough. just out of curiosity, what was wrong with your previous barber? a 20 min appt with no talking seems like a pretty sweet deal to me lol
It was a pretty cheap barber which was all I could afford then, but it also means they don't take quality as seriously as more expensive barbers. I've had a disconnected undercut for years and they were always messy as hell with the lines but I used to have long hair that I mostly wore down so it wasn't really that visible. Now that it's really short you can see everything and it just looks messy and ugly. It's such a shame because the 20 minutes in silence was really amazing.
Can't you be frank about it? like "sorry dude, nothing personal but I just want to mind my own business while having my hair done", a little "thank you for respecting that" at the end with slightly extra tip and you will both become your favorite barber/client.
I wish I could let my hair grow out. I tried for 3 years because after I got medication that helps with overstimulation, I thought/hoped long hair wouldn't bother me as much. Boy was I wrong.
What bothers you about it? I keep mine in a tight bun at the base of my skull, held by a stick. It doesn't move, get in my face, blow around... honestly, I could leave it in that bun for a few days before I have to redo it. I've had a buzzcut before, and honestly I think this is less of a sensory problem for me, because my head isn't bare and I don't feel wind or the hair moving around.
I have found that barbershops where the barbers are obviously ex-convicts tend to be the best for me. They don't talk unless they have to. There's no "How was your day, hun?" or "Tell me about your life."