The Case for Staying Loyal to Your Hairdresser

All names, once again, have been changed to protect the fabulous.

I have a confession to make: I cheated on my hairdresser.

For the past six months I have all but pledged my fidelity to a certain salon in a certain suburb close to town. I discovered my stylist Lexus by mistake - she was the only one available when I first came to see her - but she did such a good job with my hair that I got my next three haircuts with her. I loved how she did my hair, and I also loved the salon and its gossipy Beauty Shop-gone-glam vibe.

That is, until I woke up one morning and realized that I had forgotten to book an appointment with Lexus. And not only that, but I had a few hours before a major event, and if I wore my hair up in a ponytail one more time, I'd be stuck with massive neck pain and compulsive hair rearrangement for the rest of the day.

Long story short: I ended up going into the Neighborhood Chain Salon after my morning coffee.

Don't get me wrong: the Neighborhood Chain had been my salon of choice before I discovered Lexus. And the reason why I went to Lexus was because somebody else in another salon - whose address I am willing to give if you can egg her storefront for me, because she was THAT horrible - did me wrong when I got my first haircut outside of the Chain. (Lordy, this sounds like an episode of The OC.)

That said, I managed to sneak into the Chain ten minutes before opening time and got a spot. As soon as I was in the stylist's chair, I began to appreciate the little things that I enjoyed about going to Lexus for my haircut. For one thing, the fashion magazines at Lexus' salon - while still in the realm of the mainstream (more Vogue and InStyle than Paper and Arena Homme) - were a step up from the glossy tabloids and cheesy haircut catalogs that the Neighborhood Chain offered, so it was easier to get inspiration if you were the type who needed a picture beforehand. Lexus didn't have hip dance music, wide-screen TVs, or minions who could fix up coffee while I waited, but she also didn't turn up her nose if she found problems with my hair, and she never, ever, nagged me about getting any products to go with my haircut.

On the other hand, the girl who did my hair at the Chain kept on recommending at least three additional treatments while she layered, snipped, and tousled. She also cut my bangs too short (another thing that Lexus would never do unless I told her to) - and in fact the whole 'do ended up being two inches shorter than I wanted overall. Luckily for me, I had a very good idea of what I wanted and I told her exactly how much length I needed for the layers. I also loved the American Crew wax which she used to style my hair, even though she forgot to put some in my bangs.

As for the haircut itself, my friends have noticed, and they like how it looks. It's choppy and practical, and I like it too, but I'm still getting used to wearing my hair a little shorter than the more flowing look that I'm used to, and I still think I should go back to Lexus as soon as I get sick of it. In the meantime, it's all OK. (Those bangs, meanwhile, will have to be pomaded to submission.)