Haircuts! Why are the small things so hard?

Oh, I see. Maybe something nice will happen by accident. Sending you energy! And now I can’t help but think of Harry Potter cause of your name here, when his aunt tried to cut his hair but he just kept growing it back again and again, in your case it should be vice versa.

I have considered this.

I think part of my dilemma is that I'm not that comfortable with my normal hairdresser as it is and I have been considering changing anyway but fear of the unknown and all that. So I'm hesitant to request someone to fill in when I perhaps should be finding someone to replace.

My normal hairdresser advertises themselves as autism, anxiety, sensory friendly and unfortunately I have not found this to be the case. She is kind and a nice person. But she is very chatty which I dislike and doesn't seem to have much awareness of things that could impact sensory wise. Ive also found a big issue with having it at home is that there is no mirror Infront of me so I can't see what she's doing which is a horrible feeling. I thought I'd prefer not having to go to a salon but I'm not sure that I do.

Expecto_Patronum said:

and that hairdresser is now unavailable for reasons that aren't her fault

Hello! How about texting your hairdresser and asking if there’s another kind colleague she knows who could replace her just for one appointment cause your hair now really bothers you. 

80% of us can’t handle a job ( following the statistics, but everyone feel free to correct me!) ) so I am pretty happy about you not liking hairdressers to much! Congrats on your career! 

For me, going to the hairdresser is a major thing also. It feels very private: it’s tactile and verbal at the same time, with the mirror, the music, and other people around. It’s a sensitive situation. I’ve changed my hairdresser like 20 times cause I need a not very verbal and kind person. It is great to read about you and that my sensitivity is okay too.

My wording may have been confusing. Although I don't like it getting long. It isn't short short so would not be simple to do at home.

Hairdressers not listening is one of my big concerns with going to someone new.

It's silly but I hate asking for help with something like this and I don't really have a lot of options of people to ask. Thinking about asking just seems to be a lot of extra mental steps. I think I've just got myself stuck on this one.

I wouldn't have much confidence in my ability for something like that. I think I'd come out looking rather interesting.

I cut my own hair, and my husbands, and my youngest sons. I’ve always hated going to the hairdresser. Cutting hair isn’t that difficult. 

As a former hairdresser I can honestly say I'm appalled at the way some hairdressers are so bad, they don't listen and do what they want rather than what I've asked for and I can speak thier language!

EP, if you want a short cut, how about getting a set of clippers and doing it yourself? Good ones will have combs that come in a range of lenghts, basically 1mm per comb, the comb is the bit that fits over the clippers.  Theres s set on amazon for £21 that go up to 25mm and down as far as 1mm if you want to go full on skin head, they're whal ones and thats the make most professionals use..

Maybe it would also be an option for your kids CW? As for yourself or anyone looking for a hairdresser, I'd go in the salon and look at the stylists if they all have the same or a very similar style you can be pretty sure that you will get that style too. It's a good idea to have a look at some styles so as you can show them somethings you like, not all may suit your hair or how much time you want to spend on it of a morning. Maybe your husband could go with you, have a chat with them before booking an appointment, many hairdressers will have seen bad haircuts and have clients who have had something done that wasn't what they asked for.

I completely get this as someone who struggles to go to the hairdresser and hasn't been in 6 years. 

I had one were I used to live in England, and we moved the town over and I kept going as I was comfortable there. Then we moved to Scotland. I managed to try one after a year, but I tried to go too short and my sister told me not to do that again and I was mortified. So over a year later, I went to someone different but they barely cut anything and I didn't know how to say it wasn't what I wanted so was too hard to go back. Then it was the pandemic and I was kind of glad it normalised not going and cutting your own hair. But that didn't last of course, and I've tried phoning other places but was told that weren't taking clients (I think they didn't like the sound of me and I was trying to get my kids a haircut), and years later I couldn't even get through. I wasn't strong enough to try again this year. 

Now with the diagnosis, my husband says he can call for me (I struggle with phonecalls), but I need to find somewhere I want him to try, as I have to like the look of the place on street view. And hopefully get the kids in too as my son currently only lets me cut his, but he's going to high school next year and I want to give him a chance at not looking like his mum does his hair. And my daughter is 8 and never been so I want to show her it's okay. 

It's so so hard isn't it. Can you get someone to give you a trim till your regular person can do it? Or maybe get someone to help make an appointment/ go with you to help?  It's a real genuine struggle!