Short Flat Top by still clippered

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I was in for my monthly tidy-up at a barbers I had used a few times before, but this time as I had settled myself into the chair I had spotted a ‘flat-top ‘comb hanging underneath the counter, so when she asked me ‘Your usual tidy-up, 2 back and sides ,4 on top?'
I replied ‘Well I noticed the flat –top comb do you still do them?'
‘Well, yes but your hair really isn't long enough on top to get the right shape'
‘How much longer would it need to be, it's been four weeks since you last cut it'
She combed my hair and ran her fingers through it, ‘Ideally another month but I could probably get the basic shape in another 2 weeks but it will be a short one'
I thought for a moment ‘Well I'll come back in a fortnight then and take it from there, ok?'
‘OK, she said, do you want me to take the back and sides down today so that you can get used to it?'
‘No I'll just get it all done at the one time…ehm I'll see you in 2 weeks then'
And that was it I was out the shop, and already contemplating my soon to be ‘short flat-top'
The next 2 weeks dragged by every day I checked my hair willing it to grow, in truth this was the longest it had been for years. At last the 2 weeks were up and early on the Saturday morning I entered the shop, she caught my eye in the mirror as I entered ‘Hi I thought you'd be in today take a seat I won't be long' she said.
A few minutes later I was in the seat and caped up her placed her hands on my shoulders ‘Still wanting the Flat-Top?'
‘Yes, is it long enough?'
She ran her fingers through my hair ‘Yip, it'll be fine'
I couldn't wait for her to start, but instead of cutting or clippering my hair she combed it straight back, then took a couple of generous blobs of mousse and massaged them into my hair, she made a parting all the way round my head, and finally took a small hard brush and hairdryer dried the top so that it was standing straight up. Finally she looked me straight in the eyes and said ‘Ready?' I nodded my agreement.
She took the flat top comb and a set of clippers and started to clipper off any hair that showed through the comb all around my head, and then placed the comb flat across my head and again removed any hairs that showed through the teeth, she was quiet as she did this and it took her a good 10 minutes when finally she switched off the clippers and said ‘OK that's the basic shape, happy?' I nodded my head in agreement, she continued ‘I'd have liked it a little bit longer here (she pointed at the rounded sides of my scalp) but it will look better once I've taken the sides and back in'
As she moved behind me I felt her hand gently push my head forward and I was surprised as the clippers were still hanging on their hook below the counter, however I soon heard a click and a higher pitched BBZZZ and felt the vibration of another set of clippers on my nape, quickly they ran all the way up the back of my head and she flicked the shorn hair over my shoulder into my lap. Where before there was a covering of tiny hairs from the clippering with the flat top comb, there were now great clumps of my hair falling down in front of me.She mowed the back of my scalp about 6 times before she let her grip go. As I rose my head to look in the mirror the phone rang and she switched off the clippers and hung them on the back of my chair as she took the call. My reflection hadn't changed but from the cool air I could feel on the back of my head I knew it was seriously short and just how short I was about to find out. ‘Sorry about that ‘ she smiled, ‘ Now when I do the sides to get the shape right it's important that you keep still and look straight ahead ok?' I nodded my consent ‘We don't have a lot to play with here so please keep as still as possible'
She combed the hair on my right side straight down from the parting she had made where the hair on top now stood straight up; she adjusted the position of my head and then reached round for the clippers. For the first time I saw them, they were smaller than normal clippers and made a higher pitched sound I watched as she positioned them in front of my ear and then swiftly drove them up the side of my head to the parting, I let out a gasp as I watched my hair fall and nothing but bright white scalp was left behind ‘STOP' I said ‘what are those, you've shaved me!' She immediately stopped and showed me the clippers and I read ‘Wahl Balding Clippers' followed by 5stars
‘I'm sorry 'she said ‘I told you when you first came in that I could do you a flat-top but that it would have to be a short one. With your hair so short to start with these are the only clippers that will give the definition between the top and the sides'
I stammered ‘I know you said short but I thought about a no 1 on the back and sides not shaved to the skin!'
Once again she apologised ‘You obviously have had a flat-top before so I thought that you'd realise that with the top hair being already short that the sides and back would be as the Americans call it ‘White-walled' I'm sorry know this has come as a shock to you but again that is why offered to shave the back and sides 2 weeks ago so that you'd get used to it. Please let me finish I'm sure you will like the finished look. Once I've taken the sides and back down I'll really shape up the top and the contrast won't be so obvious'
I stammered ‘Well as you say I have had a flat top before but never as severe as this do I have a choice?'
She laughed ‘Well yes , I can finish off the sides, I've already done the back and leave the top , but you will look like a scrubbing brush, you can let me finish it and if you really don't like it I'll shave you bald …including the razor if you want, free of charge'
‘I don't want to be bald, so why don't you tell me how you are going to finish it'
‘OK, first the clippers have left a little stubble, it's not smooth. So once I've finished off the sides with those I'm going to take the top down a little bit more , blend the sides in , flatten out the top it'll be about half the length it is just now , I've not made my mind up about a landing strip but I will razor shave you smooth around your ears and neck. Oh and one other thing (I looked at her quizzically) It'll look superb!'
I let out a sigh ‘Go on then'
‘Ok now remember keep still and look straight ahead ‘
This time I was prepared and as the high pitched clippers were placed above my right ear it was much less of a shock as the clumps of hair were quickly removed from my scalp. The contrast between the hair on the left and the shaved right was weird but it didn't last long as with four passes of the balding clippers I had a matching pair. Her description of a scrubbing brush was accurate as the hair on top of my head looked remarkably long compared to the skin below it.
She then produced the flat top comb again and went round my head several times with the big clippers removing minute quantities of hair with each pass, I watched as the line between skin and hair slowly blended together. She then took a can of shaving foam and after depositing a large blob onto her left hand she spread a generous amount around each of my ears and along my neckline. I felt the razor on the back of my neck scraping the foam off but I couldn't tell how high she was going as once again my chin was on my chest, but as she came up behind my right ear I saw her shave all the hair off to line roughly level with my eyebrow, finally she took a towel and removed any traces of the foam.
As she held a mirror behind my head she said ‘There you go one flat top, complete with white-walled sides and back'
I could see the smooth skin followed by the shadow of the clippers and finally the straight 1/4inch hair standing straight up on the top of my head ‘You happy?' she asked, my reply actually shocked me ‘It looks superb but how do I keep it looking so good I mean do you think the shaved and clippered parts will grow in blended?'
‘I don't know' she replied ‘but I have a suggestion'
‘Go on'
‘Why don't I shave you smooth to the flat-top line sides and back and that way you can simply keep it that way with your razor and I'll give you a free weekly tidy up of the top for the next month?'
I thought about this for about 10 seconds before smiling and telling her ‘Go for it!'

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