Golden hair - Part I by BaldBearded

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Rusty was always proud of his shiny, golden hair, like his father, and his father before. As a child, everyone admired the golden locks. When Rusty was a teen, he started growing his hair long, and was admired by everyone. He was handsome, tall and lean, with a naturally muscled body. Both Rusty’s dad had the same, golden hair as Rusty, but wore in a short, side-parted, blow-dried style, with lots of hairspray to keep it just right. Rusty’s grandfather, who’s hair had long lost it’s golden shine, wore it the same as his son, except that instead of blow-dried it was greased, and you could see his pink scalp, clearly through the thin, greased strands of hair, plastered from side to side.

By junior year of high-school, Rusty’s golden hair reached passed his shoulder blades, and he usually wore it pulled back in a pony-tail. He also sported a thick mustache, like his dad, Rusty’s mom was not too happy about it, but his dad, and also his grandfather always praised his golden locks, and encouraged him to grow it, and enjoy it (for as long as you can Rusty).

On July morning, rusty came back from his daily, early-morning run, and as usual, hopped into the shower before breakfast, and heading off to work at a local grocery store. Rusty pulled his long hair to of it’s tie, and started to rinse and shampoo his long hair. After soaping up his body, and starting to rinse himself off, he noticed that the shower was not draining as it should. He reached down, and pulled out a rather large clump of long, golden hair. Hair in the shower was not too unusual, but Rusty thought that he cleaned the drain every-time he showered. Rusty really did not think anything of it… and went on with his day.

The next morning, Rusty, returned from his early-morning run, and again hopped into the shower. To his surprise, the drain clogged yet again. Rusty was a bit concerned, he had never seen that much hair in the drain. He got out, toweled himself off, and started to inspect his hairline in the mirror. To his horror, he noticed that his front hairline was ever so slightly receding, and that the hair on top of his head was just a bit thinner than on the sides and back. Rusty started to panic, his hair, his golden hair, it was his trademark, it is what made Rusty, Rusty. He thought maybe it was just a temporary thing, sure, his grandfather was bald, but he was old, but dad, dad’s hair was as thick as he always remembered.

Rusty said nothing to his parents at breakfast, and over the next two months, his long, beautiful golden hair would continue to fall. Every morning in the shower he would pull a small clump out the drain. When he brushed his hair, there was hair in he brush after. Rusty started wearing hats, and when school started that fall, he wore a baseball cap every day. No one really said anything, his trademark ponytail was still long, and thick, down his back, bit he would never take off the cap.

One day, at dinner, Rusty’s mom said, honey, can you please take your cap off at the dinner table, Rusty refused. An argument ensued, and Rusty’s mom grabbed the cap. At that point, everyone went silent, Rusty’s once thick hairline, was almost gone, just a thick tuft in front, the sides receded back quite a bit, with the beginnings of a bald spot in the back.

Rusty started to cry, his father got up, and gave him a hug. "Ralph, you need to take your son to Larry". Larry was dad’s barber, as well as his grandfather’s barber. Rusty had not been, since he was a child. "I am not cutting me hair", Rusty shouted. "You can’t spend the rest of your life wearing a ball cap, let Larry take a look at you, and see what he says".

Rusty agreed to go with his dad to see Larry the barber, and after breakfast was done, they got into the car, and started to drive. "You know son, the same thing that is happening to you, happened to me, your grandfather, and I am sure his father before that". Rusty was shocked. "But dad, you have such thick hair". "Oh you think so, just wait, you will see".

Nothing else was said for the remainder of the trip. Rush and his dad arrived at Larry’s it was a real 70s style salon, instead of open chairs, each barber/stylist had booths, so the customers could have privacy, and soon Rusty was to find out why.

As soon as they entered a medium-height, barrel-chested man with a shaved head and a huge handlebar mustache came to great them. "Ralph, how are you, and is this, this can’t be Rusty"? Rusty had not been there since he was a kid, and vaguely remembered Larry. Rusty face the man a nervous handshake, and could not take his eyes off Larry’s smooth, shaved scalp. Larry caught Rusty looking at his head, and gave him a quick wink as he ushered them into a large booth. "So what do I owe the pleasure of seeing both of you gentlemen today"? Rusty looked at the floor, as Ralph explained that he needed a light trim, and that he wanted Larry to take a look at Rusty’s hair. "I want Rusty to see what is the source of my thick hairstyle".

Rusty’s dad got into the luxurious barber chair, and Larry took a spray bottle and began to wet Ralph’s hair. As the water hit the large poof of golden hair, an incredible thing happened, it started to deflate. Rusty’s was staring at his dad, as slowly his hair first flattened, and then stuck to his head. "You ready, Ralph", Larry questioned. "Go ahead", Rusty’s dad responded. Larry took out a barber comb, and slowly began to comb Ralph’s hair down, starting on the left side, then he reached the front hairline and pulled the hair down to the left, revealing a shiny pink scalp. Rusty could not talk, as Larry combed his dad’s golden hair down, past his ears, passed his collar, down to his shoulder. A small tuft of hair was all that was left in front, the rest was smooth, except the thick fringe of hair that went past his collar all around.

"Son, I should have told you before, I should have let you know, I started going bald in high school, like you are, and so did my dad, and his dad before me". "Somehow I thought you would be spared, but when you were born, and I saw your golden hair, I knew you were doomed to be just like me". The room was quiet, Larry quickly took out his scissors, and began to snip here and there, tidying up the fringe. He then took out a huge can of hairspray, and began to spray Ralph’s hair, and then began too brush and blow the hair into place. Next, Larry took his barber comb and began to comb the long, curtain of hair. up and over the bald front, blending it with the lone tuft in front. More spray, more blow drying, and the hairstyle was complete. Larry took out a small comb, combed Ralph’s mustache, and snipped a couple of stray hairs.

Rusty never paid attention to the fact that his fathers part was a bit low down on the side, or the fact that dad never swam and alway always always wore hats in the rain. He also noticed that he never saw his dad come out of the shower.

His father got out of the chair, and motioned to his so to get in. Rusty was silent… still in shock at seeing his father’s bald head or the first time.

Larry slowly took the cap off Rust’s head, and began looking at his scalp. "Young man, I am not going to cut anything, I just want to examine your scalp. Larry gently pulled Rusty’s hair out of the tie, and gently brushed his hair. Each brush stroke produced more fine stands of hair. "When did this start, Rusty". "July", hmmm was all that Larry responded with.

"Well young man, unfortunately, you have your father’s and his father’s genetics. I suspect that you will be as bald as your father, and your grandfather, probably in a year". Rusty groaned. "So what do I do,… I don’t want to go bald, and I don’t want to cut off my hair". "Well son, you can get a toupee, shave your head like me, or get a hairstyle like your dad’s", Larry explained. The first two options were totally out of the question… and the third was not too exciting either. He knew he could not continue wearing a hat, and the hair in the shower every day was killing him.

Larry too out his comb, and parted Rusty’s hair on he side, and slowly combed the long hair, up, and across his balding scalp, and then pulled it all back, into a ponytail. It didn’t look too bad. Larry managed to cover the balding areas, while keeping the front intact. "This will work, for now, but you are going to keep loosing your hair, and then this will look like crap".

To be continued….

Next time…Rusty gets the big chop!

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