Bald fade time by Joe C

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It was Saturday morning, the day before my friend’s 21st, which was to be a smart dress up affair with suits, shirts, the lot. It also promised to be a perfect night to hook up, something that I was excited for, it had been a while since I had brought a girl back. I got out of bed and went into the bathroom, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My hair, I thought to myself, it’s not looking good. I’d not had a haircut for about 6 weeks now, and the once skin faded sides hade grown out considerably and the top was fairly long too, it made me look oddly childish. I figured I ought to get it cut before tomorrow. I just hoped that I would be able to get an appointment with my barber given the short notice. I picked up my phone and tried to book in, the appointments were few and far between, not ideal. I eventually managed to book myself in for 5pm tonight.

The barber was just a 5 minute stroll round the corner from me, so at about 10 to 5 I put my shoes on and walked on over. When I arrived the barber was just finishing up with the previous client, so I took a seat and waited. The previous customer got up, paid and left. It was now my turn!

I sat down in the barber’s chair and ran my hands through my blond hair, that was now fairly thick and despite getting a fade last time, looked the same length all over. I’d been growing my hair out from a buzz cut I got a few months ago, so was just experimenting with styles as I went.

"What can I do for you today pal?" The barber asked
"Let’s go for a mid skin fade on the sides and just tidy the top up a little, keep the length, just neaten it a bit" I said
"Not buzzing again then!?" The barber joked

I always go to the same barber so he was the one who had buzzed my long locks off just a little while ago

"Not today haha, the buzz might be back soon though" I added

The barber put a paper collar around my neck and wrapped me up in a barber cape.

"Skin fade, yeah?" He asked to confirm
"Yep, let’s do it" I replied

Alan picked up the mini clippers and comb before brushing my hair out to see how it lay naturally. He then switched on the mini clippers and they began whirring away. The clippers were placed on my right temple just above my sideburns and the bald line was etched into my hair. Alan continued this motion around the sides and back of my head until a bald line "halo" had been drawn into my hair. He then returned to my right temple and placed the clippers on the bald line before pulling them down gently to remove all of the hair below, the clippers kept on whirring and this motion was continued around the side of my head until all the hair below the bald line had been removed.

He then reached for a brush and brushed the hair off the sides of my head and off the cape before reaching for the foils and talcum powder. He applied a bit of talcum powder to the brush before brushing it over my freshly shaven sides. The foil shaver was then turned on, and starting at my right temple once again, they were run over the bald sides repeatedly shaving down the sides completely to skin. The foil shavers were possibly the loudest bits of barbering kit I’d ever heard, buzzing and whirring loudly as I felt the cold metal passing over my skin. This was repeated all over until the sides were completely bald. Alan popped the foils down and began to fiddle with the clippers. Whilst I waited to took the opportunity to feel the fresh shaved sides of my head. I always loved the rough sandpaper feel.

He then began blending the skin sides with the longer top, using quick sweeps of the clippers, changing the guard frequently to remove the lines and create a seamless fade. Starting with a zero, then 0.5, then 1 etc. until eventually I was looking clean and the haircut was shaping up nicely.

I then decided that I was happy with the top as it was, as it had been buzzed just a few months ago, it still wasn’t all too long and the clean fade into it looked class. It was just a sort of messy fringe which I thought looked great with the bald faded sides.

"Actually mate, I think I’ll leave the top as is" I said
"Yeah was gonna say bro, looks pretty good" he replied
"Yeah I agree" I said
"Perfect, I’ll just tidy up your neck and then we’re done!" Alan said

He then loosened the cape, and picked up his clippers once again. He then proceeds to shave all the hairs on my neck down to skin applied some product.

A quick spin round with the mirror behind me so I could see the fade and we were done. Balded out completely on the sides into a fresh skin fade.

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