What Should I Do? by Shant

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When Covid first hit, the barbershops in North Carolina closed for three months. The guy that cut my hair had just turned 67 and decided that he was going to retire, which meant that I was going to need to find a new barber.

I think most guys are a little nervous when it comes to first going to another barbershop. I hoped I would soon find someone that would do a good job cutting my hair.

I was lucky, and the very first barber I went to was fantastic, and he has been cutting my hair ever since. Marcus is about 35. He is what we would call a good ol’ country boy. He is about six feet tall and works out at a gym on a regular basis and is in great shape.

His hair is a sandy brown and is really thick. He wears it short on the sides and back and has it about three inches long on top, which he brushes to the side, and it falls down across his forehead.

He has worn his hair practically the same way ever since I first came to his shop. It surprised me that he was a barber and had such great hair and never changed how he wore it.

In addition to being a great barber, he is a really nice guy. He has a website where you make an appointment which lasts for 30 minutes. You never had to wait your turn, you just walked right in and sat down in the chair. His shop is less than five minutes from my house. I can drive to his shop, get my hair cut, and be home in 40 minutes. It was great.

When he opened his shop, he ended up having so many customers that guys came to realize if they wanted Marcus to cut their hair, they had to make an appointment about two months in advance. That is not an exageration.

He was booked solid every day. I did the math one time, and he had 16 customers a day at $35 each, which was $560 a day, not including tips. The guy was making about $3000 a week.

My previous barber only charged $15, but no one seemed to mind paying Marcus a lot more for a haircut. He wasn’t married, but his girlfriend lived with him. Having no children, he was really in a great place financially in his life. I wish that I had gone to barber school if I had realized how much money you could make.

The downside to all this however, was that he began to have back problems. Standing eight hours a day without hardly a break made him realize he could not continue this pace forever.

This past spring, he decided to only work four days a week, which made it even more difficult to get an appointment. I knew several guys, like me, that had already booked all their appointments until November 2025.

I usually got my hair cut about every five weeks. As my last appointment was approaching, I decided I really didn’t need to get a haircut and cancelled. That was a mistake. My next appointment was in five more weeks, resulting in me not getting a haircut for ten weeks.

Then, to make matters worse, I screwed up making my appointment, and when I got to the shop found out I was not even scheduled for a haircut. I ended up waiting four more weeks before he had an opening.

I had not gone 14 weeks without a haircut since my college days. Marcus was a good guy and offered to stay one day after work and cut my hair, but I figured it was my mistake, and I would just deal with it, and to be honest, I was kind of liking my hair longer on top, but I didn’t like it being so long on the sides.

When the day came for me to finally get my hair cut, as soon as I walked in, Marcus said, "Man, Mike, I can’t believe how much hair you have! It’s never been anywhere near this long since you’ve started coming here."

"That’s what happens when you go 14 weeks without a haircut," I replied. "I was lucky I had scheduled this appointment, because my birthday is this weekend. I’m turning 45, and my friends are insisting that we have a party. I definitely do not want to look this shabby around all my friends."

At 45, I was still lucky enough to have a good head of hair. My hair is a sandy brown, almost the same color as Marcus’ hair. It is also very thick and has a slight wave running through it. Normally, I had the sides and back tapered short, but after 14 weeks, my hair was now about three inches on the sides and back and five inches on top. I couldn’t even remember when my hair had been this long.

"So, any special instructions today?" Marcus asked. "I know how much you like to change your hairstyle every now and then. You have so much hair now that I could cut it a lot of different ways. Have you thought about what you want me to do with this awesome mane of yours?"

"I’m not sure. I really can’t make up my mind. I like the length on top, but I can’t stand it long around my ears and in the back. One day I think it looks really great, and the next day I think that it's really too long and doesn’t look good at all."

I pulled up a picture on my phone and said, "Do you remember me showing you this picture about six months ago? I asked you if you thought you could cut my hair to look like this."

"I sure do. That was the first time I cut your sides down really short. I thought it looked great," Marcus said.

The guy in the photo looked like the barber had used a #1 guard and ran them about two inches above his ears. From there up to where you would normally have a part, his hair was probably not much more than an inch long. He could just barely brush it back. It really showed off how thick and what great body his hair had.

The top was probably somewhere between three and four inches. He didn’t have a part, but you could tell that he brushed the front up and then to the right. His hair had a slight wave to it, just like mine.

"You’ve been cutting the sides and back like this ever since I showed you this picture," I said. "I really like them like this. I wish I could have longer hair, but I know that the sides being cut the way you have been lately cutting them, is probably the best my hair has ever looked."

"Up until recently, my hair has never been long enough on top to brush it like the guy in the picture. It certainly is now, though," I laughed. "I don’t think my hair has been this long since college."

"The sides and back are definitely too long, but I have to admit I’ve actually been enjoying my hair being long on top. As you can see, instead of brushing it all up and straight back, I’m now brushing the top up and to the right. I’ve been wearing my hair all straight back forever, and I really like how different it now looks and feels with just a slight part."

"If I had you cut my hair like the picture, do you think it would look good? The guy in the photo is probably in his early twenties. I’m twice his age and I’m concerned that maybe this haircut is not age appropriate for me. Am I too old to have my hair cut like that? What do you think?"

"I think you should let me cut your hair like the guy in the picture and then you can decide. You know you’ll like the sides, it’s just the top you’re worried about. After I finish, if you don’t like it, I can always take it down shorter," Marcus said.

"You just sit back and relax and I’m sure I can cut your hair to look exactly like the guy in the photo. I always enjoy cutting your hair because it really is terrific looking. You’ve got so much hair now that this is going to be a blast to do. I’m glad that you like changing how you wear your hair."

Marcus started with his clippers and ran them up the sides and back of my head like he usually did. He started with a #2 guard and ran them about two inches above the top of my ears. He then put his #1 guard on, and ran them about half way up the sides and back again. This was the way he had been cutting my hair for several months now so I was totally relaxed watching him do it. It was more fun however, seeing so much more hair coming off than usual.

He then started at the front and took it down only about half an inch. He worked his way to the back and the sides, taking it down just a little bit more so that it blended into the sides. It really was a more trendy look, but I wasn’t quite sure if it was the right looking haircut for me.

"There, all done," Marcus said. "What do you think?"

"I’m really not sure," I said. "I want you to give me your honest opinion and tell me how you think it looks."

"I think it all depends on how much attention you want to attract. With such a large contrast between the top and the sides it definitely makes it an edgier looking haircut."

"You’ve got such great hair, but knowing you, I think it will probably attract a lot more attention than you would prefer. If you thought people were always staring at your hair, I think that you would feel uncomfortable. You want to show off how great your awesome hair is, but not to the point that you think people are always looking at you."

"Being totally honest, I do think it’s too long on top. Your hair is so thick that when it starts getting longer, the weight of it will cause your hair to lay flatter on your head, instead of standing up the way you want it too. Also, just think, I’ve just cut it. How do you think it will look in a month?"

"I think you’re right," I said. "I wanted to ask you first because I didn’t want to influence what you thought. I do think the top is too long. I feel like I have way too much hair on the top of my head. How about taking it down some?"

"No problem," Marcus said. "How much do you want me to take off?"

"I’m really not sure. You’ve never given me a bad haircut," I said. "Seeing it’s my birthday, how about if you surprise me and go ahead and cut my hair how you think will look best? I'm sure you would like to do that."

"Many times I’ve told you to go ahead and cut my hair however you wanted, but it’s never been this long before. I’ve never been disappointed by how any haircut has turned out. I actually enjoy the anticipation, wondering what kind of haircut you are going to give me. I know it will always end up looking great."

"Sure, I’ll enjoy doing that," Marcus said with a big smile on his face. "I’ve actually thought about how I would like to give you a different looking haircut when you were ready to get one. I’ll really have a lot of fun giving you a new look, especially with all the hair you have now."

"I know how every now and then you really like changing the way you wear your hair," Marcus said. "Seeing that it’s your birthday, I agree with you, and you should let me give you a surprise make over. I know exactly how I would like to cut your hair."

"Why not?" I said. I was just in the mood to do it. "I’m ready for a change, and I know you’re ready to give me one. Give me what you think will be the best looking haircut you can."

"Do you want to watch the haircut or do you want me to turn you away from the mirror so you can be surprised?" Marcus asked. "Personally, I would like you to watch, so that I can too. I’ll enjoy myself more seeing how you look as the haircut progresses. This is going to be a great time for both of us."

"I would like to watch," I said. "Since this is the longest my hair has been in years, it will be wild seeing so much more of it being cut off."

Marcus always enjoyed getting his hands in Mike’s hair. He started out by brushing his hair straight back, eliminating his side part. He was not going to do anything to the sides because they were already very short. Mike’s hair on top was about five inches long, though, and it was going to be a blast cutting so much of it off.

He decided to have a little fun and began running his hands all through Mike’s locks. He loved feeling how thick and long they were. He was really stoked that they wouldn’t be that way much longer. This was going to be the most hair he had ever cut off Mike’s beautiful mane at one time.

"Man, Mike, you really do have awesome hair. I cut over 250 guys hair a month and if I made a list of my top ten guys who had the best hair, you would definitely be in that group, and you’re competing against guys that are in their 20’s. Being 45, and having the great hair you have, puts you in a class all by itself."

"I bet your hair looks practically like it did when you were in your 20’s. You have the thickest hair of almost anyone’s hair that I cut. Your hairline has not receded at all, and you don’t have a single gray hair. You are a really lucky guy. Any guy would want to have hair as great as yours."

Marcus then slightly dampened Mike’s hair and took a comb and continued to comb it all straight back. Just slightly wetting it, his hair stood up almost five inches high.

Marcus was in no hurry and took his time and also combed Mike’s hair with it parted on the right and the left. Any way he combed it, it looked great. He then reached over onto the counter and picked up his scissors.

Mike suddenly felt a little panicked. He had really been enjoying having long hair again. Why had he decided to let Marcus cut it however he wanted? He was certain that Marcus was going to cut a lot of it off, and knew that he was really going to enjoy doing it.

Marcus combed the front straight up and cut off three of the fives inches that Mike had, leaving it about two inches long. He made certain that all of Mike’s hair fell in his lap. "Man, look at all your beautiful hair coming off! It’s awesome seeing you lose so much hair!" Marcus said.

He continued to work his way to the back, taking it down about half an inch shorter as he reached the crown. He then blended the short sides into the top. It really looked awesome. The haircut really didn’t take all that long to do seeing that the sides really couldn’t be any shorter unless he gave him a buzzcut or a flattop.

He had actually considered giving Mike a flattop, but decided he didn’t want him to have to explain to all his friends at his party why he had done that. Maybe next time?

Marcus then took a pomade that made your hair shine and applied it to Mike’s hair and then combed it all back. His beautiful hair was just long enough to barely brush back and it stood up about two inches. Being cut so short and brushed back and standing up so high really showed off how thick his hair was. Marcus thought it looked awesome.

"So, what do you think?" Marcus asked.

"I think it really looks great," I replied. "I can’t wait until my birthday party now and my friends all see my new haircut. There’s just one more thing I would like for my birthday. I’ve been hesitant to tell you because you might think it’s weird, but seeing as how I just let you give me a surprise new haircut, I figure it’s now or never that I ask you."

"You know that I like great hair, probably just as much as you do," I said. "You said earlier that you really like that I am willing to often change the way I wear my hair. Why is it that you have basically kept your hair the same way since I’ve been coming to your shop? Being a barber, and having such great hair, why don’t you change how you wear your hair too?"

"I think about it every now and then," Marcus replied. "I just keep it this way because it is so easy."

"What I’d like to do is have you sit down in the chair and let me cape you up. I’d like to slightly wet your hair and then take the blow dryer and brush the top all up and back. I think you’re getting a little too old to be wearing bangs."

"Your hair is so thick, that I bet it will look great being all brushed up and standing a couple inches high, instead of just laying flat on your head. Would you be willing to let me do that?" I asked.

"Sure, why not?" Marcus said. "I’m finished for the day, and you’re right, I do know how much you enjoy great hair. Let’s see how different you can make my hair look."

I was so psyched that I was going to get to do this because I had thought about it for a long time. Marcus sat down and I caped him up. I first just took a brush and brushed his hair on top back instead of forward. His hair had such great body that it stood up really well and I already thought he looked a whole lot better. I then wet his hair and took the blow dryer and proceeded to dry it.

When I finished, Marcus said, "I’m really pleased by how it looks like this and it really is no extra work. I do think the top will need to be taken down a little, though. The sides are fine, but I think it will look better with the top shorter."

"I know you have cut a lot of your friend’s hair for them over the years. How would you like to cut the top for me? I’m sure I can trust you to do a good job. Would you like to do that?"

"Boy, you know I would! You don’t have to worry. You know it’s not that hard to just cut only the top and even the ends up. Can I do it right now?" I said.

"Go ahead," Marcus replied. "Consider it an added birthday present." I was really surprised that he was going to let me do this, and I was glad that I had gotten up my nerve to ask him if I could comb his hair.

I had never considered that Marcus would let me cut his hair for him. I picked up my comb and lifted his four inch forelock straight up and cut off almost two inches. I was going to leave it a little over two inches long. It was awesome watching it fall to the cape.

I worked my way to the back and trimmed the hair on each side of the top a little shorter so that it blended into the sides. I then took some pomade and ran it through his hair and brushed it all up and back and to the right.

It was amazing how different he looked without really losing very much hair. I thought it was a big improvement being brushed back, instead of just straight down across his forehead. When I finished, I asked him what he thought.

"I’m really glad you asked me if you could comb my hair and then I let you cut it for me. I think it’s a really big improvement and looks a whole lot better. It’s definitely a more polished look than the way I have been wearing it. Maybe I’ll have to let you start cutting my hair more often?" he said with a smile.

What a great day this had turned out to be. I got a great looking new haircut and I got to get my hands in Marcus’ beautiful hair and cut it. It was definitely a great birthday present!

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