A year in haircuts

I like experimenting with my hair. For those of you who know me personally, this should come as no surprise. I've sported a variety of styles ranging from long locks, a buzz cut, and most recently, ash brown colored curls. I cannot claim to be a lifelong hair-aficionado however. The recluse lifestyle during the pandemic is what birthed this 'outlandish' behaviour, as my grandmother would put it. I went a whole year and a half growing out my hair and surprised my family at the end of it.

It was a great time, which ironically began by giving myself a haircut in my bathroom. The cut was horrible. It was uneven, patchy and it looked like I had used a broken lawnmower to do the job. Luckily, COVID-19 lockdown rules meant that only my roomates saw me in person, and I was saved by Zoom's virtual avatar for work calls. Over the next few months as the patches evened out, an idea sprouted: how long could I go without cutting my hair?

My long curls were unconventional. I'm not sure if it was the attention I got on the train commute home, or the compliments I recieved at my cousin's wedding for 'bucking the trend', but it felt good to stand out from the crowd. Like breaking a small image of me that people had in their heads, colored by the rules of what I could and couldn't do. In fact, it felt even better to stand out from myself. Hairstyles were not something I had varied until then. I was exploring this domain for the first time, and I liked the idea of foraging down a path and trying something on my own.

An underlying sense of urgency also drove this exploration. From an adolescent age I've been acutely aware of the high chances that I will go bald, thanks to my genetic composition. Many browns guys reading will resonate with this 'unreasonable' fate thrust upon us. On account of my dad being bald, and his dad being bald, I must too? When was I consulted? If I grew up in a vacuum, this might not have been a big deal. But one day I went to highschool. Plenty of boys my age were making fun of those losing hair already, and sharing insecurities about how girls wouldn't like you if you didn't have a good head of hair.

I challenged these notions when I was in college. My environment had changed, and I was auditing a lot of my beliefs, including hair related ones. The evidence against was irrefutable. A close friend was embracing his bald look and rocking it, and I was seeing many others do the same. Some female friends even raved about men with a bald head (you go, Jason Statham!).

But most importantly, I began to let go of the idea that beauty conformed to one standard. I found it fascinating to see people use their hair as a form of expression. People had various hairstyles that were 'outlandish' in their shape, color and spunk- they didn't seem to mind, they expressed themselves anyway. This wasn't common to see when I was growing up in India, especially amongst men. It was refreshing, and through this experience I found another one of life's collectibles: a new perspective.

After I cut my long hair, I continued to indulge in minor 'hairy' adventures. In the year 2023, I decided to get haircuts only when I travelled out of Singapore. An arbitrary rule, but one that had the potential to make for a good blogpost story. The added benefit was ensuring that I always had a fresh trim for my photos. As I found out, the experience of interacting with a barber is equally memorable to a great haircut. It sounds obvious to say, but I think its a subltety that is sometimes lost in this profession. A good barber gives you a good haircut most of the time, but a great one builds trust and you end up liking whatever style they endow on you.

With that, here are some highlights from the year. If you ever visit these cities and are in the market for a haircut, do check them out.

January - Chennai, India

To kick things off, I was in my hometown of Chennai. I used a service called UrbanClap, which offers premium haircuts right in the comfort of your home. As a bonus, this haircut came with a head massage as well. The hairstylist brought their equipment and set up shop in my bedroom. While the cut was average at best, I could not say the same about the massage, which I had to cut short. He alternated between drumming on my head and scratching it, which would have been more enjoyable if performed on an actual drum.

February - Koh Samui, Thailand

My first female barber of the year, and she did a wonderful job. I got a high top fade with a line scored across my partition and my eyebrow. She was a great professional, who had taken the time to become really good at her craft. She was careful with her lines, and smooth with the blade finishing. This haircut took almost 45 minutes, with no waiting time. The shop charged a premium for the location and service, but it was definitely worth it.

April - Hanoi, Vietnam

I was not supposed to get a haircut at this store. I was headed to an establishment close to my hostel that had good reviews online. The inside of that store was filled with people smoking up, and it also happened to have a couple of men getting a haircut in one corner. It was like a scene out of Snoop Dogg's rap songs. Needless to say, I walked out. Not that they were in a rush to stop me, I think they hardly even noticed I was there.

As I walked down the busy street, I came across a shop with a huge pair of scizzors above its entrance and a Vietnamese name. It was a small shop without any doors, open to let folks from the street walk in at a moments notice. I walked in. Two young men were present; one gestured for me to sit, and listened as I described the hairstyle I wanted. Neither of them spoke a word of English, and halfway through the cut, things were not looking good. I think he could tell I was anxious, but he continued to do his thing without much hesitation. In the end, it was a good haircut for less than half of what I would've paid at the other place. I also got a healthy dose of Vietnamese hospitality and friendliness. I couldn't find the exact location on Google Maps, so here's the location of the hostel I stayed at instead.

July - Chennai, India

I was back in Chennai for a mid year pitstop. I decided the next cut would be at a place close to home, quite literally. I got this haircut at Naturals, a salon right across from where I stayed and one I’ve frequented since highschool. They are reliable, and I had a clean, hassle free cut.

September - Chiang Mai, Thailand

This was a memorable one. After renting a bike, I stopped by a quaint barbershop and was greeted by a smiling face—Oh, a tattooed local with a warm welcome. He had moved to Chiang Mai from a nearby village to open his business and support his young family. As I was getting my cut, his sons arrived from school and raced around the shop, excited to see Dad after a long day. We spoke about our journeys in life thus far, touching topics like getting married and relationships. He seemed full of life, and I remember leaving with a sense of optimism.

November - Seoul, Korea,

The final haircut of the year. It was my second female barber, and one who didn't speak English. This salon was trendy, and I got a free hair wash & spa with my cut. It was a professional experience, despite the language barrier. They seemd well prepared for this, as the salon was located in a district that received a lot of tourists. Bonus points for the nice chocolate they gave me at the end :)