I cheated on my hairdresser… and it felt so good

The same woman has been cutting my hair since I was – no joke – 12. We had a brief rocky period around the time I was 20 and went away to school (I was enticed by the lure of the unknown) but like so many solid relationships, I found my way back. Her (using her name feels like it deepens the betrayal) haircuts have always been solid. Good cuts that grow out well. My hair is healthy and shiny. I have nothing to complain about. But like some of the most rock-solid relationships, after so long it feels like the spark is gone.

There are other reasons, of course. Her hours don’t coincide all that well with my work schedule. And while I used to come into work early so that I could dash out in time to make her last appointment, it started to feel like a chore. But aren’t those really the things we tell ourselves to make going outside the relationship OK?

Enter the other haircutter. His chair is actually right across from hers, and for a long time, I’ve watched him shape and layer, round-brush and straighten, eying his clients with envy. I wanted to sit in that chair! And while normal salon etiquette would probably require me to go further than the hairdresser next door (don’t covet thy hairdresser’s neighbour?), I used the schedule thing as an excuse and booked myself in. The verdict? Love at first snip! Now we’ll just have to see how this cut grows out to see if he and I can make it for the long haul.

Have you ever cheated on your hairdresser? Was the break-up permanent, or did you find your way back to each other? Did you give them the “it’s not you, it’s me speech” (I’m planning to!) or did you slink off into the night, like a guy who says “I’ll call” and is never heard from again?

By: Alyssa