February 8th, 2008

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Mixed Bag, Morocco
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Stylists and Haircuts I Have Known

Ages 0 to 5: I have no idea.
Ages 6 to 12: Barber that my father went to in Park Royal mall. He’s still there, apparently.
Ages 12 to 17: John at a now-defunct hair salon in Royal Centre mall. My Mom went to him, and he was also a commercial fisherman, if I recall correctly.
Ages 18 to 23: A Greek woman at a salon kitty-corner to Hillside Mall in Victoria.
Ages 24 to 26: Alice Jasmine at Axis Hair Salon, just off Broadway. She was lovely.
Ages 27 to 29: Sundry stylists at Toni & Guy in Dublin
Ages 29 to 32: Karen at Sweetpea Hair on Richards St. (highly recommended).
Ages 32 to 33: A different Karen in Malta, and some dude at the end of the lane here in Morocco.

From an early age, I guessed that good haircuts and nice shoes were ways I could differentiate myself from the regular smelly boy horde. I remember that my first two girlfriends remarked, unprompted, on my footwear. Score.

On the hair front, I’ve mostly gone to salons, which, while rather effeminate, generally offer higher quality cuts. A good haircut also lasts longer, which means I have to go less often. As for the salons, you just have to embrace the scalp massages, peculiar temporary garments and Sarah McLachlan on the stereo.

How Much Have I Paid For Haircuts

Earlier this week I got a haircut from one of the many coiffures on our street. His little shop was empty–his buddy had to call him to come down and coupe mon cheveux.

It occurred to me that I’ve now gotten my hair cut in at least six countries. That might become a thing–getting a haircut in every foreign country I visit.

So how much do haircuts of the world cost? Good question. Here’s what I paid, in Canadian dollars:

Canada: $45
United States: $110
Ireland: $45
Malta: $15
Hungary: $30
Morocco: $5

That US figure is ridiculously high, and the most I’ve ever paid for a haircut. I was staying at a fancy hotel in San Francisco for a conference, and had the concierge book me it for me without specifying a price range. It was a bit of a shocker.

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Comments: 4 Responses so far

Beth
February 8th, 2008
6:41 am

Members of the opposite sex often comment on my footwear too.

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raidereno
February 8th, 2008
8:47 am

Growing up in Abbotsford I had a barber named Bert, his brother Ernie had the other chair! The cheapest haircut I have ever had was $5 in Rio de Janeiro, in a tiny shop a few streets back from the beach, great haircut too!

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gillian
February 8th, 2008
10:33 am

I’ve got a cut-and-highlights booked tomorrow. Last time I paid $155 before tip. But, my stylist knows some of the Battlestar Galactica actors, and the salon plays indie rock on their stereo. Also, people think my haircolour (4 different shades!) is real, even 4 months later when the roots are showing.

When I was a student I went to a local salon in Marpole for a $20 haircut and used to do my own highlights at home with a $10 kit. But they tended to give me a mushroom head and the roots were noticeable within a few weeks.

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Derek K. Miller
February 8th, 2008
12:38 pm

I think that people often spend less on stuff that they live with and others see every day — haircuts and eyeglasses come to mind — than they should.

Right now my hair is scraggling and thinning from chemotherapy, so I’m making do with some (admittedly pretty decent) $15-20 cuts from the inexpensive MasterCuts at the local mall — if it gets much worse, I’ll probably go for a total head-shave.

But I have really enjoyed the more expensive but not outrageous ($45+) cuts I’ve had from Martin, one of the owners of The Lounge in Yaletown. The free coffee is nice too. The only time I’ve ever tried colouring my hair, my wife did it (and a good job it was too) — if I were to try anything more radical, I’d definitely spend money to make it happen.

[Reply]

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