Dodging the 'Bait'

Hair cut. An 'essential' ritual that everyone has to go thru - atleast once in 2 months. It is also the time when you would have to dodge uneasy baits - beauty/hair-care products from the salon.

For the record, I normally never fall for the bait of 'good for the scalp' or 'cures dandruff' hair-care-products that the hair dressers ('barbers' for lay men!) lay out for me. I go to the extent of countering them with the ill-effects of chemicals on our hair and counter-market our one-and-only Raaga Shikakai powder to her.

Today was no exception, the hair-dresser tried the same old trick on me and I managed to back-off just in time! But there was a small twist that made it very embarassing to say 'No' to the hair-care stuff.

It all started off with me agreeing for a hair-wash which I would never do - in normal circumstances. Yes, I have a dandruff problem. But I don't want every hair dresser to harp on that. Hence, I shut them up by voluntarily accepting that and also tell them not to care too much about it.

This time, I could not say that. Actually even before I could start my first line of defense, the hair-dresser bypassed my defense by dropping a comment - 'I could do a better hair-cut if I wash your hair first'. I dared not to say 'No' as I did not want to give her an excuse for giving me a shoddy hair-cut! I did not even ask her the extra charge for the hair-wash!

I could not think of one specific reason for me not resisting the hair-wash. May be because I have never had a hair-wash earlier (at the salon I mean). Or may be because she was a bit charming in her ways of convincing me. Anyways I knew I was hooked for a hair-wash plus hair-cut.

She started the hair-wash with a simple shampoo - to cleanse my hair. She then used a conditioner that had eucalyptus oil and mint. I could not only smell the mint but also 'feel' chill of the mint in my head. I felt as though a ton of ice has been placed on my head. Only that the weight was not there - but the chillness was very much there!

This was when I started thinking that the hair-wash idea was not too bad after all. I thought too early I would say! She went on to do what she claimed a 'Scalp massage'. God knows what that means - but it felt really great - light and very cool hair. It was like riding on a motorbike at 90KMPH in Antartica - with cold wind blowing thru your hair!

The hair-cut (after the hair-wash) went eventlessly. I painfully tried to strike a conversation and failed pathetically. The hair-dresser had suddenly lost interest in any conversation with me! May be my hair was too much to wash for her. I did not that bad a dandruff problem, I say.

When it was time to pay up, she dropped the question that I was expecting right from the first minute. She started 'If you are interested...'. She went on for 5 minutes, non-stop, and tried to appriase me of the various 'hair-care' products available. All I heard was her voice in patches '...we have some products...good smell....therapeutic value...cleanse...twice a week...' I basically did not care to listen anything complete for the fear of ending up buying it!

I waited for the first pause in her speech and blurted out 'I think I would not buy anything now. Maybe next time.' - in most rudest way possible. Damn my communication/socialization skills! She was shocked for a moment. She probably expected me at least hear her out, may be. But I was in no mood to hear her and waste her/my time there. I thanked her again (profusely this time - to make up for the rude interruption of her monologue), paid her a handsome tip and shot out to escape her frustated looks.

This sequence of events happens every time I go for a hair-cut. Every time I cookup and practice a nice way of turning the hair-dresser down. But I end up blurting out something stupid/rude. I just hope I dont get to have my next hair-cut from the same hair-dresser. Even if that is the case, I pray to god that she has bad memory and should have forgotten even vaguely talking to a person like me!