Three encounters ... #3 ... Don't you need special shampoo?

Man can learn nothing except by going from the known to the unknown

~ Claude Bernard ~ 

 

Here is the final instalment of my three encounters.

#3... Don't you need a special shampoo?

Headed up to four weeks in the UK and on my second cold, I had not gotten a chance to wash my hair for a variety of reasons: I was sick twice … stupse…(not washing it then to make me sicker), I had no dryer (bought one last weekend) etcetera…etcetera. I went to the dentist for my first examination and right next door is a salon with dryers. Quick thought that this would be better than holding a blow dryer over my head on my own until my hand hurt and it would make sure that even though I am sniffling I would have a clean, dry head. So, I turned, walked in and up to the desk and asked, “how much would it be for me to get my hair washed and dried?”

She looked petrified. I can’t think of a better word.

“But, don’t you need a special shampoo?”

I responded with a shake of my head and she asked “how do you dry it?”

I am trying to think how I felt at this time, but I can’t think how to explain it; I wasn’t upset, I wasn’t annoyed, I was just determined to get this hair washed and not have to dry it myself. I said, “just a normal hood dryer like the one in the corner over there” as I pointed to the dryer I could see behind her. I could still see some alarm in her expression but after we established that I was willing to do it even though she had no experience with hair like mine and that I didn’t want to make an appointment (there was only one other person in the salon being worked on) she said she could do it for 15 pounds.

She took my coat, settled me in a chair, put on a cape and towels (girls you know the routine) and then asked me to sit at the sink. She started out pretty easy and I could feel that she was being cautious, so I let her do the cautious thing for a while before I told her she could really use her fingers in it and give it a good scrub (which is what I really wanted). It was wonderful … produced a moan, to which she laughed. I could feel her getting more comfortable.

We moved back to the chair, where she settled me under the dryer although she did ask before putting the hood on if there was any particular way I wanted the hair put under the dryer or just how it fell. By this time I understood that the questions were largely from inexperience and uncertainty and she just wanted to make sure she was doing everything right. So I smiled and said that however it fell was fine.

So there I am under the dryer (must be the first time I was glad to be under one), she comes around and asks if I want tea, coffee or something else to drink (WHA?) and then periodically comes to check on my hair as it dries. I must mention that throughout this entire episode nothing on me got wet but my hair at any point which for me is amazing. No spilling at the sink, no water dripping as we went back to the chair and no water as the dryer hood was on (wow!) me and my clothes were dry.

It was an interesting experience, the one patron that was there turned at some point and said to me that my hair was beautiful (I blushed and said thank you) and the lady who washed my hair said I taught her something. I got a price list for other treatments and thought; you know what I would come here again.