Going to the hairdressers painful for you too?

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Well not painful. Just very anxiety-ridden and makes you want to SCREAM!

It does me. How do you cope with half an hour of small talk?

For me, I research popular culture beforehand, as in what reality shows are on at the moment, so I can hopefully milk a conversation about them for all it's worth.

I cope, that's about it!
I don't find it painful or anxiety-ridden, though. I just about bear the small talk that goes on.

I find it terrible to deal with going to a barber, stylist or hair dresser. I end up getting a hair cut about twice a year due to my dislike of the socialized atmosphere of a salon.

I go to a barber, being male, and I find it a real strain emotionally due to the social environment.

Hairdressers are evil.

An hour of small talk about stupid topics like reality TV, they ask for what occasion you're getting your hair done, and even a glance in a mirror can bother me so sitting starting at a mirror can be really upsetting. It doesn't help that the salon looks like this;

Just imagine sitting in that middle chair, staff and other customers chatting and walking past/behind you, noises from hair dryers and the TV/radio, noises from the hairdressers bangles and her chatting at you, smells of hairspray and coffee, hair gently rubbing on your neck or stray cut hairs on your face, and two of the walls are windowed so it's always really light along with all those chandeliers and gold patterned wallpaper. Honestly, she is a great hairdresser, but her salon doesn't help me any.

My hairdresser always seems to remember me, which creeps me out! She owns at least three well-established and popular salons, she's pretty popular here in Newcastle and it's a big city, plus I only see her once a year at the most, so the fact she remembers me tells me that I stick out as being strange or out of place in a five star salon.

I'm scared of water, my neck hurts from those basins, and hate my head being touched - in general I have touch sensory issues. I'm growing my hair long so hate that they use shampoo...particularly shampoo with SLS's which is not only damaging but causes dandruff too, and conditioners with silicones which are damaging to hair. Then they rrrrrrrrip a comb through your wet hair, before then using hair dryers which are damaging (along with noisy), then hair products and straightening wands that cause yet more damage.

Seriously, why is it hairdressers seem to know nothing about caring for hair?!

I never know what to ask for when making an appointment - cut and style, cut and blow-dry? So I never know what I'm getting done or if I'll annoy them if I want something different to what they thought I wanted when making my appointment. I also worry that they judge me for my cutting my own hair, I know it looks a mess thus why I go to them on occasion. You're also not supposed to brush your hair at the end, because it's rude, but I always have a compulsion to brush my hair to put me at ease.

Then there's payment - not sure why cutting hair has to cost so much - granted she's quite reasonable, but it's still more than I'd like to pay. I like to be prepared, but being clueless about how much these things cost I worry in case I don't have enough money - even when I know I have enough. Then there's tipping - in England tipping isn't really common, there are no strict rules, certainly not with hairdressing.

Everything about going to the hairdressers bothers me - I plan on taking my boyfriend with me next time, it'd add a few problems (such as him finding out how much a haircut costs, and him standing out even more than I do in this place), but at least he can run interference with the small talk. At your age I was still going with my mother, so she talked for me, if you have a family member, partner or friend who can go with you just to sit near to you to talk to the hairdresser for you, it helps.

Oh my goodness, yes! The only thing I hate more than the barber is the dentist. I stopped going to the barber cold-turkey actually. I may some day go back. I haven't decided.

Let me answer this question like this: When I was around 18-19, my hair was almost hanging down to my bottom. Had it cut from there on on a very irregular basis, and now have it groing again, about shoulder length again. Don't care if it suits me or not, but going to the barber is for one something that involves breaking out of my daily rhythm, I don't mind the cutting so much, but those tiny bits of hair that you'll find all over your body for days to come drive me nuts.

Oh I HATE the dentist! How am I supposed to answer their questions when they are in the middle of cleaning my teeth? Do they somehow understand "Ah een hlassing an wrushin mah eeh ewey ay" (I've been flossing and brushing my teeth everyday).

As for the hairdresser, the only thing I don't like is getting my hair brushed. It's always hurt like hell when my hair gets brushed by anyone other than me after I put that Suave Kid's Hair Detangler Spray in it. The small talk just consists of me rambling about my current interest or my brothers, and usually it's the hairdresser who feels weirded out. I really freaked one chick out talking about Cotard's Syndrome and going into a detailed explanation of Capgras Delusion. She ended up screwing up my hair because she was rushing so she could get away from me. Really, I don't see what the big deal is...

I usually just use it as an excuse to talk on and on and on about whatever I'm obsessing over at the time! The hairdressers don't seem to mind-- they just sort of ooh and ahh over how "smart" I am as I ramble about research papers or teaching or birds.

...the awkward part for me is that I've been going to the same haircut place since 6th grade, so there is absolutely no convincing them that I'm a boy. So they always seem to give me girl-versions of whatever boy-haircut I ask them for. Oops. But that is a transgender-rant, not an Asperger's-rant.

Oh, but ever since I started getting my hair cut short, they've decided that they NEED to spike my hair with hard, sticky gel no matter how many times I tell them that I hate hair gel and will spike it with mousse if at some point I decide I have the patience to spike it myself. Urgh.

I hate going anywhere for this reason. Every time it's always the same old questions. How's school going, what do you like to do, etc. Seriously, why do you think you need to know all of this stuff? GTFO of my business. But no, I have to try to be polite and all that other crap. Seriously?

Yeah, I mostly dislike it. I know women are supposted to enjoy going, but I hate the smell of the chemicals, the waiting around, the chatter & small talk, etc. On top of that, I've rarely had anyone do a decent job cutting or styling my hair. So I just don't go any more. I cut & color my hair on my own. It's cheap & if I mess it up, it'll grow out anyway.

I have not had a haircut since the early 90's. My hair is pulled back into a ponytail that goes all the way down the center of my back. I can't stand the sound the scissors make when they snip my hair, I also can't stand the sound or the vibrations given off by the trimmers, and don't get me started on having the hairdresser no matter how hot she is touch me from behind. When I was in army basic training they would make me go last to get my head shaved because of my reactions to the head hsaving trimmers I would squirm around and make "psychotic faces" the drill sargeants were worried I was going to kill the barber.

Sometimes I get lucky and get a quite hairdresser...Other times I have the one whos like 'what grade are you in, do you have a girlfriend? Why not? Are you going to prom then? Well why not?"

yeah it is but not cause of small talk? its painful when they cut and pull your hair....i used to scream and cry whenever i had to go....

I've always hated going to the hairdresser or getting my hair done. Such a painful experience; the flat iron, comb, blow-dryer, paying, everything.. which is why I stopped going and started doing my own hair.

but sometimes I like to have my hair braided professionally just so I can read a lot in one long sitting.

I only go to get my hair cut once every few years, and generally just don't talk. I answer questions, but overall they are there to hurry up and get their hands off my head.

Maybe I should try a little harder the next time I get my hair cut.