My First Chinese Haircut

My mission president is a man full of wisdom, and a man whom I love and admire deeply. He gave me much advice throughout my mission which helped me accomplish my purpose as a missionary. However, his counsel did not end there. Out of the many things he told me I needed to do before the end of my mission, he told me I needed to experience a Chinese haircut before I left. I was hesitant for a couple of reasons.

First, Chinese hair is much different than Western hair. It is so thin! Also, Chinese haircuts have a “flair” to them beyond that of a standard American haircut. Their hair is never even, there are always long, stray hairs that stick up on the top of the head, and the sides are cut so short (regardless of the length of the rest of the hair) as to create a mushroom shape similar to the speed boosts on MarioKart. Just a shout-out (to myself) for my Wii MarioKart first place finish in our FHE competition last winter semester. I admit it, I still feel really good about it. :)

As our study abroad group was walking around on Friday touring some of the scenic sights in Nanjing, I thought to myself that I really need to completely dive into the culture during this trip. I woke up on Saturday morning, and I realized that my sideburns were making a full curl. It was time for a haircut!

On my mission, I never once went to a place to get my hair cut. Most of the apartments had hair clippers, and I would normally just ask one of my roommates to give me a simple haircut. Unfortunately, this apartment does not have clippers, and I didn’t know of anyone in our study abroad group that did. It looked like my only options would be to just let my hair continue to grow out and allow it to wax reminiscent of my high school days when Coach Smith referred to me as Kramer, or go get my hair cut. A Chinese haircut?! No! I had gotten my hair cut twice by native roommates on my mission and both could easily be referred to as nothing short of a disaster. I was embarrassed both times and rebuked by my mission president once. But hey, I figured if my mission president had suggested it, how bad could it really be? I decided to brave it, and on Saturday afternoon I headed towards the nearest barbershop.

I walked in. My first impression? Dirty. I got over it. I had just reviewed how to say “haircut” and “hairstyle” so when the man asked me if I needed a haircut, I was able to understand and answer in the affirmative. I waited for five minutes and then I was up. He asked me how I wanted my hair cut. I told him I wanted the same style, but just a little shorter. I emphasized “a little” with both diction and hand motions. I didn’t work. He took the scissors to my head and before I knew it, I had lost control of the situation. I decided to just let it go and chalk it up as a cultural experience. We had an engaging conversation. We talked about the normal topics: Chinese, the American army, and the difference between American and Chinese education system. Then, I asked him if he liked living in Nanjing? He said that he did. I asked him why? He told me that men really like to live in Nanjing because the weather is good for women’s complexion. I asked him if that is why he has lived here so long? He smiled. :)


After he finished cutting my hair, I realized that I had gotten the full Chinese haircut! I could see the long, stray hairs floating centimeters above the rest of my hair, and I could see the silhouette of the classic Chinese mushroom shape. I had two options. 1) I could be embarrassed or 2) I could count it as a cultural experience and walk proudly on the streets of Nanjing as my long, stray hairs flowed in the wind. I chose the second. So after a hair wash and head massage (please refer to “I am Not an Animal”), I payed my fee. It was only 74 cents American!



I made it. And all in all, the experience was actually quite enjoyable and the result wasn’t too bad. Plus, I now get to walk on the streets of Nanjing with a “flair” I had never before imagined.