Of all the things I could, or should, fear, a haircut shouldn’t be one of them. Storms at sea, yes, hitting a tanker ship in the middle of the night, yes, the stock market, yes, even pirates (arrggghhh), well maybe. But short hair? Seriously? Am I that vain that I got scared about a haircut? Yikes. Well, after a bit of self-recrimination, I bucked up and marched myself straight to a hair salon in Mahon, Menorca.

To my delight there was an English stylist there. I was armed with some pictures on my iPad and with the expectation of needing to use some serious sign language. But, no need, thankfully.

So, after a fabulous shampooing – their seats had a built-in back massager – there was a 10-minute head message. What a great start! Relaxed and ready for my first real haircut in about 8 months, Katie showed me to my seat and asked me what I had in mind.

We had a quick discussion and then she took a look at a couple of photos. Her eyes twinkled a bit. “Does your husband know you’re doing this?” “Of course.” That’s all she needed. She said that this had made her day. Everyone had come in wanting a little “trim” or a color “touch up”. She was excited to do a real transformation for a change.

So, about 30 minutes later, only 25 euro, and enough hair to make a small stole, I was transformed, if only slightly, into my sassier self. We were both delighted. She got to flex her artistic muscles while I was able to get my ego back into check – if only to make sure I showed vanity who’s boss!

P.S. 10 Best Things About Short Hair
1. When your husband rolls over to spoon you he doesn’t roll onto your hair
2. No more shedding…well, at least it’s no longer obvious whose hair it is
3. You use about five times less shampoo. Oh, and if you forget conditioner, no worries, there are no tangles
4. Lip gloss…now hair can’t get stuck…I’m wearing it constantly
5. On that note, I would guess that convertibles are now a blast
6. There are no more hair bands laying around, stuck in the sheets, at the bottom of every purse, nor in every pocket of anything you own
7. In fact, your toiletry case shrinks in half – no hairbrushes (one for combing out the tangled mess & one for styling), no creams or gels or special conditioners, and no hair clips, bands, etc.
8. Hats fit better.
9. Earrings are fun again. You can show off big dangly ones and everyone can see them now.
10. Showers are a snap and your hair dries on its own in six minutes flat, leaving you more time to have a real life!