I have difficult hair. Hairdressers the world over have attempted (mostly in vain) to tame my awkwardly kinky tresses. I feel like I’ve had a bad hair day for most of the last five years. Now, I know that in the ultimate scheme of things what your hair looks like shouldn’t really be that important. I know that. But for me, it is. It’s somehow all wrapped up with how I feel about myself and, as you can imagine, a five year bad hair day can create some pretty deep existential turmoil.

In the four years we’ve lived in Dubai I’ve had five hair cuts. Not a great track record. And the time between each hatchet job has been progressively longer as it takes me longer to recover from each one (aesthetically and emotionally). The last time I got my hair cut in Dubai was in November 2011, after which I vowed to NEVER get my hair cut in that city again. Never ever. I am still growing out the stupidly preposterous layers that (the appropriately named) Shadi cut from my crowning glory last year. And it’ll be another year, I’m guessing, before all evidence of it is gone. Before my head stops looking like a toadstool (yes, it’s been that bad – I very simply never leave the house without styling it into some semblance of human hair).

So you can imagine my trepidation when (after a LOT of research) I booked an appointment at Lysandro Cicilia hair salon. And I normally wouldn’t take the risk but my last trim was six months ago and it’s been looking a bit scraggly. Plus all the lovely girls here have gorgeous hair so I figured it was worth a try. Raúl was fab fab fab! He made me feel like he really knew what I was talking about and then stuck to the plan. And while I’m reserving full judgement for tomorrow morning (after I’ve washed and dried it myself), I can honestly say it’s the first time in many, many years I’ve walked out of a salon actually happy (or at the very least not bursting into tears)!

BEFORE

AFTER