I am very much a short back and sides kinda guy but I have a luxuriant head of hair and it would be remiss of me to not enjoy whilst I can. When I worked in the CBD, I had a regular barber who I would see every 3-4 weeks and the shampoo was just part of their service. The accompanying scalp massage was always a highlight. Depending on on her mood, she'd either really put her back into it or just run through the motions. It was always good though. It was a great Friday afternoon treat.

Shortly before I stopped working in the CBD, she gave up the barber game. The other barbers there were okay but not worth the effort it took to get to Surry Hills. Since then I've flicked between a 107 year old Italian barber in a shopping arcade and shopping mall hairdressers. They've always been pretty disappointing. I'm happy to pay $50+ for a good cut, shampoo and scalp massage. Especially because in my experience, the kind of barbers/hairdressers who work in the more hipster adjacent shops tend to be far better at knowing when and when isn't small talk is appropriate.