By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Nov. 4: Festivals are when people try to look their best in Nepal, according to parlour shop owner Prashanti Bhusal. “Dashain and Tihar are when people have family gatherings, meet their relatives and take lots of pictures. That is why everyone dresses up and grooms themselves,” she said.
But for men though, grooming seems to have taken the form of a shaved head this season. Santosh Thakur, a barber in Bakhumbahal, Lalitpur, said that men, young and old alike, were preferring to shed their hair. “People come to my shop and tell me to razor their curls. Some want blades, most want hair clippers. Long hair seems to have fallen out of fashion,” he said.
But why? As The Rising Nepal was talking to Thakur, Saksham Pokharel walked into his shop asking for his head to be shaved. He shared his reason for doing so, “With COVID-19 all around, it is not a good idea to be frequently visiting barbershops to get a haircut. So, I choose to shave because then I don’t have to worry about my mane for the next six months.”
Similarly, Pranav Sthapit also shaved his head last week. For him, it was about his appearance. “I shaved my head for the first time in April during the lockdown and found that the bald look suited me. I have maintained it ever since.”
However, Thakur believes that people are choosing to bare their heads because it can’t be messed up when done at home. “Most people are staying away from salons and cutting their hair themselves. But, obviously, they don’t have the necessary skills.
One wrong move and your entire look gets ruined. So they choose to go fully bald or trim their hair with the hair clipping machine set at no. 1 (the hair is one-eighth of an inch long) or no. 2 (the hair is one-quarter of an inch long).”