I got a post-lockdown haircut in Oxford and I nearly cried when I looked in the mirror

So, here’s my hair.

Please don’t judge me on the before picture, I thought my DIY hairdos were great – until Mark at Electric cut it.

Now look at it – I’m actually quite smug.

For the first time in months, I had my hair professionally cut and I almost cried looking in a mirror when I saw it.

After one of the most awful years for self-care, most of us have made it a priority to schedule an appointment to get our locks looking good again.

And if you want a salon recommendation – I know a good one.

READ MORE: The best (and worst) Oxford hairdressers according to Google reviews

Tucked behind the Westgate Centre on St Ebbes Street is the closest salon to Oxford’s shopping centre and high street, Current Works by Electric.

The salon, which is set over three floors in a Victorian building still has most of its original features – even a fireplace.

Walking into any salon can often be a bit intimidating – especially if you have wild hair from lockdown.

But when I pulled up outside on my yellow bike, I didn’t feel the slightest bit out of place.

The salon itself is fresh and feels like a studio. The staff also have great hair (I think this is a telling sign when I go to a new hairdressers for the first time).

When I arrived, I was greeted by Mark Woolley who is the owner of the brand and the salons which are now based in Reading, Brighton, Liverpool and London.

Fran Way and Mark Woolley

Within seconds my coat was popped on a hanger and I was sat down in a booth (I was also lent a charger because my phone had ran out of juice!)

Another one of the team led me to the back of the salon and up the hidden staircase for a wash and massage, arguably the best bit about getting your hair cut.

Upstairs is so quiet, despite being a stone’s throw from Queen Street, I couldn’t hear a thing.

As I lay back in the massage chair, I read the story of how Electric started – which is written on the walls.

The brand was born in 2007 out of the idea of something different in hairdressing.

Mark says the people are at the heart of the business and it was clear from talking to staff that they love being around. So much so, some of them have travelled the country working in new salons as they open up.

Upstairs there’s a dedicated space for freelance hairstylists which is where the ‘Current Works’ part of the salon was designed. Electric collaborate with local artists to give them an area to work from or to host events at.

With my mane now washed I headed back downstairs to the chair, where Mark spritzed my hair with some sweet-smelling products before talking me through what he would do.

I never quite know what to ask for when I go to the hairdressers: when I’m standing in front of the bathroom mirror at home I just try and aim for the straightest line I can and hope for the best as I hack away at it with scissors.

Fran Way haircut before

What I do know is, I love a bob (or a lob – long bob) and, with thick hair like mine, I desperately need the weight taken out of it.

Luckily for me, Mark knows what he’s doing having worked with hair for decades in salons around the world.

In fact, I would have been in safe hands with any of his stylists at the salon who I could see working on other clients in the chairs. They all looked beautiful.

Fran Way and Mark Woolley

Mark transformed my hair from a bit of a mess to a haircut you see in magazines.

I know he used scissors and a razor – but the rest I can only assume was magic.

It’s amazing what a good haircut can do.

Fran Way after haircut back

I think all women who have got their hair cut will feel my pain when I say it was raining outside and I was cycling home.

Luckily, my salon-fresh trim did last a couple of days – enough for me to flick my hair at my mum over Zoom and get a few ‘wows’ from my friends.

I also took home some shampoo from Electric which worked a treat to get that salon experience as we headed into the third lockdown.

Back in March, the country went crazy for the Mrs Hinch-inspired labels on their shampoo products, this shampoo has the same picture-perfect vibe on my shower shelf. It’s monochrome conditioner combo is also square-shaped and best of all – recyclable.

My mum always says that a good haircut grows out well.

Well thanks to Boris, I really got the opportunity to put that to the test.

I can’t promise that I’ll never hack away at my own hair again but I’ll be adding myself into the line to get a haircut at Current Works by Electric as soon as there’s an appointment available.

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