CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 31 She focused her big blue eyes on her mother, no smiles, but no tears either. For a little girl having her first-ever haircut, Addison handled it like a pro. The 15-month-old gripped the wheel of her red biplane barber chair at "10 and 2" and jutted her lower lip between two chubby cheeks, almost as if she were the one driving this rite of passage. Because there's only one first haircut, and it's not just about the hair. It's the first step into a big kid's world, a small leap toward an inner circle of women. Stylist Lisa Sasser swept a green, penguin-adorned smock over Addison's purple polka-dot dress and snapped the "before" photo, all part of the $21 package that Toadly Kool Me hair salon MAKING THE CUT offers parents of pint-sized customers. Addison's mother, April Taylor, would also receive a photo after the cut, a certificate marking the occasion and, of course, the first lock to be shorn, quickly whisked into an awaiting baggie. After two and a half years, Sasser has figured out a few tricks about first cuts. She moves quickly, rarely spending more than 15 minutes on a trim. Sasser has learned that keeping one hand on the head of an anxious child works wonders toward soothing first-timer fears. "And a lot of baby talk," she said. Sasser moved in for the first snip. And then, the rest of Addison's little blond curls were allowed to hit the floor without (much) sentimentality. Addison flinched a bit when Sasser's cold scissors brushed her neck, but she didn't cry. She didn't even squirm (much). It helped that Elmo sang to her from the television mounted next to the large mirror. And it helped that stuffed animals in an array of primary colors peered down from a nearby ledge and that the bright yellow walls and multi- colored floor tiles were both distracting and cheery. And then it was over. From start to finish, including photos for posterity's sake, the cut took about 10 minutes, leaving Addison a bit perplexed. She finally seemed comfortable with this new experience just in time for it to end. When Sasser swiveled her chair to face the mirror, Addison beamed back at herself, squealed and started laughing. The cut was a success. CV A little trim, a big step | BY R EB EK A H SA N D ER LIN W hen the first lock of hair hit the ground, Addison Taylor never flinched

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