Vile Cuts

With a prime site in relaxed Bruntsfield, and a muted interior design illuminated by streaming sunlight, JFK's new salon is inviting and tastefully fashionable. An art gallery downstairs doubles as a space for clients to mingle with stylists while the rich colour scheme balances masculine austerity and feminine warmth. Unlike many unisex hairdressers, JFK is welcoming for either sex.

My stylist Fraser is warm and intelligent: his banter stays on the right side of familiar, and he listens carefully to my suggestions. Alongside the massage chair and the professional atmosphere, he exudes a comfortable enthusiasm and pays careful attention to the pecularities of my receding hairline and double crown.

Despite encouraging Fraser to experiment, he goes for medium length, light on "product" and conservative. It is easy to manage, respectable and elegant: he leaves the length to add weight to thinning patches and resolves my disappearing fringe into a gentle tuft.

He tells me that JFK gets plenty of students and young professionals: since the prices are reasonable and the ambience pleasant, JFK knows its clientele. My only complaint is that my new 'do reveals my hairy eyebrows, necessitating a trip to the beauticians or a few hours with the tweezers.

If I had hoped for something to stand out in the New Year, I'd be disappointed. However, I end up with hair that is practical and businesslike. It is a rare trip to a hairdressers that doesn't end in emotional trauma, and JFK combines a laid-back atmosphere with a tight professionalism.