Simple things now give pleasure

LIKE thousands of other men in Scotland, I recently had my hair cut for the first time in months.

It felt absolutely wonderful and that feeling of wonder reminded me that one of the first things I wrote about in this column was “trichophilia” – a fetish some people have for head hair which they come to see as erotic, and sexually arousing.

Incidentally, “pubephilia” is the technical name we give to the sexual arousal some people have for the sight or touch of pubic hair.

I don’t think that I’ve become a trichophiliac, but sitting in the barber’s chair I was acutely aware that, for the first time, I started to see how having your hair cut could create feelings of intense pleasure that went far beyond the simple instrumental need to look sharper.