By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

When Silk Salon barber Dimitri Dixon cuts hair, he feels like an artist approaching a canvas.

“It’s like drawing a straight line,” he said. “You need a steady hand.”

Cutting hair enhances Dixon’s imaginative skills, which allows him to see what a style will look like before his client steps out of the chair.

“As an artist, you always see a finished product, even before it’s done,” he said. “When people paint their cars, they figure out the paint, color scheme, and design first. It’s the same with cutting hair.”

Similar to a preferred set of paintbrushes, Dixon has specific tools that work best for different situations at the Marion business.

“If I had to use different clippers it wouldn’t feel right,” he said. “I could do it because that’s what being a professional is, but it feels different.”

“I specialize in straight hair because I like using my shears, as opposed to my clippers,” he said. “It’s an easier format.”

Dixon likes to finish a cut by touching up the ends with a pair of shears, literally going through it with a fine-toothed comb.

“It helps me clean up the cut a little more,” he said. “I like to get my patrons that extra care. I want them to come out feeling good.”

The salon, which offers $18 men’s cuts, offers a more relaxed pace than when Dixon attended school, something he appreciates.

The Wichita native graduated from barber college in June, but his education was a long road.

“I wish I’d finished sooner because I’d be more established now,” he said.

Dixon started school a decade ago, but left receiving without his certification, before returning to finish it recently.

Now a certified barber, he works at the salon Thursday through Saturday.

Dixon works part-time at Peabody Market as well, which has helped him transition to living in Peabody, and provides extra income.

“It helps me get to know people in the community and vice versa,” he said. “More than anything, the job allows me to supplement my income until I can get established.”