But many barbers claim they have earned the loyalty of many a student.

A customer at Jerry's Underground, who asked to be identified as Tom, says he has been getting his hair cut at Jerry's since he was an undergraduate. Now a graduate student, Tom says he still comes to Jerry's Underground because of the bargain.

"It's basically a $25 hair-cut for nine bucks," he says. "I think it is the most popular shop in Harvard Square."

The greatest signs of allegiance are the graduate students who return to the haunts of their college days to get a hair-cut and catch up on old times.

"For a lot of our Harvard students, we've had their families come for years," says Thomas V. Derensis, the manager at Alfred Hair Salon on JFK. "The Ginsburgs have been coming for years, Susan ('88), Matt ('86) and Amy all got their hair cut here."

Weston from About Hair says, "We had ads in Spare Change, the Unofficial Guide, Lighthouse, "he says. "Mostly, we count on [clients] telling about us to their friends."

Trends

Derensis, says he sees a visible trend in today's student haircuts. He says both men and women are asking for conservative hair styles.

"Our customers are asking for regular guy cuts and, the women are mostly shoulder length," Derensis says, "Nothing exotic."

"Right now the guys ask for short hair tapered in the back," says Linda K. Robinson, receptionist at About Hair. "Most of the girls just want a trim."

Fred Iannacone of the Central Barber Shop prefers the Taoist interpretation of hair styles.

"It goes in cycles," he says. "In the early 60s hair was really short," Iannacone says. "In the late 60s it was long. [The style] is going to be short for a while."

Yvonne Bonaccorso, an owner of Salon Gaia, says the most exciting hair style that Harvard Students will go in for is a bit of color.

"We do a lot of color and highlites," she says.

However, Bonaccorso says she believes that if any change in the present trend occurs it will come in the spring.