Nov. 26. 1983, was a red-letter day for Roberta and Sharon Borovetz, then living in Bigelow Heights.

The 6-year-old twins with really long hair were headed to the stylist for the very first time .

At any age, losing long tresses can be traumatic -- and not just for the person losing them. The twin's father, Dr. Harvey Borovetz, was hesitant about the salon visit, probably because it meant the girls were growing up. His wife, Fran, recalled at the time that he wasn't happy the day she decided to cut her own long hair a few years prior .

I was there that cold November day when, cute as buttons, they bounced into Louis Cioppa's Kuts for Kids on Gettysburg Street in Point Breeze .

Children's first haircut stories are always fun and you can only hope for no tears. There were none. Each watched the other being shorn, eyes curious but never sad.

The twins had never dressed alike except for special occasions, and their cuts that day were different. Roberta wanted short -- but not too short. It was longer in back, much shorter around the face. She kept her bangs.

Sharon had her waist-length hair cut one length, touching her shoulders, the bangs swept to the side. Each twin told the other, "You look pretty."

Fast forward 24 years. We thought it would be fun to catch up with the twins who turned 30 on Aug. 8.

The graduates of Mt. Lebanon High School and Penn State University are on related career paths in the fast-paced world of Manhattan, where they both live.

Sharon is E-Merchandising Manager for all product categories, from leather goods to sunglasses, with Louis Vuitton NA. Roberta, who has worked for Goldman Sachs and Chanel, recently took a job as senior sales executive position with women's apparel and fashion firm Escada USA Inc.

They continue to share a distinct closeness most twins are know to have and, until a year ago, also shared an apartment in New York City. Now they live separately but only five blocks apart. And they share a black cat named Coal.

They are identical twins, and one is often mistaken for the other. They both remember getting that haircut 24 years ago.

" It didn't scare me," says Roberta. "My hair style today is definitely not the same as that first haircut, and it's longer than Sharon's. We both have dark brown hair, and mine is straight and Sharon's is more curly."

What Sharon recalls most is that both she and her sister " wanted to sit in the front of the horse when we had our picture taken." (The salon had a kind of carousel to make the younger clients enjoy their visit.)

"Roberta won. I only tell this story because that's what is difficult growing up with someone who is like you in so many ways. We always had to somehow resolve conflicts in wanting the same things.

"The other difficult part being a twin is the comparison issue. Even today, people want to know who is taller, who is more athletic, who is smarter. It gets to you sometimes, because looking back, all I ever did was compare myself to Roberta."

So, here I am with the comparison issue yet again regarding their hair. But they didn't mind.

"Luckily my relationship with my sister is stronger than ever," adds Sharon. "Rather than compete with each other, we support each other. Maybe with age comes wisdom."

Roberta says without hesitation, "Sharon is my best friend." And Sharon says, "I don't know what I would do without Roberta in my life."

No hair-splitting on that issue .