Many people imagine a barbershop to be a place where a bunch of guys sit around and talk about sports, politics and their families, out front would be the red and white stripped pole slowly spinning around, think 1950’s America.
But the times have changed, haven’t they? Today there are some gray areas, although often the line between stylist and barber is still quite defined.
There are some who think that a simple barber who has only taken barbering courses is inferior to the a stylist and that the barber has limited skills compared to the stylist. These are the perceptions, however, this is certainly not the reality.
People who think this way don’t know the whole story; in order to truly see the differences and the reality of the situation we need to dig deeper.
Often times the question arises, “Should I go to a barber shop or a salon,” and in truth the answer will be different for different guys, and it should be based on a few different factors.
Everyone knows they would not go to a brain surgeon if they had a heart problem, so logic says you would not go to a stylist if all you want is a flat top. The same thing holds true with stylists, you would not go to a barber if you wanted highlights and shag. Different strokes for different folks.
The main difference between the a barber and a stylist is the types of haircuts that are generally expected. Barbers generally cut hair shorter and stylists work on longer and fuller hair. A barber cuts hair, a stylist styles hair, but that doesn’t mean each individual skill is of a greater of lesser value.
Barbering courses are different from the courses taken by stylists but with the advent of men’s hair salons, the line are becoming more and more blurred.
You Should Go To A Barber If…
- You want a short, traditional haircut such as a flat-top; military style or simply a style that’s short in the back and on the sides.
- If you do not want to pay a great deal for your grooming, barbers are usually cheaper than stylists and if all you want is a good, simple haircut, go to a good barber.
- If you want to keep things simple, go to a barber – barbers will comfortably cut and trim your hair the way you are accustomed to wearing it, you look good and feel good without a the production you might expect from a salon.
- If you want a shave you absolutely must go to a barber. Many shops offer a real hot lather shave which in themselves are a treat.
- If you want to escape from reality for a while a barbershop is a great place for guy-talk. Barbershops are usually not very “frilly” and they are a great place for men to hang out and chat for a while, politics, sports, you name it.
- If you are happy with something similar to the hair style you currently have, then a barber is for you. A barber will rarely ask if you want big changes, they are happy working within the hair style you already have.
Now, you should visit a salon if …
- You have long hair
- You want your hair colored
- You want to make a fashion statement
- You want a drastic change in your style
- You want to purchase high end beauty products
Of course these are just general impressions and statements, not every barber or stylist will suit everyone or fit a cookie cutter mold.
There are stylists that are perfectly capable of cutting men/s hair, they may most certainly taken barbering courses as well as style school.
