When you think about Men’s Hair Salons what do you think? Do you think salons are for women? Do you think more about haircuts, beauty treatments, or a luxurious spa? We don’t often talk about the experience for me in Hair Salons, but let’s change that! We are going to look at the history, the types, the styles, and everything else you might want to know or wonder about Men’s Hair Salons.
A Brief History
The evolution of Salon’s began with the Barbershop. Can you believe there have been razors and other barber type relics found all the way back to the Bronze Age (around 3500 BC) in Egypt? We begin to see actual barbershops show up in history in Rome around 296 BC, where we see the Greeks treated the barbershop as a daily necessity. Surprisingly in the middle ages, many barbers began offering services such as surgery, dental work, enemas, and many more things you’d never think would belong in modern day men’s hair salons. This will show us both how important the role of a barber has been historically and how far we’ve come as a people in determining the role of a barber. From it’s early roots in history and medicine to present day, you can really see how much men’s hair salons have evolved through the centuries to present day.
What’s the Difference?
When you think of the word hair salon you don’t typically think of a barber. There are two types of professionals who are trained and skilled at dealing specifically with hair; the hairstylist and the barber. Here’s the difference:
Hairstylist: A hairstylist will offer you more complex haircuts and styling for longer hair and hair that will require more styling. They also offer coloring treatments, such as dying hair and frosted tips. This is where you go if you want to have a larger change to you current style or have a more fashion forward look to your hair and hairstyle. Many Stylist salons offer more features such as manicures, pedicures, facials, and more. A lot of men’s hair salons will have options for treating yourself without feeling “less manly” which include manicures, pedicures, and facials; because why should women be the only ones who get to enjoy a little pampering?
Barber: your barber can be a friend to you. They don’t offer as many services as a hairstylist but they do offer a comfortable place for you to go and put a little focus on yourself. A barber will keep your haircut simple, maintained, and styled. A barber will specialize typically in a shorter, traditional haircut that will allow you to look good without much effort on your part to maintain. Some higher scaled barbers and barbershops like dinosbarbershop.com will offer a shave. These shaves aren’t basic, they are more relaxing and are a great way to treat yourself. A barbershop shave often includes a hot lather face shave which is something many salons recommend you get at least once a month. I’m sure you’ve all heard the jingle “shave and a haircut, two bits”? This just lets you know how important this ritual has been for men for decades. At the time of the jingle, a shave and a haircut only cost two bits. All in all, a barber is great to visit when you have simple needs but want to have a nice place to go with people you know.
When you’re trying to decide where you’d like to go, please give these options consideration. Are you looking for a full pampering experience or are you looking for a simpler specialized experience? Are you more high maintenance or looking for a more traditional look? Make sure when you are looking for your men’s hair salon you find out what they specialize in. You don’t want to go to a barber and ask for a high end style on long hair or a manicure, just as you wouldn’t go to a hairstylist and ask for a shave. It’s best to know exactly what type of service you are looking for when you choose your men’s hair salon.
Etiquette
A good rule for visiting a men’s hair salon is to go prepared. When we say prepared we mean know what style you’re looking for and know what you’re going to want out of your experience. You don’t have to know exactly what style you want as they are professionals and will be trained to help you decide what is the best option for your style. Make sure you are going with clean hair, this doesn’t mean you wash it before you go, but maybe make sure you’ve washed it this week when you go. Nothing is worse than the salon technician to have to clean out tangles and debris before they get started.
Another good etiquette rule is tipping. These professionals get paid an hourly wage, but many of the depend on that tip. Tipping is standard, but the amount should entirely depend on the experience you’ve had and your satisfaction with the overall quality of what you got. A standard rule is around 15 to 20% of the overall cost of the haircut or treatment you received. This number can go higher or lower depending on whether you were displeased or especially happy with the results of your experience. Sometimes it’s recommended to tip a little higher when the holidays are near, as this is seen as a little extra bonus as if you’re wishing them a happy holiday or as a gift.
Standard Styles
So now you know a little more about a men’s hair salon, so what are the standard styles you may be looking for when going to a salon?
The standard offerings by a barber will be simpler like fade, military style cuts, buzz-cuts, flat tops, and any other basic type of simple low maintenance style.
Now that you know a little more about men’s hair salons, I hope you are able to find the right one by knowing what you’re looking for and what you want. Do your research, make your appointment and be the best you can be.
