I recently got into a somewhat heated debate with a gentleman
regarding how to find a great barber or stylist. When I asked him what
the first thing he looked for, he responded with, "price." It his his
opinion that price is a great indicator of whether the haircut will be
good or not. He even went as far as to tell me that he would not
consider using my services because I charge less than $40 for a men's
haircut -- in spite of the fact that I have over two decades behind the
chair and am nationally known in the hair industry. Of course, his
haircut was not appropriate for his face shape,
the blending was not quite there and the finishing was a mess. But, he
paid a lot of money for it, so it must be great, right? Are more
expensive haircuts better? Not always. Here's why:
In my two
decades, I have fixed a ton of $80 salon haircuts on men. Now, I'm not
saying that hairstylists aren't capable of doing a great men's haircut.
Quite the contrary.I am a licensed hairstylist. Here is the problem
with a lot of men's haircuts in expensive salons. First, many salon
hairstylists are trained to cut women's hair and women's hair is
different -- the shapes created are softer and more feminine and many
hairstylists don't really "get it" about creating men's shapes (which
are typically leaner and more masculine). Those who don't work on men
regularly normally don't have the practice to properly blend or finish a
men's haircut, especially if the cut is a shorter style that involves
clipper work.
The next aspect of the salon environment that
works to a male client's disadvantage is that men are not often the main
profit center in a salon. Services more geared toward women (color
other chemical treatments) are high profit services that take a lot of
time. Stylists generally make more money on these types of services.
Quite often, a stylist will attempt to "squeeze in" a quick men's
haircut while another client's chemical service is processing. This may
not allow the stylist enough time to devote to doing a perfect men's
haircut, but they'll work you in to help fill their down time.
Of
course, as a man, you may not be best served if you shop for the
cheapest haircut either. Many low-end barbershops and chain salons
knocking out $12 haircuts are working based on volume, meaning to earn a
good living a barber or stylist has to perform several haircuts an
hour. This means you'll likely be rushed in and out of the chair. Most
really great barbers and stylists soon realize that if they are
talented and have built a clientele, they can earn a better living
working at a shop that charges more.
So, if you shouldn't necessarily go to the expensive salon or the cheap chain or mom and pop, how do you find a great barber or stylist?
First,
I would look for high end barbershops or men's salons -- these places
typically only cut men's hair and are well-trained in the art of men's
hair. They'll know how to shape, blend, and finish a men's haircut
properly. A fair price for a great men's haircut will be in the $25 to
$50 range. Now, if you are getting a fade or buzz, you could probably
opt for a cheaper, more traditional style barbershop.
If you are
still having trouble finding a place that suits you, I recommend asking
around. If you see someone with a similar style you think looks great,
ask him who did it. Of course, you need to know how to spot a bad haircut, so you know who not
to ask. You can also check some of the review sites such as Yelp, but
make sure to read the reviews carefully (rather than looking at the
stars alone). People complain about the most insignificant things, so
if you see a shop that's missing a few stars, take a look at the reviews
and find out why. A guy once rated me one star because he was 25
minutes late for his 30 minute appointment and I could not accomodate
him. If a shop has lots of five star reviews, read those carefully,
too. It's not uncommon for shops to give incentives to clients for
posting great reviews, so take that into consideration as well.
The
bottom line is that, while most barbers or stylists who are great will
charge a higher price, there are plenty of great haircutters who charge
less and a great deal of people who don't have a clue what they are
doing with men's hair who are charging a lot more. You can't tell if you have a great barber or stylist
by price alone. If the haircut is amazing, it is certainly worth
paying a little more, but you can likely find a great haircut that won't
break the bank.
By David Alexander
Men's Hair Expert
