Put Your Best Face Forward

If you're like many busy people in this day and age, you view getting your hair cut as a necessary evil rather than a genuinely satisfying experience. Part of the problem stems from the impression that one generic hair salon is much like the next when it comes to services, expertise, and atmosphere. Maybe it's time for you to flip the script by visiting a barbershop instead.

The Advantage of Specialization

Salon stylists see many different kinds of customers, from young children and middle-aged men to elderly women. This range of clientele means that they must have a basic understanding of all the most popular cuts and styles, as well as other techniques such as hair coloring and curling. As a result, it's not uncommon to feel that you're receiving a haircut from a jack of all trades and a master of none. It's no wonder, then, that so many people walk out of hair salons sporting more or less identical (and therefore forgettable) hair.

Barbershops can't offer this broad scope, and that can prove a good thing. Barbers are more likely than salon stylists to focus their skills, training, and experience on a relatively narrow range of specific hairstyles. This focus allows them to become absolute masters of those specific styles, giving you a top-of-the-line haircut with a degree of precision and detail that you might never get from an ordinary hair salon. These styles aren't limited to male customers, either; many women love receiving a classic fade or another short haircut that reflects their personal style perfectly. If you have a style in mind that the barber happens to know, feel free to bring a reference picture. Just be aware that your barber will customize the cut to your own individual features.

The Art of the Shave

While barbershops don't usually provide as many services as generic hair salons, they do offer one great tradition that you'll never get at such salons: a classic old-fashioned shave. This service involves the use of a thick, high-quality shaving foam (applied with a brush) and a traditional straight razor wielded with consummate skill. You might not be able to afford such a luxurious shave every day of the week, but as an occasional treat or a complement to your new haircut, you might find yourself wondering how you ever got along without it. In addition to a complete facial shave, you can experience the fine art of an expert beard or mustache trim that fine-tunes your look far beyond what you could accomplish at home, even with upscale tools.

 A Whole New World

Are you tired of sitting in nondescript waiting areas, reading last year's issues of magazines you'd never bother to peek at in everyday life, and listening to generic light-pop music from the local radio station on your visits to the hair salon? If so, you'll find that a barbershop can provide you with a welcome change of pace. Some barbershops like to replicate the old-fashioned environment of times gone by, from the famous striped barber pole to vintage barber chairs and mirrors. Others may prefer to offer sleek, streamlined, high-tech modern surroundings. Still others may offer refreshments and 24-hour sports channels on overhead TV screens.

These novelties don't just make your experience more interesting—they also encourage you to relax, stop worrying about the clock, and let the barber proceed at the right pace to ensure the best results. Since you're also being actively entertained by your barbershop environment, you're also less likely to distract your barber with endless chitchat, bobbing your head around for emphasis and possibly wrecking your haircut in the process.

A visit to a barbershop can completely change your attitude toward getting your hair cut. Turn that necessary drudgery into a wonderful time by calling a barbershop, such as the Manhattan Barbershop, and scheduling an appointment.