Salon or Barbers: What's The Difference?
When you are in need of a haircut, where do you go? To the hair salon or the barbers?
What is the difference anyway?
This article will help to clear up any confusion and clearly show the distinctions between these two professional services.
Understanding the Distinctions
The Role of Salons
Hair salons specialise in longer haircuts and styles. A hair salon is more than just somewhere to get a haircut. A trip to the hair salon will usually involve a wash, as well as a cut and style and possibly a hair treatment too, hair colouring or chemical services such as straightening.
Once the province of female clientele, hair salons have moved with the times and the fashions. Many are unisex and there are many men's hair salons presided over by men's hair stylists who specialise in fuller men's styles.
The Role of Barbershops
Barber shops tend to specialise in shorter haircuts and styles. Traditionally barbershops were the province of men, men's hair was short and classic styles were the rule. Men are still the more common clientele.
A clean shave with a straight razor is and always has been the province of the barber shop and the barbershop too has always been one of the rare places that many men feel able to open up and talk about what's going on with them.
The barber shop is often still considered a 'male' space. A safe space too for men to be vulnerable, to get a service tailored to them and to feel looked after and perhaps even indulgent.
Expertise and Training
Hair salon stylists will have expertise and training in styling longer hair, working with different hair types and other salon services such as colouring hair. They will be experts in helping customers choose styles that complement their hair types and their face shape.
Most commonly the barber's primary focus is on short hair styles; fades, buzzcuts, a military style cut together with other classic cuts and as a general rule those kind of styles which use clippers rather than scissors. There are many very talented barbers out there with a wealth of expert training. This together with facial hair grooming services such as a beard trim and of course using straight razors to shave are what barbershops specialise in.
It is also becoming increasingly common for barber shops, particularly more upscale barbershops to offer other options for men's grooming and so some barbers have done more training in additional services such as men's facials, manicures, and massage so you can turn getting your next haircut into a real treat.
The Verdict: Are Salons Better Than Barbershops?
Really there is only one person who can decide if a barbershop or a hair salon is the better choice for you...and that's you!
It depends on many personal factors not least the service and style you are looking for.
If you are looking for a shave; you are likely to be disappointed if you waltz into a hair salon.
Similarly, if you have long hair that you want cut, coloured and styled you are unlikely to get the service you want from a barbershop.
So before booking your appointment or trying a walk-in spend a few moments thinking about the points we have mentioned in this blog to decide: are salons better than barbers...for you.