Where do you go to get your hair cut?

[riveroaks]

Originally Posted by Kent Wang

I am revising my opinion completely, I think the ratings are crap. My stylist jumped ship to Bella which I think is a much much better salon, and they don't only sell Aveda products. I actually left her on the advice of a friend for a less attractive but more competent stylist that has her own one-person salon. It's $15 with $5 tip and I feel that I get just as good if not better haircut. The idea of paying more money to flirt with a pretty girl while having my hair cut is too close to prostitution for my comfort.

I can flirt for free anywhere!

I got my hair cut in China (Guangzhou) and it was like Sport Clips on steroids - the stylist cut my hair, massaged my shoulders, and washed and massaged my scalp (making an incredible amount of lather with a minimal amount of shampoo), for about $2USD. When I tried to tip her, she was genuinely surprised and had to be persuaded to accept.

 

[DrBot]

Originally Posted by Kent Wang

I am revising my opinion completely, I think the ratings are crap. My stylist jumped ship to Bella which I think is a much much better salon, and they don't only sell Aveda products. I actually left her on the advice of a friend for a less attractive but more competent stylist that has her own one-person salon. It's $15 with $5 tip and I feel that I get just as good if not better haircut. The idea of paying more money to flirt with a pretty girl while having my hair cut is too close to prostitution for my comfort.

Where is this place?

 

[gusgusterson]

Has anyone been to CityLife Barbers (201 9th Ave New York, NY 10011)? I've heard that it was opened by one of the Chelsea Barbers staff.

 

[kelp]

Originally Posted by Kent Wang

I go to the latter, namely Avant, one of the Top 10 salons in the country and certainly the best one in town.

You're cut for saying that.

 

[gusgusterson]

Originally Posted by gusgusterson

Has anyone been to CityLife Barbers (201 9th Ave New York, NY 10011)? I've heard that it was opened by one of the Chelsea Barbers staff.

I ended up going as a walk in last night. There was no wait and I got an amazing haircut for $20 plus tip. They also do straight razor shaves and shoe shines.

 

[oDD_LotS]

I don't get regular cuts anymore, as I've been growing my hair out since I was about 13 (22 now and the hair's reached its "limit" at about my shoulder blades). I trim up my split ends on my own, but I go to high-end salons for my coloring and to have my hair shaped up every year or two (more often when I find a salon I like).

My last cut/color was done at Salon Pure in Montreal, same place GQGeek mentioned. I really like the ambiance and the style and color were great. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the wait. Not for my appointment, but after coloring and shampooing I had to wait for about 30-50 minutes while my stylist was finishing up a blowout and style on his previous client. It worked out well, as I needed to "airdry". My stylist, Jonathan, was amazing, though and I'll be visiting him again VERY soon.

The price wasn't bad at all. I paid about $100 CDN plus tip, $75 for the color and $25 for the cut. That included full color, shampoo/condition, scalp massage, oil treatments (absolutely decadent), a mineral water while doing my color, a latte while waiting for my cut, and the cut itself (I had my ends trimmed, a bit of texturing, and he did a pretty unique style for me, as I was headed out afterwards).

If I had a shorter style that required cleanlines or clipper work, I'd definitely enlist a talented barber, as they're well trained in certain types of cuts and often have an amazing degree of precision in their work. As it is, I'll be sticking to my stylist at Pure (who does work for Mado Lamotte's show among other theatrical productions).

 

[johnapril]

Lighter fluid. Match.

 

[cheapmutha]

usually have my girl do it for me, but i cut it myself last time. ive gotten more compliments then ever, and for some reason alot of ian curtis comments.

 

[Kent Wang]

Getting a decent haircut in a foreign country is quite difficult.

 

[whoopee]

That's funny. I always found getting a decent cut in the United States to be near impossible.

 

[Kent Wang]

Originally Posted by whoopee

That's funny. I always found getting a decent cut in the United States to be near impossible.
I was referring to the haircut I just got in Shanghai. Although decent, it is the worst haircut I've had in years.

 

[Tck13]

Originally Posted by Walter

Hey? What is the difference between a barber and a salon?...
They are two different styles really. A barber will generally not touch the hair with hands (like a stlist) and use a shear over comb or clipper over comb technique. Barbers are generally better for people with shorter hair. Barbers, due to the style of cutting, can't really deal with longer hair (unless you want it cut short). Different schooling altogether. A stylist should be well versed in short or long hair. They cut hair using a different method difficult to explain in a post. It is more about sectioning hair, holding hair at different angles to acheive a particular style, and such. The art of barbering, though being slightly trendy in the past couple of years, has been on the decline due to less demand. The barbering schools have been closing up and becoming fewer and fewer. Ethnic hair (African American hair mostly) has really kept barbering alive (IMO). Gone are the days when the men went to the barber and the ladies went to the salon. Men's haircuts have changed quite a bit. Men are doing much more with their hair than they used to.

 

[skalogre]

This also depends greatly on where you are. As I mentioned previously, in the USA depending on state regulations the training may be different or the same between barbers and cosmetologists (what people often consider ladies' hairstylists to be although it is quite a gray area). A lot of it is customer focus and style though.

Originally Posted by Tck13

They are two different styles really. A barber will generally not touch the hair with hands (like a stlist) and use a shear over comb or clipper over comb technique. Barbers are generally better for people with shorter hair. Barbers, due to the style of cutting, can't really deal with longer hair (unless you want it cut short). Different schooling altogether. A stylist should be well versed in short or long hair. They cut hair using a different method difficult to explain in a post. It is more about sectioning hair, holding hair at different angles to acheive a particular style, and such. The art of barbering, though being slightly trendy in the past couple of years, has been on the decline due to less demand. The barbering schools have been closing up and becoming fewer and fewer. Ethnic hair (African American hair mostly) has really kept barbering alive (IMO). Gone are the days when the men went to the barber and the ladies went to the salon. Men's haircuts have changed quite a bit. Men are doing much more with their hair than they used to.

 

[Tck13]

Originally Posted by skalogre

This also depends greatly on where you are. As I mentioned previously, in the USA depending on state regulations the training may be different or the same between barbers and cosmetologists (what people often consider ladies' hairstylists to be although it is quite a gray area). A lot of it is customer focus and style though.
Yeah, I think all licensing is state specific. I don't know the regulations and requirements for all states in the U.S. but when I got my license (in PA), I did receive training in some areas which would be considered "barbering". I know, to get a license in another state (tri state area), I would have had to take a test for that state. Not sure if I would have had to get a barbering specific license for any of the nearby states. I guess I could have opened a salon or barber shop in PA and be qualified as either but as I said (and you already know), there are differences between the two styles. I've been to clinics which had stylists and barbers and we spoke different languages altogether. It sounds like your wife went to school which was specifically for barbering? There aren't many schools left that are specifically for barbering (as compared to just general cosmetology).

 

[skalogre]

Originally Posted by Tck13

Yeah, I think all licensing is state specific. I don't know the regulations and requirements for all states in the U.S. but when I got my license (in PA), I did receive training in some areas which would be considered "barbering". I know, to get a license in another state (tri state area), I would have had to take a test for that state. Not sure if I would have had to get a barbering specific license for any of the nearby states.

I guess I could have opened a salon or barber shop in PA and be qualified as either but as I said (and you already know), there are differences between the two styles.

I've been to clinics which had stylists and barbers and we spoke different languages altogether.

It sounds like your wife went to school which was specifically for barbering? There aren't many schools left that are specifically for barbering (as compared to just general cosmetology).

You're right, she did. Arizona has separate Barber and Cosmetology boards. From what I understand, California is probably the best place to get your training in as they have from what I remember reciprocity with all other states and the barber & cosmetology licenses are rolled into one. We were looking in to this stuff a few years ago when it looked like we were going to move.
Usually the state boards have information on which states accept full or partial reciprocity for your training.