Putting your trust in a barber is quite a big deal. Not only are you letting them loose on your head with a pair of sharp scissors and a whole manner of other cutting tools but you are allowing them to cut and style your hair.
Our relationships with ‘the barber’ goes back centuries and the word itself actually comes from the Latin word ‘barba’ meaning beard – a little history lesson for you! Just for Men have recently carried out some research into how men spend their time and what sort of relationship they have with their barber. The results were not really that surprising to me as they showed that a whopping 63% of British men trust their barber and 81% would recommend them to a friend.
Loyalty
Loyalty is a big deal when for men and their barbers with over half those surveyed by Just for Men stating that they have been going to the same one for over 3 years. That is quite a lot but I get it completely. When you have been letting the same person cut your hair for a long period of time I think it feels a bit like cheating or doing the dirty if you go somewhere else for a tidy-up.
If you are anything like me then once you have found a ‘good’ barber then the thought of letting anyone else near your hair is not something you would welcome. Whether you frequent one of the more swankiest barbers London has ever seen or a small local place, that relationship that you build is important.
Trust
Barbers do more than just cut hair, they are agony aunts/uncles and a lot of us are on first name terms with ours and actually consider them a friend too. I know that I find it easy chatting to Michael my barber and often end up discussing personal, financial and business matters that I’d normally only tell my closest friends or family. When I’m sat in that chair I feel at ease, relaxed and as a result, I find it easy to talk.
Advice
The Barber is often relied upon as a source of information and advice. Think about it. When you sit down in that chair what do you ask for? The usual? A tidy-up? 44% of the men who took part in the survey said they would give their Barber free rein (I know I do) and almost half of the men surveyed would be more likely to colour their grey hair if recommended by their Barber.
So there you have it, the results of this survey don’t lie. It seems that us British guys are definitely happy to place our trust in our barbers when it comes to hair and other matters.
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