by Kathryn Leisinger

Have you ever wondered what the difference between a barber and a hairstylist is or is there even a difference?

Derived from the Latin word “barba” meaning beard, a barber is a person whose occupation is to cut hair, perform shaves and trim beards. Shaving – the art of shaving with a straight-razor can only be performed by a licensed barber. Barbers are also trained to provide facials, color and perm hair. This is quite similar to the services the hairstylist would perform.

Hairstylist or Cosmetologist, is derived from the Greek word “kosmetikos” meaning “skilled in adornment”, and is the study of the application of beauty treatments (hair cutting/hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures and electrolysis). Manicure/Pedicure – these two services can only be performed by a licensed cosmetologist or nail technician, not a barber.

A barber is trained and well skilled in the use of clippers and while a cosmetologist is also trained to use them, she’s probably not well versed in how to use clippers. A barber can use a set of clippers with finesse and compared to a women’s hair cut that requires cut, color, highlights, style and 15 different products; most men’s haircuts require a good set of clippers and some no nonsense talk about nothing important.

For men, walking out of a hair salon isn’t the same as walking out of a barber shop. Walking out of a barber shop gives them a swagger in their step. Men get their hair cut in a barber shop; have been doing it that way since the early 1900s. Everyone can go to a hair salon but barber shops have been predominantly man places, men take their sons there and conversations aren’t about women drama but about sports or politics or jokes about nothing. Even if a woman could get her hair done there, would she want to?

Let men have that swagger in their step, the women of the world think it’s cute.