Thirty minutes of uninterrupted one-on-one attention, for a fee that seems to keep on getting steeper especially if you’re in San Francisco or New York—the only difference between your monthly trim and a trip to your therapist’s office might just be “a little off the top.” (And a shave, if that’s your style.) We’re going to venture a guess, however, and say that it’s because of this lengthy close contact that people often find themselves oversharing in the barber’s chair. Whether it’s exposing fetishes, recounting felonies or divulging any number of mundane day-to-day occurrences, customers can’t seem to keep their mouths shut when there’s a pair of scissors landscaping their mane. Which is why we’ve asked a bunch of barbers and other hair-people to break stylist-client confidentiality to share with us the most off-the-rails conversations they’ve had with those whose hair they maintain. This is Barber Chair Confessional.(Ed Note: All names have been omitted for privacy.
We’re not that heartless.)“This guy told me he was arrested for riding his horse inside of a bar. Because he ‘didn't feel like standing.’” - Gabrielle, California“I had a client sit in my chair and start telling me about how she had a ‘friend’ who was upset because the man she was having an affair with forgot her birthday. The gift he got her, when he did remember, was a set of dishtowels for her kitchen at home. She then went into telling me about what they would do, sexually, when they got away from their spouses. By the end of her story, I stopped her and asked, ‘This isn’t about a friend is it?’ She laughed and said, ‘No, it's actually about me.’ Only thing I could say was, ‘I had a feeling’.” - David, Ohio“I had a customer break down while I was cutting his hair. He admitted to recently killing a man who tried to rob him. The customer was on his way to work when a guy approached him asking directions. As he was giving the directions, it became obvious the guy was very nervous and not interested.
A gun was drawn by the assailant but my customer responded with lethal force. He disarmed the man and left a knife in his chest. The body dropped and he ran 3 blocks to the drugstore where he sat and cried but turned himself in soon after. The police came and picked up my customer and returned to the scene only to find the body missing. It turns out the body was dragged away by a friend and found days later. I've never seen the customer since.” - Josh, Illinois“A client once told me about her hippie days when she would frequently partake in drug-fueled orgies.” - Alexey, Pennsylvania“The weirdest conversation I've ever had was with a man about how his wife was a hairstylist and she was amazing at what she did. I asked why she wasn't cutting his hair then. He responded, with a very straight face, "I don't want her to have sharp objects near my head, because I don't trust her.’” - Julie, Indiana“I once had a gentleman that was at least 30 years my senior, who knew I was married with children, offer to be my sugar daddy so I could just wash his hair everyday.
He also promised I would inherit a lot of money and property.” - Katy, Illinois“One of my clients told me how he slept with his Uncle’s girlfriend years back while still a teenager. No one knows till this day. Twenty-five years later.” - Juan, Nevada“I had a client who was extremely passionate about raising peacocks. He had around fifteen peacocks or so, all with their own names. He showed me pictures of them on his phone and told me, in-depth, about each of their personalities.” - Shannon, Ohio“I had a client who was ‘building a time machine’ and ‘going back in time’ by taking baths.” - Billie, Missouri“One particular conversation that stands out was with a man who may have had a fetish for women's shoes. He walked in wearing a shirt that said ‘I kissed her shoes and I liked it’ and was carrying a couple pairs of women's shoes. Throughout the entire haircut he sat on one pair of shoes and held the other, all the while asking me to tell him all about each pair of shoes I personally owned.” - Erin, New York“At my last job, I had an older lady ask me if the rain excited me sexually.” - Nicole, Pennsylvania
Where Guys Go For Great Cuts E-Club members get sweet deals 18 Oregon locations to serve you 12 Shops in Washington View More Vidoes >>> Welcome to The Barbers Come in, sit down, grab a bag of popcorn, have a free soda and get a great haircut – all while you relax and watch ESPN on any one of our flat-screen TVs. Walk into any one of our 12 Washington or 18 Oregon locations and you’ll instantly recognize the old fashioned barbershop comforts have been preserved. Comfortable, old style barber chairs, a relaxing shoulder massage after the haircut, hot lather neck shaves and your favorite magazine and newspaper all keep the traditional barber shop feel alive. Check out our monthly specials and be sure to sign-up for our e-Club to receive special deals and notices. -Don & Alison Lovell New Location in Happy Valley, Oregon On November 1st come visit our newest location in Happy Valley, OR located in the new Happy Valley Crossroads Shopping Center near Fred Meyers.
Gelish Top 50 of 2015 Based on our sales stats between February to December 2015 we have combined a list of the top 50 best selling Gelish colours of 2015. Once again, Pink Smoothie is leading the list! Estimated delivery schedule October to January to March 2017 Have a look at the delivery schedule to know when you should order to receive your order in time for a specific event, like the opening of your new salon or gift for a loved one...Knitted into the social fabric of the Mother City are three stalwarts of a trade that turns a blind eye to race, culture, religion or creed.Ntakariho Asumani, 36, operates in Claremont, where the main road, station and taxi rank are a network of informal traders and street culture.His one-way shades and crocodile skin shoes belie his tragic past in Burundi; his parents were murdered in genocidal violence in 1993 and a sibling disappeared.Asumani came to South Africa almost 20 years ago and immediately started crafting hairstyles.
"I worked very hard for another guy, until I could afford to buy the salon myself," he said.His business, Hair Affairs, operates from a container. Asumani said: "Most of our customers are South African. We get lots of students from UCT coming here, though."Asumani's favourite style is the mohawk, but with four other barbers working for him, many styles are catered for, starting at R30 a cut.And it's more than just a salon. "We are the neighbourhood watch. Before, you couldn't even walk by here. We only close at 8pm and we are the eyes of this place," said Asumani.He has been back to Burundi only twice. "If family knows you work in South Africa and they see you at home in Burundi, they all come asking for money," he said.He has put down roots with his South African wife and their two small girls. "It is safe here. It is better than home."Closer to town, in Woodstock, Ismail Valley, 85, has no plans to retire from the barber shop his family has owned in Alfred Street since he was five.Ismail Valley, 85, has no plans to retire from his family-owned shop.
Image: ESA ALEXANDER It is more of an institution than a salon, and he began working there when he was 18. "I am the youngest of four brothers who also cut hair. But they have all passed on now."Two months ago, Valley was held up at knifepoint in the shop. "They took R40 and an electric clipper," he said.The shop was "very busy in December, but because it is a place of a traditional family with experienced hairdressers, we have customers all year".Four of Valley's children work for the city council, and one is a pharmacist. Asked how many grandchildren he had, he said: "Now you are asking me something. I think I have about seven or eight."A few kilometres but an entire world away is Mr Cobbs the Barbershop.Amid the high-end stores of the V&A Waterfront, the salon run by Bob Lansdowne, 72, is as much a step back in time as it is a place to get a cut and a shave.Unsurprisingly, he was a member of the Eccentric Club in the UK in the '60s and '70s and helped resurrect it when it threatened to fade away.