A cut (and shave) above

Thanks to a more stylish breed of salon and an enlightened attitude to self-care, the male grooming experience has had a glow-up

Men are rarely smugger than when talking to women about haircuts. While women will spend hundreds of pounds and half a day at the salon, men are usually in and out in under 40 minutes, less than £30 lighter.

It is the ultimate humblebrag – not least because barbers today offer a lot more than just convenience. Tucked between cocktail bars and minimalist coffee shops, they have become ubiquitous in gentrified parts of British cities.

The beauty industry thrives on the new, but many barber’s today nod to the 1950s with brown leather chairs and a distinct whiff of Brylcreem. Others have borrowed from old Turkish traditions, with skin buffing, steaming and mint tea.

Of course, many are still found in windowless basements, but sleek salons abound. Hipster barbers with tattoo sleeves have thousands of Instagram followers, and the world’s oldest barber shop, London’s Truefitt & Hill, is expanding.

‘Traditionally alpha-male credentials required spending less than a fiver on your haircut,’ says Tom Chamberlin, editor-in-chief of style magazine The Rake. ‘Grooming as a whole is riding the wave of a less inhibited masculinity that allows for downing a pint with well-moisturised hands.’

The numbers reflect this: the British Beauty Council reports that the number of barber shops grew by 28 per cent between 2017 and 2021.

A group of beautifully coiffed men in the public eye has added to this trend: think Daniel Craig, Ben Whishaw and Andrew Garfield. Lockdown (while initially difficult) also helped long-term.

‘The moment men are reduced to cutting their own hair, they value their barber more,’ says Bill Prince, former deputy editor of GQ .‘Andasthe world shrank to a tiny headshot, they realised that good grooming accounts for a great deal.’

In the summer of 2020, as men emerged with unkempt beards and locks, there were queues outside barber shops. Barber Stefan Avanzato advises that good haircare by brands like Philip Kingsley goes a long way, adding: ‘Halve the amount – most men use too much product – and go to the barber every four to six weeks.’

See it as a time to relax. ‘An ability to avoid the banalities of everyday conversation is a real boon,’ says Prince, ‘together with discretion and a willingness to engage in the necessary “housekeeping” that comes with ageing eyebrows etc.

‘Think: therapist meets personal tailor, with a dash of trusted barman.’

Clockwise from above James Dean gets a trim; Andrew Garfield; the shave experience at the oldest barber shop in the world, Truefitt & Hill