Barber vs. Hairstylist: Which Hair Care Pro is Better?

Barber vs. Hairstylist: Which Hair Care Pro is Better?

Barber vs. Hairstylist? Which hair care professional is better? The answer is neither; it depends on the needs and wants of the client. However, the Hair Police fined a guest of Ask the Pro Stylist this week for using the services of a barber while I was away, and don’t you know he came back to me crying, with his tail between his legs.

Happy Monday beauty mavens, and welcome to this week’s Hair Police piece. Sadly, I missed last week, as there just weren’t many violations occurring. Thanks to my client, I have a violation that was a peeve of my beauty culture teacher: The barber vs. hairstylist debate.

Unable to wait for availability, a client of mine visited a local barber. The male college student gets a fade, and I blend the top, keeping it longer with a side part. He has incredibly thick, pin straight hair; therefore I recommended great products to style his contemporary, yet professional haircut.

The barber kept the fade, yet cut the top so that he looked like a zipper head from the 80s; slicked back hair, doing 90 in a 20. Needless to say, my friend wasn’t happy. After one haircut (by me), his part was back, and I received a grateful text 20 minutes later. Next time, I think he will wait for me.

The barber vs. hairstylist debate is nothing new. My beauty culture teacher didn’t have nice words 30 years ago. I personally have great respect for barbers. I am in awe of the intricate designs and flawless fades I often see. However, they aren’t stylists.

A hairstylist’s training is much more rigorous and encompasses the full spectrum of the hair and beauty world, whereas a barber’s is limited. A hairstylist could train in clipper techniques with advanced education, but a barber’s license limits the chemical services they could provide and overall practice of cosmetology, at least in New York State. For more information on a barber’s license read the NYS barber application requirements and for hairstyling, peruse the NYS cosmetology application.

For men, it is a matter of preference and style when choosing between the barber vs. hairstylist. Women, on the other hand should never visit a barber, unless accompanying a child. Or else females could end up looking like the girls from Blended. Until next week, happy styling!