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Hey Reader,

Words matter. Have you noticed a shift towards the phrase 'men's grooming'? A few years ago, we were talking about haircuts. Now we're talking about hairstyles, products, blow drying techniques, hair care routines, skin care routines. Times have changed and barbers need to pay attention.

Clients want more than a haircut. They want a hair style that fits their face shape and need products to help maintain that style. Some don't know what they want and none of their previous barbers have taken the time to teach them. The barber who takes the time to teach them could win over a client for life.

This past week, I had a 16 year old client with a very dry scalp. He hadn't got a haircut in over 5 months. He was a swimmer and water polo player, in the pool everyday. He also wears hats a lot.

During my hair analysis, I saw flakes everywhere. It was bad. So, I asked him "Tell me about your hair care routine." This proceeded into about a 5 minute conversation about hair care 101.

I gave him my shampoo and condition lesson. Shampoo strips the hair and scalp of dirt and oils. Conditioner replenishes and moisturizes your hair and scalp. It's a 1-2 punch. If you shampoo, you should condition. If you only shampoo, that's like taking your dirty clothes off and not putting new clothes on.

He said he never uses shampoo and conditioner, it's either one or the other. I asked him why. He said his sister told him to do it, so that's what he did.

Unfortunately, this is a typical story about hair care knowledge. Someone told you something and you never questioned it.

As we continued talking about hair care, the client's Dad chimed in and started asking questions. How often should you shampoo and condition? So you should always condition after you shampoo?

I'm telling you, the industry is moving towards hair and skin care education. Barbers who take the time to teach their clients will be more respected and seen as experts. Those are the barbers clients wants to see.

Let's be honest though, most barbers avoid these conversations. When they see the flakes, they put gloves on and just proceed. It's really not that hard to stand out in an industry where some barbers do the least.

If this scenario happened in a salon, the client would be walked over to the shampoo bowl for a proper shampoo and conditioning treatment, before the hair cut. After the service, the stylist would recommend products to help with their hair and scalp health. It would likely include shampoo, conditioner and possibly a tonic or oil.

The stylist would likely charge more for that service because of the shampoo and condition, and would probably make more money because they sold products on top of the service.

The culture is shifting. We can see it in the recent wave of new product marketing campaigns from STMNT Grooming, The Shop and Dior. Next thing we know, every man will have just as many products in their bathroom than their partner. It's happening.

Alright, finished with No.69. See you next week!

Written by: Matthew Mendoza​​
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