Barbershop VS Unisex Hair Salon

Traditionally, men have had their hair cut and their beards trimmed at the Taper barber shop, and women have had their hair done at fancy hair salons, (or historically, for those rich enough, by their personal stylists and ladies-in-waiting), but since the beginning of the twentieth century, stereotypical gender roles have become less defined and people are now allowed far more freedom to express themselves and to assert their own personal identities. This has led to the rise and rise of the unisex hair salon. Unisex hair salons are salons which are frequented by both men and women, because they have the training and expertise to cut and style both men and women's hair. The skills which a men's hair stylist offer are very different, from those possessed by a traditional men's barber, but both are highly talented professionals. However, despite age-old presumptions about traditional gender roles, the choice to use a hair salon or a Taper barbershop does not make one any more or less masculine or feminine, and is now largely based on a personal preference for the services they offer.

Barbers, (which is derived from the Latin for beard) have been around for centuries, with their roles traditionally encompassing dentistry and surgery techniques, as well as beards and facial hair. Some of the earliest archaeological finds which prove the existence of barbers date back to 3500 BC, and come from ancient Egypt, where it was thought that barbers were highly respected members of the community and that they were also often priests and holy men as well. Although being a barber is still a common profession, the provenance of barbershops in the community had decreased thanks to improvements in modern medicine and dentistry, and the invention of the safety razor and the electric beard trimmer. Barbers shops in the Western world are no longer allowed to perform medical procedures, and now they now mainly concentrate on cutting men's head hair, although some older men will still visit the a barber for facial hair care, preferring the clean shaven feel that is offered by a professional with a straight razor over the effect they could achieve by themselves with disposable razor. However, despite this, the barber industry in America is still seeing positive growth.

Hair stylists who work in hair salons which cater for men are not as steeped in historical tradition as barbers, and their roles have been very different in recent history. In some places, hair stylists are not able to get the licenses necessary to use a straight razor, so are not allowed to give men traditional shaves, similar to the ones which barbers give. However hair stylists have more training in non-traditional male hair care techniques, and can provide services including (but not limited to) cuts, styling, straightening and hair colouration. Because hair stylists provide different types of services to those provided by a Taper barbershop, a visit to a unisex hair salon will often be a lot longer in length of time than a visit to the barbers.