Mens Hairstyle, Styling Men's Hair
Mens Hairstyle, Styling Men's Hair
By
Anna Lynn Sibal
The fundamentals of hairdressing as a profession lie in the art of barbering and the razor. As early as the Egyptian period the first roughly hewn razors appeared and there are many myths surrounding the wearing of the beard. It is said that during the time of Alexander the Great his troops were instructed to shave off their beards so that the opposition would not be able to grab them!
Barbers were also surgeons and dentists. In England , the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons was formed in 1307 and still exists with magnificent headquarters in the City of London .
Over the centuries men have dressed their beards and moustaches in every conceivable way; powdered, waxed, dried, curled, trimmed, straightened and preened to perfection as dictated by the fashion of the day.
The widespread wearing of wigs by men came about during the late sixteenth century. The problem of cleanliness prompted this action to a certain extent. Men would have the wigs made from their own hair and periodically return them to the barber for delousing, re-curling and powdering. Men engaged in what were termed gentile professions wore wigs and this tradition still holds today in legal circles.
Short back and sides and clean-shaven faces became popular during the First World War and this look persisted until the 60s. In this new age of freedom men grew their hair into Beatle crops and the emergence of the hippies heralded long flowing, unkempt hair.
The existence of traditional barbers was threatened with men demanding the same standard of cutting and styling as women. The birth of the unisex salon heralded a minor revolution in hairdressing circles. Recently areas for men's and women's styling have become more segregated and there is a return to the traditional barber's shops.
However, these new premises have a much more upmarket ambience and there is very little price differential between these and women's hairstyle salons.
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