I've talked to people in the US (before moving and after) about barber shops in Olongapo. Oddly, they assumed the local barber shops are different than their counterparts in the US. I'm not talking about full-featured "hair salons", but the places where simple male grooming is a specialty. The local barber shops are exactly like the barber shops I grew up with in the US, something you don't see much of in the US anymore (in favor of the modern "hair salons"). When was the last time you visited a barber shop that was just a barber shop?
A Shave and a Haircut – Two Bits!
Haircuts are not quite that cheap here, but I wouldn't doubt that they ARE that cheap in some countries. In case you're too young to remember, two bits was equivalent to 25 cents (USD) at one time. I'm old enough to know the reference, but it was before my time as well.
The current price for a standard haircut is 50 pesos (a little over a single US dollar). Can you still get a haircut in the US for that price, anywhere? I got a haircut yesterday, paid the 50 pesos and tipped the barber an additional 100 pesos. I still spent less than the cost of haircut in the US, without a tip (about $3.25 at the current foreign currency exchange rate). By the way, yesterday was the first time I ever had to have my eyebrows trimmed.
People who try to save money on haircuts.
One thing I've learned over the years is to leave the process of cutting hair to those who have been trained to do so, regardless of the cost. In both the US and locally, I've known people to buy the grooming supplies (like hair clippers, scissors, brushes, etc.) in attempts to save money over the long run by having someone cut their hair for them. It usually turned out disastrous.
Some people get pretty good at it and then charge other people to cut hair, without even the convenience of a barber chair. They sometimes charge as much as professional barber, but not very often. I don't know about you, but I prefer using the services of a professional barber in an actual barber shop. The straight razors are disinfected before use, the hair clippers are kept clean and things just generally happen the way they should.
You want fries with that?
I'm kidding, of course. There is one thing that annoys me about Asian barbers (yes, they do this in Japan and other places as well). As soon as your haircut is complete, they decide to give you some form of massage. It's different with every barber, but it can include forehead, temple and neck massages as well as getting your neck cracked.
I try to stop them before they start. I prefer not to get any kind of massage after a haircut, but sometimes the barber will keep on going regardless of what I indicate.
What kind of haircut?
When I ask for a haircut, I tell the barber I want a military haircut and "two fingers" (which is the distance above the ears where the hair will be a bit longer than below). What I end up getting is what would be considered a "crew cut" in the US. The funny thing is, though, that I could never get a proper crew cut from a barber in the US by asking for one specifically.
The problem, as I see it, is that people are trained to be "hairdressers" in the US nowadays and no one is trained to be "just a barber". There are hairdressers here as well, but quite a few barbers exist as holdovers from when the US military bases were active (prior to 1993), with new, younger barbers being trained to replace them. For this I am thankful.
This article is published as: Male Grooming and Barber Shops in Olongapo
Brother man, you are striking a cord with me on this one!
When I was in the Air Force, I was extremely cautious of when and where and how I had my haircut. Once I left basic training, I had to decide how I'd be "good to go" and found the "skin fade" to be to my liking. This cut could not be done by a "stylist" (BTW–you can tell a stylist because they use those guards on their clippers). The proper skin fade had to be done freehand with clippers and a comb and only a military trained and experience male barber (sorry ladies) could do it. THe skin fade was exactly as it sounded. The sides were skinned at the ears, but perfectly faded/feathered up to the "weight line" and you could no detect any lines on the way up. Once you got to the weight line (right at the crown of the brow) they'd cut a "wash and wear" which was just long enough where no scalp showed, but short enough where you needed no styling products. If you look at my Twitter profile @allynpaul you can see this perfectly blended cut! (not super fresh in the pic, but you get the idea)…remember, I was Air Force, not Devil Dog, ROFL
Now, onto the massage: when I was stationed at Incirlik, Turkey, they did 100% of the cut with scissors and the skinned part was done with an actual straight razor. It literally took an hour to get a haircut but the precision was something to marvel at. I paid $3 US for those cuts and, yes, they did come with a massage after. I, however, did not mind the massage… guess it's just me, but I kind of thought it was a nice touch. My thought was "when in Rome" ya know?… except I was on the other side of the Med, ROFL
AL
.-= My last blog: David Risley; When A-List Turns To A-Hole =-.
Are you talking about the picture on the right, in the BDUs? If so, that's exactly how I had my hair cut while I was in the Marines and pretty close to what I try to keep it at now. Of course, it's getting harder as I get older, what with my receding hairline. Parted, UNparted and DEparted – my hair style is quickly becoming DEparted. :-)
yep, that's the one. now the Marines I knew used to make fun of me for having my hair too long loooking like that… guess things were different in the 1990s when I was in.
Of course, I think they poked more fun at the camera I always had around my neck… so I made them call me "Joker" and I showed them my "war face" ROFL
.-= My last blog: David Risley; When A-List Turns To A-Hole =-.
You mentioned somewhere that you were in the class of '91? I was in the class of '78 LOL. I retired in '98.
Well I just don,t get it again??
You say your an old Fart Retired Marine you do not care what the girlies have to say and you care what your hair looks like? Hell just get some clippers and buzzed that mop off.(I just have the wife buzz it) Save the money up for a trip to Subic City.
I would also be careful of what "Beauty Shops" you happen to wander into there in Olongapo, some of those Stylist are kinda funny you may get more than a massage. Ahahhaha.
Right and wrong. I don't care what anyone says but I still like to keep myself presentable, especially in public. I don't have the right shape of a head to buzz it off and look normal. If I did, then that is what I would do.
Yeah, there are way too many benny boys working at the salons and I avoid them like the plague.
Hi there, Richard. I liked the way you conveyed your story about living here in the Philippines (read your profile). Yes, I'm one of its citizens (the grumpy type), and I live in Manila. =)
It's funny how your post seem to coincide with my plan to get a haircut. I was thinking about getting a semi-induction cut, but I'm afraid my appearance might end up like the three stooges after my wife beats me with a broomstick (that style just doesn't suit her taste). The price we pay here for a haircut, however, can range from 30Php (min) and 150Php (max), excluding tips. Really depends on what you're after. As for me, I just go for the "get-it-done-decently" approach and that costs around 50 bucks. Oh and, yeah, that massage thing is absolutely annoying.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your article and look forward to your future posts. Happy new year. Cheers!
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Yeah, my wife beats me with a stick every once in a while too. I keep telling people I fell from an ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.
That's amazing. My sons live in Atlanta and pay $30 for a haircut. I'd get a FLOWBEE thingy and cut their hair if they let me. It's curly and wouldn't show my mistakes anyway.
Nice i love Atlanta , i always try to save money on haircuts:D
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As a man, I always care my personality. Every men Know about good grooming that will show their personality to public. Example your hair style, what are you wearing…, etc. If we care with our grooming this will make we are more comfort and be confident.
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The funniest part of this story is that for the first time you had to have your eyebrows trimmed! I wonder how many years before I will have to do the same?
Well, I'm 49. I guess it depends on the individual but I think it happens with age.
Nothing more humbling than having your eyebrow AND ear hairs trimmed. Yes, us old men (I'm 48) get hairs growing out of our ears just like those damn spider legged eyebrows. I equate long ear hairs to that of whiskers on a cat. As we get older our eye sight dims. So our long ear hairs are nothing more than "feelers" for our dwindling eyes.
We are much older longer than we are young. Atlanta Plumber, your time comes sooner than you can imagine.
.-= My last blog: Natural Papa finds Vegan Shaving Cream =-.
I only have a couple of ear hairs sticking out at times. Someone will always offer to pluck them and I let them.
It's a double whammy! Hair growing where it shouldn't (ears), and no longer growing where it should (scalp)!
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In the Birmingham UK, my haircuts cost about £30. It really hard to find a good barber. I found one and don't care if its not as cheap as somewhere else.
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Nice to see a conversation going on about good quality barbers. barbers are a big industry right now. To answer a few of your queries a good quality barbers will charge anything between £10 – £30 for a shave and deluxe all the treatment will be 30 – 50+ depending on where you are located! Ps nothing unusually with a Man wanting his eye brows and ears trimmed in, in fact ladies love it. If you want any more information on shaving please check out our service and support at http://www.themensgroom.co.uk/