"From the conversations, the pampering, and to the actual physical touch. I think some male customers enjoy talking with a woman as their barber, as opposed to male barbers."

- Angel

In many cases, mothers and grandmothers bring in the most business to Black barbershops, especially on the weekends. Many black mothers will dedicate a few hours out of their Saturday morning to make sure their sons receive a clean fade. While some Black boys are introduced to barbers by their fathers, Black mothers are just as invested in the confidence and appearance of their sons. I’ve seen mothers who would bring three or more of their sons to the barbershop, all with varying hair styles. Before placing their sons in the barber’s chair, these mothers would speak with the barber for five minutes to share their expectations and gather insight on each child’s head. “His head is very sensitive, so be light on him,” or “I want a tapered fade around his braids” are a few examples of requests.

In addition to the mothers who provide customers to barbershops, Black female barbers offer a unique flare to the shops. During shop discussions that are dominated by hegemonic masculine ideals, women provide genuine feminine insight. There are more women joining the Black barbering industry, and this could be attributed to a variety of factors. Women in cosmetology are going to barber colleges to expand their skill set. Unlike a 9:00 am to 5:00 pm job, Black barbershops allows childbearing women to have much more flexibility.

Although women are establishing a stronger presence in Black barbershops, it important to acknowledge that women were not completely devoid from these spaces before the twenty-first century. Gloria Frazier wasa barber during the Jim Crow era before co-owning Frazier’s Barber College.51I didn’t have the opportunity to interview Ms. Frazier. I was glad that her son, Mike, mentioned how she influenced him to join the barbering industry. Nevertheless, it was important for me to include a couple of Third Ward’s female barbers. Unsurprisingly, most of the women that I met were alumni of Frazier’s Barber College.

Raynetta West, also known as Angel, was the first of few that I interviewed. She holds the first chair at Clipper Styles Barber Shop, which is the chair nearest the shop door. Having the first chair has traditionally been indicator of the chair holder’s skill level. While Master barbers and owners normally hold this position, her advanced skills and her reputation for producing great results raised her stock in the hair industry. Angel greeted me with a welcoming smile when I first entered Clipper Styles Barber Shop.

How many hours do you typically work?

Angel: I know that most barbershops are closed on Mondays andSundays.Angel:I work about eight or nine hours per day. On weekends, probably twelve.

What influenced you join the hair industry?

Angel:I used to come to my friend’s shop every day, and people would arrive in looking a mess, and leave looking completely different. I also left my previous job when I had a stroke in 2007. I couldn’t do that job anymore because it put a lot of strain on my mind. The friend I mentioned earlier inspired me to finish barber college, and now I’ve been cutting for about eight years.

Angel worked at a hospital as a data entry clerk before becoming a barber. A stroke sidelined her livelihood, and it interrupted herfinancial stability. It was almost impossible for her to continue working in data entry, because it required a high level of concentration that caused strain on her mind. Her current role as a barber requires a heightened level of focus, yet it lacks the mundane screenplay that her previous job demanded.

We both know that the barbering discipline is heavily occupied by males. With your journey as an example, is there a sign that more women are becoming barbers?

Angel: I’m not the only female barber in this particular shop. And I definitely think that more females are joining this industry. During mytime in barber college, there were around 6 other girls there with me. Not all of them were girly-girls, and some were more butch and masculine than others. Sometimes people just want a female touch, and a female feel.

The Female touch?

Angel: Yes. From the conversations, the pampering, and to the actual physical touch. I think some male customers enjoy talking with a woman as their barber, as opposed to male barbers.

Angel pointed out an important aspect of barber-customer relations that often goes overlooked. In addition to surrendering their personal information, customers trust their barbers to touch them. Ever close shave requires the barber’s physical touch. This requires a deep level of trust that Black men typically don’t afford to anyone. The barber-customer trust dynamic is so interesting because it deviates from the uber-misogynisticimage painted on Black men. During a haircut, most of the customer’s body is sheathed in a cape to their clothes from fallen hair. The customer has limited mobility under the cape, and the only body part exposed is the customer’s head. The barbershop is one of the only places where you’ll see Black men happily volunteer their physical wellbeing to another person. It’s not uncommon to see customers relaxing with their chair slightly reclined and eyelids shut. Even through the ruckus, clients find solace in the hands of their barbers.

When Angel talked about the “female touch”, she’s explaining the state of therapeutic state of vulnerability that customers concede totheir barbers. Most profoundly, male customers also express their feelings with their barbers. In Black barbershops, the walls of emotionless brawn are broken down. These environments are sometimes the only places where Black men feel safe to release their suppressed emotions. Therefore, Black barbershops are hegemonically masculine on the surface, yet they employ methods that which suggests the contrary. They’re places where Black men can talk about their problems, and this contributes to the overall mental and physical health of their communities.

Would you consider the female touch to be useful to your business?

Angel: It’s not a selling point exactly, because I cut hair very well. My chair sits closest to the front door, and you have to do well to have that spot. My skills speak for themselves.

We both know that discussions at the barbershop are normally uncensored. I could imagine that within this masculine environment, and some of the topics could potentially come across as offensive. Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable in that environment, and do you engage in these debates?

Angel: I rarely voice my opinion here. I recognize that I’m in their territory, so let them have at it. I’m just here to cut hair, and I try not to add on to the chatter. The conversations sometimes get explicit, but I really don’t mind them. When mothers and their children are here, the owner manages the tone of the conversations. Any time the talking becomes too explicit, the owner makes sure to stop it from going too far. This is out of respect for children and their moms. We want to maintain the respectability here. I’m a lady too, but I understand the atmosphere. I’m prepared for the talking that goes on here.

I’ve never felt uncomfortable in my experience here because there hasn’t been anything presented to me to make me feel that way. The customers never disrespect me, especially when it comes to my skills. I’ve been cutting hair here as long as anyone here. I’m a veteran, so I got the seniority.

What would your advice be to women who are planning to join the barbering industry?

Angel: Stick with it. Don’t let any men or any women intimidate you. If you have a passion, just go for it. You can’t be a barber but don’t enjoy people. It’s a very lucrative business, so if it’s your passion, go for it. It took a good while for me to grow my clientele. The first year was a struggle, but people saw that I was there every day, so they came to me. When customers’ regular barbers didn’t show up, they knew of how well I cut hair andwould sit in my chair. It’s not an overnight process, but it builds up.

At first, I was skeptical because the money was very slow. But like I said before, it’s a very lucrative business. It’s what my mentor, Ms. Frazier always told me.It’s super flexible too. For example, today I wasn’t feeling very good, so I just came to the shop for about five or six hours. By the time I decided to end the day, I made over two hundred dollars. I’m my own boss, so I make my own schedule. On days when my babies were inelementary and middle school, I was able to make it to all their after-school events. I made a way for my family to be good, and for my money to be good.

I eventually want to start my own shop. My daughter is taking interest in hair and cosmetology. I don’t know what the future may bring, and I don’t know if we will start a joint venture together. But we’ll work something out. We’ll be good.

Unsurprisingly, Angel briefly mentioned Gloria Frazier during our interview. Ms. Frazier was Angel’s mentor during barber college. Ms. Frazier’s mentorship of student barbers could also be another component of the female touch that Angel talked about. In addition to chatting with Angel, I interviewed Sandra Ayinbode. Sandra, she was days away from earning her certification from Frazier’s Barber College. Even though her background is primarily in cosmetology, Sandra wanted to expand her repertoire by becoming a licensed barber.

You’re one week from becoming a fully licensed barber, but the hair industry isn’t new territory for you. How long have you been in the game? 

Sandra: I’ve been in the hair industry since 2014 officially, and for about fifteen years unofficially. When I was thirteen, my mom would braid hair for me and my four sisters every Sunday. ay. I would watchher, and one day I started picking on her braiding skills. Since then, my mother would take full responsibility of caring for my sisters’ hair. This carried on to high school. Later on, I decided that after serving in the military that I would take up a career in something that I enjoyed, which is hair. Cosmetology was something that didn’t demand too much of my effort to transition to because of my experience. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy because clients have different styles and expectations. But I enjoyed it, and I made money doing something I loved. 

So, you served in the military?

Sandra: I served in the army for three and a half years. I went to college for 1 semester, and I didn’t like that I had to take out a loan. So, I had to reevaluate my options, and decided to go to the military because they could cover my school tuition. After 1 semester of debt, I went to the military, and straight to cosmetology school following it. The school I went to, Paul Mitchell, was pretty expensive. There’s a cap on how much the military will pay for school, but overall, I just paid a couple of thousand dollars out of pocket. I became licensed in 2014.

You enrolled into Frazier’s Barber College for enhance your versatility in the hair industry. Are you looking to start your own shop?

Sandra: My goal is to open my own business. Within this industry I just find that I really don’t like working for people. It’s mainly because I’m very structured when it comes to customer service. And usually when you work someone else, they have standards for how things should be done. However, it irritates me when other workers do not follow those standards. I think that opening my own place will allow for me to implement a high quality of service. 

I’m very big on customer service. In my experience, I’ve seen many clients come to me with horror stories about quality. You know, about people having their hair jacked up, or people getting their lashes glued to their eyes. I believe that paying attention to detail is the most important aspect of customer service. This industry is a customer service industry, and we can’t get anywhere if we don’t give a good service to the clients. So that’s why I want to own my business.

I wasn’t too surprised when Sandra told me she served in the military. Her emphasis on customer service and respect for others was like what I’ve seen in other former service members. The effort it took in maintaining her dreadlocks was a testament to her level of discipline. Out of all Black hairstyles, dreadlocks prove to be the one of the most difficult to manage.

When did you begin locking your hair? I know it’s a big commitment and requires dedication.

Sandra: I was natural for a long time. In the military, back then, I wasn’t allowed to have locks. Of course, a lot has changed in the military since then, but there were a lot more restrictions when I served. There regulations that were put against…. People with natural hair. Any free time that I had was spent keeping my hair within regulation. I even had to find bigger sized hats as my hair grew! But when I got out, I was finally able to express myself. With the industry that I chose, I knew that no one would judge me for deciding to lock-up, or for any way I decide to wear my hair. It was January 3rd, 2016 when I decided to lock-up.

You mentioned that the military regulated your hair. I see similarities of this regulation in corporate America. Many Black people feel like they must tailor their hair to fit corporate standards. For example, the term “clean cut” is used to describe men’s haircuts which are acceptable to the workplace. What are your thoughts on this?

Sandra:But what is clean cut though? It really just depends. If you’re in the paperwork business, or more of the corporate oriented business, you basically have to have straight, tied back hair. For men, the even all-around tapers. But with the salons, they allow employees to be much more creative and individualistic.

You worked in cosmetology for almost four years and are now stepping into a more hybrid role as a barber/stylist. What major differences I have you noticed from both spheres?

Sandra: Cosmetology is definitely dominated by women and feminine people. This is simply because more women go into salons, and more men go into barbershops.

Have there been any difficulties moving from a primarily feminine space to a much more masculine one?

 Sandra: Yes, definitely. Barbershops… are more vulgar. Men aren’t used to having women around here, so they’ll say whatever they want to say. It can get pretty disrespectful. Even here at the barber college. One time a customer said something to me, and it got so bad that I wanted to quit because I felt violated. And you know, the guy was probably just trying to be complimenting, but it wasn’t ok. I wanted to pack up and go home. However, at the end of the day, I have a specific goal in mind. To be a well-rounded business owner, I will need to gain knowledge about all aspects of both barbershops and salons. Because I don’t just want to have a regular salon. But they are definitely two completely different worlds. I’m very high on respect. So as long as people are respectful, we’ll have a good time.

Even with those difficulties you described, do you believe that we will see more women in barbershops in the near future?

Sandra: Of course. With cosmetology, there are only so many routes that you can go. Sometimes the industry wants to put you in a box. “What is yourspecialty? Stick to that. This discipline is what you’re gonna work with.” However, cosmetology also requires creativity, and women aren’t wanting to be limited. Also, with the length of time it takes to do women’s hair, you can make just as much money and have more customers with doing men’s haircuts.

I get it. Some people come to the barbering industry through passion, and others come for the money. So, barbering will definitely attract more women. And in my opinion, it’s an easier way to make money. I’m not saying that the skills required for barbering is extra simple, but it is a quicker way to make more money.

You’re one week from graduation, and I’m sure you’re excited for the next chapter in your career. How has your experience been here at Frazier’s? And if you had any advice to offer to women going to barber college, what would that be?

Sandra: I’ve been in different hair schools, and this one has been the best. It’s laid back. I don’t feel disrespected or unsafe. Whenever there’s a disrespectful person here, they will be put in her place!

My first advice would be to interview the school before deciding to go there. Try to pick a school environment that is similar to where you’re wanting to work in the future. This is why I chose Frazier’s. Don’t take anything personal from the uncensored vulgarity. Also, stick to it! It’s really not that hard, and I’ve literally only missed day of school. The hours will add up. As long as you’re determined, it will pay off. You can also live with knowing that you have accomplished a feat that many women do not accomplish.

Sandra and Angel had slightly different perspectives on environments of male dominated barbershops. While Sandra asserts that toxic masculinity is concerning in these spaces, Angel states that Black barbershops should stay the way that they are. Both assertions are correct. Barbershops are environments where Black men can express themselves freely and unapologetically. These hubs are not only beneficial to Black men socially, but they provide spaces where Black men can feel safe and welcomed. However, Sandra’s statement is also valid.

Black barbershops are professional settings where all attendees should feel comfortable. As mentioned by Sandra and Angel, Black barbers normally manage the discussions in their shops. They implement changes to the atmosphere when things get out of hand. If we replace the phrase, female touch, with customer service, we can see that Sandra and Angel were alluding to similar ideas. In summary, female barbers improve customer service quality from their attention to detail, their versatility in the hair industry, and even their physical touch.