Women’s hair competitions have long created showstopper ‘dos that resemble everything from peacocks to warrior princess crowns. Now barbers are upping their scissor game with outrageous hairstyles that shock and awe and have led to stage and television competitions.
Today’s barbers do so much more than cut. Barber School Los Angeles trains these men and women how to perm, color and style. Barbers actually posses many of the same skills as traditional hairstylists, but the focus of barber school is on men’s hair and shorter cuts.
Plus, barbers don’t fear the beard. While some guys walk out of the barber shop with an old fashion straight-razor shave, other dudes leave sporting ocean waves, zig zag lines and even the Bat symbol skillfully shaved on their faces.
Barber shops have become hubs for cutting-edge style.
Funky Colors
Not long ago, guys with colored hair wore their vibrant hues as a symbol against the status quo. Whether green or orange, the colors were associated with punk culture and often dyed DIY style. But fashion evolved. You don’t have to be a rebel to ask your barber for purple spikes, a teal pompadour or that futuristic silver fox look. Through barber school, men and women learn how to safely bleach and color a variety of hair textures.
For those looking to make an even bolder statement, there’s the rainbow look. Just look to “Bronies,” the male “My Little Pony” fans who show their fandom with multi-colored locks that resemble the colorful tales of the cartoon ponies. This is not a DIY style. The coloring complexity requires the professional skill of barbers trained in top programs like Barber School Los Angeles.
Intricate Designs
Historically, shave designs belong to African American culture, but they, too, have become a part of mass fashion, and not just for guys. Women love their hearts, stars, flowers and diamonds shaved into their undercuts. But having a pretty bow shaved under a flop of hair is pretty tame compared to having Einstein, Ellen DeGeneres or “Breaking Bad’s” Walter White shaved on your dome. Those are just a few of the celebrity faces shaved and scissored on customers’ heads by expert barber, Rob Ferrel, who is also a winner of Cedric the Entertainer’s televised Barber Battle.
Preserving such art on your head takes regular trips to the barber shop as most hair grows at an average rate of 1 centimeter a month. That’s good news for barbers who reap the financial rewards of their clients’ high-maintenance hairstyles. On the flip side, if you sober up and deeply regret having Kim Kardashian’s famous mug shaved into your head, the students at Barber School Los Angeles can shave it all off for you. Or, there’s always hats.
Crazy Height
Just how high can hair go? According to Guinness World Records, the answer does not lie with Kid n’ Play. In 2011, Kazuhiro Watanabe of Japan set the record with a single hair spike towering in at 44.68 inches. Although most barber shop customers aren’t asking for that kind of height, men and women are turning to the barber school educated pros for a variety of spiky styles.
Some guys go for the fanned mohawk: The hair is thin, tall and fanned from the crown of the head down to the nape of the neck. Then there’s liberty spikes: Thicker sections of hair are spiked with tips so pointy they could poke your eye out. Barbers can create liberty spike mohawks or style the spikes all over the head. Spikes can come with picture art, too. In 2010, the barber dubbed “Knoweldge” colored a picture of the New York city skyline on his model’s fanned mohawk during the New York City Barber Battle.