Do Barbers Cut Their Own Hair? (Explained)

OK, so they have the necessary skills and they always do such an amazing job on your hair. But you may be wondering, do barbers cut their own hair? 

Most barbers do not cut their own hair but do swap their services with other barbers from the same shop. Such trades within a barbershop are a form of professional politeness within the industry.

While some barbers do cut their own hair, working on the back of their own head is difficult. 

Keep reading to learn more about how barbers manage their own hair, with and without help. 

Do Barbers Enjoy Cutting Their Own Hair? 

Most barbers who have spoken about cutting their own hair do not mind doing so every now and then, but they do not love the process, either. They view it as a task that simply must be done from time to time.  

According to these barbers, it can definitely be tedious to cut their own hair, especially while they are working on the back of their heads. Luckily for them, having access to several mirrors makes the process a little bit more doable. 

All in all, these barbers are fairly neutral to cutting their own hair, and they only do so when they deem it necessary. 

Although it isn’t an income-generating activity as trimming other people’s hair would be, they do save money by doing a DIY job. 

When Do Barbers Cut Their Own Hair? 

As mentioned in the previous section, some barbers will cut their own hair whenever they feel like they must do so. These barbers cut their own hair for the following reasons: 

1. Out of Necessity 

When barbershops are closed or when access to fellow barbers isn’t as readily available, you can bet that they’d be able to do a pretty good job of cutting their own hair. 

It isn’t easy and will definitely be more time-consuming than cutting a customer’s hair. But they do it and would be better at doing it than the vast majority of people. 

Another situation where a barber may choose to cut his own hair is when they’re the only person they’d actually trust with their hair. 

It’s pretty natural to have a certain amount of pride and confidence in your own work as a professional. 

Plus, it’s also natural to have a competitive side when judging a fellow barber’s work. 

Because of this, it’s understandable that some barbers just prefer to cut their own hair because the thought of another barber doing it makes them nervous. 

They’ve got the utmost trust in their own hands and know they’d be able to do a good job of it. They may have seen their fellow barbers messing up a fade (mistakes happen) and can’t bear the thought of it happening to them. 

So, they may just prefer to grab their scissors and their clippers and get to work on it themselves. 

2. To Save Money

Although many barbers get a discount when they go to their coworkers, it still saves them about thirty dollars—not including any sort of tip—each time they decide to cut their own hair. 

If these barbers are cutting their hair as often as most stylists recommend, every eight weeks, then their savings really start to add up. 

So long as a barber is willing to do the tedious job of cutting and styling the hair on the back of their own head that often, they can put that money towards other necessities like groceries or utility bills. 

3. To Maintain a Simple Style 

Many barbers will cut their own hair to maintain or create a simple style like a buzzcut. 

In fact, barbers advise that men who wish to cut their own hair should elect for a buzzcut if they do not want to consult with a barber, as it is fairly easy for most people to trim off the majority of their hair with clippers. 

Going for simple styles removes a lot of the difficulty from working on the back of your own head, so most barbers choose to cut their own hair if that is all they want. 

Having said that, it’s not unheard of for skilled barbers to give themselves more complex styles. Fades and undercuts are possible (although difficult) to do yourself. Remember they’ve got access to the best tools and plenty of mirrors as well. 

Plus, they’ve got years of experience in doing it to other people. After a while it becomes second-nature, and doing it to themselves is almost seen as a natural next step or a “challenge”. 

When Do Barbers Go to Their Fellow Barbers? 

Most of the time, barbers will go to their fellow barbers from the same shop. Barbers go to their coworkers for hair services for the following reasons:

1. To Build Good Working Relationships 

Again, most barbers prefer to go to their coworkers to get their hair cut or styled. Not only is this polite and convenient, but it also helps the barbers to build a good working relationship. Ideally, other barbers will return the favor and seek the original barber’s services in turn. 

Going to other barbers from the same shop has the added bonus of creating a friendly atmosphere in the barbershop, which is something that they’re generally known for. 

Also, barbers that go to their fellow barbers for hairstyling or cuts are better able to recommend these coworkers to shop clients for specific services. 

For example, one barber may be highly skilled at giving shaves, and one of their coworkers can suggest them to new clients seeking that particular service. 

2. To Avoid Dealing with the Back 

Some barbers would rather avoid having to cut or style the hair on the back of their head entirely, especially if they want more than a simple buzzcut. 

To make the entire process easier, these barbers go to a coworker. While it is difficult to work on the back of their own head, another barber can do the job for them with no issues. 

3. To Have a Greater Variety in Styles

If a barber wants to have more variety in how their hair is cut and styled, they will go to another barber. Other barbers will be able to make use of their own skills without having to rely on a mirror for more complex cuts or styles. 

For instance, another barber will have much better access to the angles of the barber’s head, which means that they will not have any trouble adding a gradient to their hair, such as a style that includes a taper or a fade. 

It’s also a good opportunity to make the most of their colleagues’ skills. It’s often the case that certain barbers within the same shop have their own fields of expertise when it comes to styles 

For example, one barber may produce exceptionally phenomenal fades, while another might style the best undercuts. 

Why not make the most of a fellow barber’s expertise? It makes sense to ask for help from someone who really knows what they’re doing and you have a lot of trust in. 

Conclusion

Most barbers usually trade their services with other barbers from the same shop. This is viewed as polite and normal within the industry. 

Going to a coworker is also convenient and helps barbers create a good working relationship, as well as the friendly atmosphere barbershops have a positive reputation for. 

Barbers can keep their own hair in a complex style and recommend their coworkers to new clients. 

But when push comes to shove, a barber will indeed be able to cut their own hair. As you’d expect, they’d almost definitely do a better job of it than your average Joe would. 

At the end of the day, it’ll save money and is relatively easy if all they’re going for is a simple style.