Barber vs. Cosmetologist:  What’s the Difference?

 

A Brief Overview of a Barber

 

A barber is a licensed professional that focuses on using scissors or clippers to provide services to clients including trimming, cutting, shaving, or shaping the hair in different styles.

They work with their clients, primarily male, and have to have excellent listening skills to be able to understand what their client is wanting and use their knowledge of cutting techniques to provide the best look.  The Client Consultation allows you to determine what it is exactly that your client is coming for. 

 

 

After training and going through a barber program to attain a barber’s certificate, then shortly after graduation applying and testing for their barber license in the state they reside, they will have time to practice and become better at their skills.

The goal is that with training and hours of practice, they will have the ability to have a consultation with a client and know the appropriate equipment to use to attain the style and look the client is wanting, or suggesting alternatives if it may not be attainable with the client’s hair.

 

Most barbers also provide beard shaving or trimming for men, along with shaping the hair on the neck.  The newest addition to a barber’s work are facials, facial masks, and eyebrow waxing or shaving.  

 

A Brief Overview of a Cosmetologist

 

Cosmetologists have the focus of providing their client’s services and treatments including the hair, skin, and nails. Along with hair cutting and styling, cosmetologists are required to learn all the aspects and techniques of skin and nail care.  

 

During Cosmetology training, students will work in an on-site beauty salon, typically connected to the building they do classes in, during the “clinical” part of their training and cosmetology education.  This helps greatly in achieving interactions with new clients and building a client base.  It allows you to do an actual client consultation which is a major aspect of the industry.  

 

 

One of the biggest differences from cosmetologists to barbers is that a barber is trained with a Straight Razor Blade for shaves, neck areas, and head.  The cosmetologist, through the basic training in school, they are not allowed to use a Straight Razor other than on the neck area if they do have clients with shorter hair.

 

It is also highly critical that cosmetologist continue to keep up with current trends in the beauty industry.  For example their is training for cosmetologist, even barbers if they would like further training, to provide microderm procedures, eyebrow extensions, and other skin related procedures. 

 

Services Barbers Typically Provide

 

Of course, all barbershops are different, and that includes the services they provide. However, here is a comprehensive list of the typical services barbers perform for their customers:

• Hair Styling
• Beard Trims and Shaves
• Mustache Trims and Shaves
• Explaining Hair Product Information
• Neck Shaves
• Massages
• Hot Towel Treatments
• Eye Brow Shaving
• Haircuts (fades, dropfades, tapers, razor fades, low fades, high fades, shadow fades, burt fades, etc…)

 

Services Cosmetologist Typically Provide

 

In the cosmetology field there many different aspects and functions that can be provided. During training, cosmetologist learns many different skills, and as they progress in their careers they typically focus on one or two areas that they will master.

 

The different services that cosmetologists typically provide include:

• Hairstyling
• Hair Coloring
• Nail Cutting
• Makeup Application
• Facials
• Eyebrow Extensions
• Giving Detailed Consultations About Looks
• Informing Clients of Current Trends in Hair and Beauty

 

Tools Babers Typically Use

 

There are essential tools that barbers used across the industry that are used in barbershops all over the world.  Most barbers should have a great Barber Station filled with these tools and implements. 

Having extras is a big key in the industry as well.  Clippers can begin to heat up over many of cuts and keeping an extra one of the same kind is a smart thing to do.  You can replace it quickly as soon as you feel you need to.

 

Scissors

Although it may be obvious, there are a variety of scissors that accomplish different looks, styling options, and can range from cutting the hair to thinning parts to get the desired look for the client.

 

The most common type of scissors is straight-bladed scissors that are used for trimming the hair, beards, and mustaches.  There are a variety of scissors that are used for different techniques, but for most barbers the straight bladed and the texturing shears are the most common.

 

Top Pick for Straight- Bladed Scissors: Centrix Roc-It Dog Shear R 

Top Pick for Texturing Shears: Centrix Roc-It Dog Lefty Thinning Shear RTL 30

 

Razors

These razors that also refer to as ‘cutthroat’ scissors have been included in barbers toolkit since the beginning of barbering.  Many times you will see these types of razors shown in old Western shows and movies as the primary way of shaving.  Now (2018) they are more commonly referred to as Straight Blades or Straight Razors.  

There are two of the most common that barbers use:  The Replacable blade Straight Razors or the Originial Straight Blade that you must acquire with a Leather Strop.

 

 

Top PIck for Replaceable Straight Razors: Parker SRX Stainless Steel Straight Edge Razor

 

 

Brushes

Barbershops are typically outfitted with two different types of brushes. The first is used to help in cleaning and dusting any hair that was cut from the customers back and clothing.

 

The other brush is a shaving brush and is used to create a foamy lather before being applied to clients face before shaving.

 

Top Pick for Cleaning/Neck Brush: Anself Duster Brush with Wood Handle

 

 

Top Pick for Shaving Brush: Rocky Mountain Barber Company Shaving Brush

 

 

Combs

One essential tool that a barber will use is a comb. These tasks include dividing the hair into sections to cut, removing and tangles, or merely making a clean part for styling.

 

Top Pick for Combs: CCbeauty Metal Professional Barber Comb Pack for Men & Women

 

 

Other tools include chairs, towels, and other devices like mirrors and products to use in styling a clients hair that can be suggested and sold.

 

                                 

 

Tools Cosmetologist Typically Use

 

Along with similar tools that barbers use, including scissors and combs, a cosmetologist will have more tools that they use in attaining the many hairstyles, along with tools for skin and nail care.

 

Flat Iron

Flat irons are a very important tool for cosmetologist and hair stylists. Used in flattening a clients hair, these come in both ceramic and ionic heat. Along with straightening, flat irons can be utilized in making ‘crimps’ or ‘curls’ by twisting and turning the iron appropriately.

 

Top Pick for Flat Iron: T3 Single Pass X

 

 

Curling Iron

There are many different verities of curling irons, ranging in the size of the barrel, depending on what look a client wants to have their hair styled. There are various options and sizes and will all depend on what the goal is, and how to use it appropriately.

 

Top Pick for Curling Iron: Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Steam Tech MiraCurl

 

 

 

Blow Dryers

The stable of any cosmetologists station is a blow dryer. These tools come in both ceramic and ionic heat. Moreover, while most hair stylists are concerned with the weight and noise of a blow dryer, there are many options on the market. No matter your choice, each blow-dryer has different settings for heat and speed.

 

Top Pick for Blow Dryer: Sam Vila Light Professional Ionic Blow Dryer

 

 

 

So Many Tools, So Many Options!

 

Although there are many more tools that both barbers and cosmetologist use, these are the most common in the industry. For barbers, adding different tools will depend on what services you want to provide, and what will be the best for your client base.

 

For cosmetologist, it will vary on what the best tools are to have aside from the usual tools all cosmetologist use. Instead, depending on the focus of the cosmetologist (Hair, Makeup, Nails) will define what the best tools are for them to invest in and use.

 

Are you a barber or cosmetologist and want to give your opinion of the essential tools that you use? We would love to hear from you and learn more about the brands and what your favorite tools are. Leave a comment below!