In the bygone days of the “shave and a haircut,” men gathered at barbershops and traded stories while they were professionally groomed. While the image brings to mind the slicked-back styles and clean-cut looks of the ‘50s, men’s grooming has made a comeback.
The Men's Room Barber Lounge & Spa on Monroe Ave. has a calming, masculine space, with dark leather furniture, dark wood and sports playing over a fireplace. The spa offers a variety of shave packages including beard facials. The most popular service is the beard outline trim—and there’s a definite art to the shave.
First, the stylist preps the face with pre-shave oil, then uses a series of steam towels to soften whiskers. Hot lather and a straight razor follow. “I think that’s where some of the art comes in. Everyone’s face is shaped differently; their beards are different, and they want different styles,” says Owner Rebecca Webster.
Beard styling uses different techniques including blow-drying the beard and using a round brush to style it straight, Webster says. “The before and after of the beards are always great to see," she says. "I think it’s kind of like a haircut. You want to upkeep it, so you want to come in every three to four weeks and maintain it.”
“I think men like to pamper themselves as much as women," Webster says. They want to look good and take care of themselves, and they know the outcome is going to be better than if they were to do it on their own.”