Unit 13 skillS The barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men s facial hair. Barber services include classic shaving, quick dry shaves, moustache and beard trim, nose and ear hair trim. In the past, barbers also performed surgery and dentistry; nowadays, thanks to the development of safety razors, most barbers are now specialised in cutting men s hair, too. These are the steps for preparing the client for a barber service: consultation: agree on the haircut and any other services the client needs; hair analysis: analyse the hair and scalp to make sure there are no contra-indications to proceed; protection and tools selection: protect the client by using a cape and neck strip. The steps are as follows: cutting, using either scissors or a razor; trimming the hair at the base of the neck; finishing, by removing nose and ear or shape eyebrow hair if requested; cleaning up, by removing the client s protection and making sure clothes are clean and free of hair and products; showing the client the final result using a back mirror. ro dress: acconciare, allineare to groom: fare la toeletta strip: striscia surgery: chirurgia Wound: ferita Read the text and choose the correct alternative. 2 Barber pole history The Barber Pole, in the Middle Ages, was the way barbers used to advertise their medical services. In that period people could visit the barber for a haircut, shave, but also for teeth pulling, setting bones or treating wounds. It wasn t until the half of the 18th century that a law excluded barbers from performing these procedures, but the Pole didn t disappear. On the contrary, it started to represent grooming services. In Europe, barber poles traditionally are red and white, while in America they are red, white and blue. According to one theory, blue was added to the pole as a show of patriotism and a reference to the nation s flag. 1. The Barber Pole is an advertising symbol for barbers grooming services / was a tooth pulling tool / disappeared in the Middle Ages. 2. In the Middle Ages, people went to the barber only for medical services / to have their hair cut/both for medical and grooming reasons. 3. In European countries barber poles are red and white / red, white and blue / white and blue. 4. In America the barber pole became a symbol of patriotism/has different colours from Europe / disappeared at the half of the 18th century. 5. The blue / red / white colour of some poles is a tribute to the colours of the American flag. 3 13.1 Listen to the B s Barbershop radio advertisement and complete the sentences. 1. At old barbershops you could talk about .................................................................................................................. 2. B s barbers haircuts can be ........................................... .................................................................................................................. 3. Every haircut always ends with a .............................. .................................................................................................................. 122 4. B s Barbershop offers . , too, from haircuts, to shaves, to facials and massages. 5. At B s barbershop you can even receive . for special occasions like wedding haircuts.