by Howard Campbell
In many American cities, the great barbershop tradition is being replaced by heavily marketed, generic chain shops. While these corporate establishments are efficient, they often lack personality. Exceptions still exist in Black and Latino neighborhoods, but in the suburbs, franchise chains are usually the only option. Fortunately, this is not the case in Mexico’s big cities and small towns, where independent “Mom and Pop” barbershops are absolutely everywhere. They are mostly low-tech, inexpensive, and loaded with character.
In downtown Ciudad Juárez, there are easily more than one hundred of these traditional places. A haircut will set you back a mere 70 to 200 pesos, and the experience is personal, friendly, and relaxing. Many of these businesses are bare-bones operations. They consist of a vintage barber chair (or just about any sturdy chair), a mirror, a jar full of combs, an assortment of old scissors, and several electric clippers with long cords snaking to a wall outlet. The walls are typically covered with pages cut from fashion magazines displaying trendy hairstyles, handwritten signs listing prices, family photographs, and miscellaneous bric-a-brac. Along the wall, four or five simple chairs accommodate waiting customers, who watch game shows or telenovelas on a cheap TV, or listen to a sound system blaring lively music.
The atmosphere is inherently chatty. Waiting patrons exchange local gossip or trade jokes with the barber. Because each customer explains their desired haircut in great detail—and because the barbers genuinely want to appease their clients—they spend ample time on each head, meaning the wait can be long. In the back of these single-room shops, there is often a rudimentary bathroom with a sign claiming it is “out of service.” While the barbers use it themselves, they prefer not to have customers using the facilities. Overall, the experience yields a good, cheap haircut in a convivial environment—a welcome timeout from the demands of work and home life.
Although women occasionally visit these shops with their children or spouses, these barbershops are primarily “man caves.” They are male-only spaces where men bond with their brethren, needling each other with humorous insults, trying out new jokes, and paging through worn-out sports magazines. Some of the older establishments, like cantinas, bear colorful names like El Museo, Viva Chihuahua, or Arriba Juárez. These spaces share a common ethos of laid-back time-wasting, general hilarity, and relaxed male bonding.
A typical haircut here includes a precise shave with a straight razor and hot shaving cream along the neck, around the ears, and often the beard area. The barber might also trim protruding nose and ear hairs. To conclude the service, they apply a dash of rubbing alcohol or cologne to the skin, massage gel into the new haircut, and even offer a brief shoulder and scalp massage. Typically, the customer leaves a generous tip and says goodbye with a stylized local phrase like “Ahí nos vemos” or “Listo para el baile.”
Many of these old-school places serve as permanent hangouts for older neighborhood men and friends of the barber. They sit in the shops for hours, killing time with no other purpose than to socialize. In this way, Juárez barbershops act as community centers—a true home away from home. The veteran barbers and steady regulars are almost always known by their lifelong nicknames, having shared these spaces for three or four decades.
I vividly remember one time I visited a barbershop on Hermanos Escobar Street. I recognized the barber, who had worked in the downtown area for at least twenty years before moving to the PRONAF zone. What I did not know was that since I had last seen him, his Parkinson’s disease had advanced significantly. His hands shook violently. I didn’t want to offend him by walking out, but I must admit I was scared to death as he wielded the scissors wildly in front of my face. Amazingly, in spite of his infirmity, his muscle memory took over and he gave me an excellent haircut. I tipped him handsomely, but out of sheer self-preservation, I never returned. Still, I was glad to escape unscathed and felt a great warmth and nostalgia just seeing him again.
This was just one of hundreds of experiences—almost all of them incredibly positive—that I have enjoyed in these establishments. I have immense respect for the barbers of Juárez, the good work they do, their affordable prices, and the unmatched camaraderie they foster.
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