How often did the average man get a haircut?

[The Good]

This is a history related question I have. I've been wondering out of curiosity, how often the average man during the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, maybe even 1950s and '60s to a point, had their haircut at the barber.

I suppose there's no way of knowing an exact statistic, but does anyone here have any idea on what was the norm for much of the Golden Era? For example, I've heard somewhere that people who styled their hair as flattops might have had it done on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, as the style had to look perfectly short and tapered.

 

[Warden]

Interesting question and I have no idea. Other than I went to the barbers yesterday, 1st time in 5 weeks, but as I now have a classic 'short back and sides' I really must get in the habbit of going every 3 weeks.

 

[Big Man]

I used to get my hair cut every two weeks. So did my Dad. This was in the late 1950's and through the 1960's.

 

[dhermann1]

That sounds about right. When I was a kid I'd say it was about every 2 to 3 weeks. Some more affluent men probably had a weekly trim, and took a shave as well. In the old days every barber shop had a wall entirely covered with shelves holding their patrons' individual shaving mugs. One of many picturesque features of the old fashioned tonsorial parlor.

 

[JimWagner]

If memory serves, in the 50's and 60's I had my hair cut about every other week and so did my Dad.

 

[Johnny Dollar]

it seems like in the Andy Griffith show that men had a "trim" almost daily, but of course that was more a dramatic device than anything. i wonder though if there was a cultural difference between southern states and northern states in this respect.

 

[scottyrocks]

When I was a kid in the '60s it seemed like every two or three weeks.

 

[Romy Overdorp]

Every 10 days.
I wish all those guys would still do that know, I love cutting men's hair!

 

[Yeps]

That is really interesting. If I get a haircut after a month it is a bit early. Six weeks is normal, and two months or more is not unreasonable.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I agree..in the 50s..60s my Dad and I got our haircut every two weeks. I assume it was very similar during the 20s(?)...30s and 40s. My father was born in 1905 and I'm pretty sure had the same haircut schedule for decades.
HD

 

[rue]

I would guess it's about the same as it was then for the average man as it is nowadays for military men.... every two weeks.

 

[JimWagner]

It's funny how our memories work. I can't remember anything at all about where I got my hair cut as a teenager after we move from Virginia to North Carolina. But I can close my eyes and still see the barber shop I went to in the second grade back in ~1954.

It was across the street from my grammar school and about 4-5 blocks from where we lived. In those days pretty much everyone walked to school unless you lived more than a mile away, which most didn't. My Dad had been walking me to the barber shop (we didn't own a car back then) since I was old enough to need haircuts and as soon as I was walking back and forth to school I'd go to the barber shop by myself. By the time I was 7 I was a "big boy" who didn't need to sit on a board across the barber chair arms so the barber could reach me and my Dad would just give me whatever it cost and tell me to stop by on the way home from school for my haircut. I don't remember how much it was, but it was always in coins.

I can close my eyes and picture 2 red leather and steel barber chairs with white arm rests, an old bare wood floor half covered in cut hair, a big floor fan and the backdoor open for ventilation. A shoe shine stand in the back beside the door and the shoe shine boy who swept up and shined shoes. Combs in jars of barbercide. You sat in old wooden chairs along the wall facing the barber chairs while you waited your turn and maybe looked though the magazines and newspapers. As a kid you mostly listened to the conversations going on between the barbers and the men waiting their turns. Kids were not the center of attention and you were expected to sit quietly and keep you mouth shut unless spoken to.

An electric chrome machine that dispensed warm shaving cream used for shaving mostly necks by straight razor sat on the counter behind the barbers. Bay rum was splashed on my neck after it was shaved and then followed up with talc and a good brushing to get rid of extra talc and hair clippings. That was the signal that the haircut was over.

That barber shop was old when I was a kid and I expect that the same barbers had worked there most of their lives and my experiences there were no different than any other kid's from the preceding 30 years.

 

[Romy Overdorp]

An electric chrome machine that dispensed warm shaving cream used for shaving mostly necks by straight razor sat on the counter behind the barbers. Bay rum was splashed on my neck after it was shaved and then followed up with talc and a good brushing to get rid of extra talc and hair clippings. That was the signal that the haircut was over.

I must get myself a hot lather machine! Donnie Hawley uses one as well.

 

[Kirk H.]

Back when I had hair I used to get it cut every 10-14 days. The Barber who I used to go to before he passed away could do a flat top or a high reg cut freehand. And I always treated myself to a barbershop shave. The sad thing is that a lot of the "Old School" barbers are gone. After my barber passed I went to another one, but he was not as good. I have many fond memories of going to the barber and talking sports, politics, and many other topics.

Kirk H.

 

[The Good]

Hmm, thanks for your input. Myself, I tend to get my haircut every two or three months. That's been pretty usual for me since the past two or three years. I used to go less often, but not to the point of every having hair extend to shoulder length (a cousin did/does though). It's been so far a month since my trip, so I'll probably get to thinking about it next month or so. I should probably add that while I do let the rest of my hair grow in between barber visits, at home I might sometimes cut the hair on the back of my head, "blocking" the nape, although I can't taper it.

 

[RichardH]

I would guess it's about the same as it was then for the average man as it is nowadays for military men.... every two weeks.

I didn´t have to cut it every two weeks when i was in. (We all had to have a buzz cut during basic, but after basic it was basically "free for all".. I guess we norwegians are pretty lax when it comes to haircuts.. (Most likely since the hi & tight and its variations looks absolutely ridiculous ;-D ) )

I usually go 2-3 months between each haircut, but I like my hair long, like this:

(usually with a slightly more pronounced side-part.)

 

[rue]

You're lucky Richard ... the US Military has to wear it high and tight. They can have a little growth on the top, but not much.

 

[Kirk H.]

You're lucky Richard ... the US Military has to wear it high and tight. They can have a little growth on the top, but not much.

Not necessarily, a lot of it has to do with what branch you are in. There are several variations of the high and tight out there as well as the Regulation hair cut. Of course in Basic everyone gets the same induction cut.

Kirk

 

[rue]

Not necessarily, a lot of it has to do with what branch you are in. There are several variations of the high and tight out there as well as the Regulation hair cut. Of course in Basic everyone gets the same induction cut.

Kirk

I've been corrected by the husband Apparently you are correct, but they all look high and tight to me lol I just meant that they can't have hair like the picture unless they're in something like Delta.

 

[skyvue]

I get my hair cut every two weeks -- to the day, when at all possible.