TURKISH BARBERS: YES, YOUR EARS REALLY ARE BURNING!

A Kennedy’s Look at a Red Hot Barbershop Treatment

At Kennedy’s All-American Barber Club®, we’re certainly open to different ideas to advance the art of men’s grooming. But we have to draw the line at setting ears on fire. It’s probable that we’d be breaking several federal, state and local laws – and, frankly, although our barbers are incredibly talented, this is one skill their license – and their insurance – doesn’t cover.

Yes, we’ll explain. Recently, we were reading an amazing article in Men’s Health magazine entitled, “Sharpen Your Edge” (you can read it online at http://www.menshealth.com/style/grooming/Sharpen-Your-Edge.php), where a reporter traveled to London to check out the best of the best when it come to English barbershops – barbershops frequented by British royalty and some American royalty as well (John Wayne was a patron – and he was, after all, “The Duke!”). These premier establishments offer amazing barbershop experiences for distinguished gentlemen – the kind we pride ourselves on helping at Kennedy’s – and the reporter was properly impressed.

But, since those upper class barbershops are a bit pricey, he wanted to check out a “regular chap’s” barbershop business in London too. And when you want to find out something in a city…you ask a cabbie. The cabbie sent him to a Turkish barber that did a little something the reporter was definitely not prepared for.

A little bit about Turkish barbers first, however. It’s not a Supercuts operation by any means – haircuts are a national art form and, in Turkey, foreigners are not even allowed to become barbers. Apprentices often spend years watching their bosses without being allowed to touch one hair on a customer’s head.

The whole process of getting a haircut at a Turkish barbershop usually takes about two hours. The first hour is all about the waiting. You sit in the barbershop, watching TV or reading the newspaper, being served Turkish tea and possibly getting a shoulder or arm massage from an assistant. Nice and relaxing.

When it’s finally your turn, the barber will wash your hair if it’s needed – then he will ask you how you want your hair cut and trim the areas around your ears and your neck. He’ll then give you a wet cut on the rest of your hair to your specifications and a great straight razor shave similar to what we provide at Kennedy’s. Nothing unusual so far, right?

Now it gets a little more interesting. Any extra hair on the face that isn’t where it should be is either waxed with a pine resin or yanked out with tweezers or string. A cotton thread is twisted and the resulting loop is opened and closed over the hair to be removed. Yes, you get plucked. Also, nose hair is trimmed with small scissors. The Turks are very thorough.
And perhaps very crazy. Because what happens next can be somewhat alarming if you’re not prepared for it.

The barber dips a ball of cotton in a flammable liquid, lights it – and brings the flame over close to your ear…to burn away the hair.

See? We’re not making this up!

And, coincidentally, this is the exact point where the Men’s Health reporter got up and ended the haircut, leaving him with only one properly groomed – and, apparently, suddenly very sensitive to wind – ear.

The thing is, if you are prepared to have your ear hair burnt off, these barbers actually know what they’re doing – and can singe away your ear hair in a second. You can watch the entire Turkish haircut process in the video below (for all you action fans out there, around 4:40 is where the “Burning Ear” is performed).

Yes, it’s probably a great and very efficient technique – but for now, at Kennedy’s All-American Barber Club®, we won’t be bringing balls of fire close to your head. For all our other great services, locations and franchise opportunities, though, check out our website at http://www.KennedysBarberClub.com . And please, we feel it’s our duty to advise you – don’t try the “Burning Ear” at home!

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