A boy visiting a barber.

A barber (from the Latin barba, "beard") is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, give shaves, and trim beards. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Shaving is the removal of hair by using Razor or any other kind of bladed implement to slice it down to the level of the skin In previous times, barbers also performed surgery and dentistry. Surgery (from the χειρουργική cheirourgikē, via chirurgiae meaning "hand work" is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental Dentistry' is the "evaluation diagnosis prevention and/or treatment (nonsurgical surgical or related procedures of diseases disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity ^[1] In more recent times, with the development of safety razors and the increasing rarity of beards, most barbers primarily cut hair. A razor is a Bladed Tool primarily used in the Shaving off of unwanted Body hair.

Therefore, although many may still deal with facial hair when requested, the predominant difference in American and Commonwealth culture is that barbers specialize in the simple cutting of men's hair. They do not generally offer significant styling or 'fancy' haircuts when compared to hairdressers working in hair salons.

The place where a barber works is generally called a barbershop, or simply a barbers.

Some barbers prefer to see themselves as hairdressers or hairstylists. There is a common misbelief that barbers do not perform any service other than hair cutting and that cosmetologists perform all coloring and perms but this is untrue. Cosmetology (from Greek grc κοσμητικός kosmētikos, "skilled in adornment" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study Barbers can cut hair, trim beards, color, perm, provide facials and shave. They are also licensed to work with artificial hair replacement products (toupees, etc). Many working stylists are legally barbers. There is some professional rivalry between barbers and cosmetologists, both of which are licensed and regulated. At one time, both groups were allowed to cut hair, but only barbers were allowed to shave or trim beards: this required mastering the arcane technique of using a straight razor. A straight razor is a Razor with a Blade that can fold into its handle

History

Barbershop in Bucharest around 1842. Bucharest ( Romanian: Bucureşti) is the Capital city, industrial and commercial centre of Romania. Woodcut. As shown in this image, the barbershop also provides an opportunity for social contacts.

The barber's trade is an ancient one. Razors have been found among relics of the Bronze Age (circa 3500 BC) in Egypt, and barbering is mentioned in the Bible by Ezekiel who said "Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor to shave your head and your beard. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin According to religious texts Ezekiel ((יְחֶזְקֵאל Yehezkel, jəx (5:1 NIV)"

Shaving, either of the head or face, was not always a voluntary act, for it has been enforced by law in England and elsewhere. The New International Version is an English Translation of the Christian Bible. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Cleanliness and vanity were therefore not the sole reasons for a "clean shave"; the origins lie deeper. Before the Macedonian conquest brought the custom of clean shaving, the κουρευς in the Greek agora would trim and style his patrons' beards, hair, and fingernails, as gossip and debate flowed freely. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Shaving is the removal of hair by using Razor or any other kind of bladed implement to slice it down to the level of the skin The Agora was an open "place of assembly" in ancient Greek city-states A nail is a horn -like structure at the end of an animal's Finger or Toe. Gossip is idle talk or Rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others Debate ( American English) or debating ( British English) is a formal method of interactive and position representational Argument.

Barbering was introduced to Rome from the Greek colonies in Sicily in 296 B. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. C. and barber shops quickly became very popular centres for daily news and gossip. A morning visit to the tonsor became a part of the daily routine as important as the visit to the public baths, and a young man's first shave (tonsura) was an essential part of his coming of age ceremony. This page is on buildings used for Roman bathing For the activity in general see Ancient Roman bathing. Coming of age is a young person's transition from Adolescence to Adulthood The age at which this transition takes place varies in society as does the nature

Interior of a barber's shop, circa 1920

A few Roman tonsores became wealthy and influential, running shops that were favorite loci publici of high society; most were simple tradesmen, owning small storefronts or setting up their stool in the street and offering shaves for a mere quadrans. The quadrans (literally meaning "a quarter" was a low-value Roman Bronze Coin worth one fourth of an as. Some had reputations as clumsy butchers who left their patrons scarred about the cheeks and chin; their dull bronze or copper (never steel) razors must share some of the blame. Scars (also called cicatrices) are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal Skin (or other tissue after injury Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 A razor is a Bladed Tool primarily used in the Shaving off of unwanted Body hair. The better barbers offered depilatories for those customers who refused the razor. Hair removal describes any method of removing Hair, especially from the human body

The barbers of former times were also surgeons and dentists. Dentistry' is the "evaluation diagnosis prevention and/or treatment (nonsurgical surgical or related procedures of diseases disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity As well as haircutting, hairdressing, and shaving, barbers performed surgery, blood-letting, cupping and leeching, enemas, and the extraction of teeth. Thus they were called barber surgeons and they formed their first organization in 1094. The Barber surgeon was one of the most common Medical practitioners of medieval Europe - generally charged with looking after Soldiers during

See also

• Barber's pole
• Barber surgeon
• Beauty Salon
• Facial hair
• DOVO Solingen
• Thiers Issard
• Hairstyle
• Something for the weekend
• The Barber of Seville
• Sweeney Todd

External links

• William Stearns Davis on the barber shops of Athens
• Barba: entry in William Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities
• History of the barber's trade

References