From scruffy to sharp: In COVID Phase 2, haircuts are back in Charlotte men’s fashion
We’ve all been there. Whether it be for financial reasons, laziness or not enough time in the week, we’ve all at some point or another wished we could just get a freaking haircut. Tufts of hair begin to poke around your ears, a “rat tail” starts slowly making its way down your neck, and every morning it looks more and more like there’s birds living in your pillow.
Many of us decided to take matters into our own hands, but photos spread across social media have proven that some of us just weren’t cut out to be barbers. Finally though, by the grace of Gov. Roy Cooper’s Phase 2 coronavirus reopening plan in North Carolina, we can put down the safety scissors and buzzers and go back to the holy place that is the neighborhood barber shop.
COVID-19 restrictions are in place, halving the occupancy inside the shops and putting distance between the chairs. But aside from that, barber shops and salons around the Charlotte area are largely starting to return back to normal.
Even after shutting its doors for 2.5 months at Elite Barbershop in Indian Trail, owner Corey Usher said the community aspect of the shop is still going strong. “We respect everybody’s opinion. It just depends on who’s in here at the time you come. You’re liable to talk about anything: politics, God, theories, just a little bit of everything,” Usher said.
Nine miles away, the situation was the same at The Mint Hill Barber Shop. More than 30 people were waiting outside the front door when owner Stephen Smith reported for work at 6 a.m. the first Saturday after Phase 2 went into effect.
“The barbershop is the essential hub of any town. It’s where everybody comes together, and this has taken from that by distancing us and limiting interactions with customers. But we’re doing everything we can to keep the general public safe — that’s the top priority.”
Elite Barbershop and The Mint Hill Barber Shop let us take some before-and-after photos of clients getting their first haircuts since being in COVID-19 quarantine for the past 3 months. Some of the haircuts make a real difference. But if you’re studying a few of the photos wondering if they actually got any hair cut at all because the afters look so much like the befores — well, it’s not just you.
Here they are:
Jakob Menendez is a freelance multimedia journalist who writes human interest stories. You can find him on Twitter @jakobmenendez23.
Send us your before-and-after photos of your first haircut since COVID began and we may include you in a future story: charlottefive@charlottefive.com.