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Istanbul CNN —
Nihat Alam stands at the entrance to Turan Erkek Kuafolü, where she has worked for 20 years, waiting for her next customer.
Behind him, down a few flights of stairs, the barbershop has a row of square black chairs in front of a stark white counter, with a sink for each customer. The decor is minimal, just a few photographs on the walls, and the lighting is bright. ’90s pop music blares from speakers in the cafe opposite, and across the road, a group of men sit on low stools and sip ruby-colored tea from small tulip-shaped glasses.
This narrow backstreet in Kadikoy, on Istanbul’s Asian side, is crammed with men’s hair salons, which is no surprise, as male grooming, and shaving in particular, is on a level all its own in Turkey.
The rest of the world could learn a thing or two from the standards of personal care that men maintain here, and the techniques listed below are well worth emulating at home.
Many men in Türkiye visit the barber every week.
Shops range from small local places like this one here to super expensive luxury salons.
Although the practice of shaving dates back to Egyptian times, little is known about the specific history of barbers in Turkey before the 16th century, when shaving was considered haram (forbidden) and men grew their beards long in accordance with Islamic teachings.
When Suleiman the Magnificent became sultan in 1520, Turkish society changed. The first coffee houses opened, providing a public space for discussion. Barbers quickly recognized the potential and negotiated with the owners to set up shop in a corner of the store. A few even opened next door.
Lisa Morrow
Nihat Alam learned to be a barber through an apprenticeship when he was a teenager.
Aspiring barbers, like Nihat Alam, are likely to have learned through observation and long hours of practice.
“I didn’t go to vocational school; there were no vocational schools then,” he says. Instead, he began his apprenticeship under a usta, or master, in Tunceli, eastern Turkey, at the age of 14. Alam’s first usta was Hüseyin Okyay, a highly disciplined, very strict man who placed great importance on neatness and grooming.
Alam had planned to complete another year of school during his apprenticeship, but his father fell ill and he had to return to his hometown of Elazig.
Aram needed to work full time and began working for a new barber, Kazm Arka, from whom he learned about honesty and ethics, but it was another barber working in the salon who had the greatest influence on the 15-year-old.
“His name was Mehmet and I found him to be the best at cutting beards and hair. I had customers coming from far away. I was impressed as he was the best barber in the area.”
Mehmet encouraged Aram by giving him private lessons. Aram recalls that Usta would blow up balloons and shave them. “It’s called balloon shaving. He had a knife sharpening stone and he used a razor. He had a very high level of skill.”
Lisa Morrow
Aram works at this barbershop in Istanbul.
For two years, Alam learned and practiced shaving techniques at home with his friends and sometimes his mother, eventually becoming a master razor user.
Turkish master barbers not only impart their expertise, but also teach their apprentices an ethos based on customer-centric service and attention to detail. Emigrants have shared their precise techniques with the world, and you can experience the same by visiting Turkish barbershops in Istanbul, London or Berlin.
As barbering began to modernize in the 19th century, barbers were considered part of the artisan class and their duties extended far beyond grooming hair and beards: medical historians have found that barbers were often tasked with extracting teeth.
After 1840, tooth extractors had to take an exam to assess their level of knowledge and skill. If they passed, they were allowed to advertise their services. Some inventive people even put up signs bearing their name made of extracted teeth.
Thankfully, these days you don’t have to worry about having to pull a tooth while shaving.
But when choosing a barber, you should consider his qualities. During the Ottoman Empire, candidates were tested on how they reacted under pressure. Those who were quick to anger and prone to making mistakes were not hired. This is still a good guideline today.
Alam believes dedication is one of the most important traits of a good barber.
“If you don’t love what you do, the results will be very poor. Self-sacrifice, dedication, caring about the customer and making them happy are key traits.”
Lisa Morrow
“If you don’t love what you’re doing, the results will be very poor,” Alam said.
Having worked as a barber for more than 30 years, Alam has learned to closely observe his customers, understand how they are feeling and respond accordingly — they may be stressed about work or relationship issues — and to provide an empathetic listening ear as he gives them a face or shoulder massage, another element of his job as a barber.
And trust between barber and customer is essential — after all, one of them is wielding an open razor.
But the grooming process is not just about shaving.
Turkish barbers remove facial hair with ugg (wax) or the more traditional threading method, which involves twisting a thread held between the teeth and hand to create a loop that opens and closes like scissors over the hair to pluck it out. Nose hairs are quickly removed with wax or treated with a less painful nose hair trimmer.
Traditionally, the ear hair is singed: a candle soaked in alcohol is lit and passed quickly over the surface of the ear, which removes the hair but leaves the ear red for a while afterwards. It’s a pretty dramatic look, and as Alam points out, it’s now officially banned because it’s somewhat dangerous and the flame is uncontrollable.
Depending on the customer’s preference, we use wax or lighters that can be turned on and off as needed.
Most Turkish barbers worked outdoors until the end of the 20th century.
Mehmet Tekin, better known as a Sayyat Berber (nomadic barber), also works outdoors. He has been travelling around Turkey by motorbike since 2018, during which he says he “became friends with scissors by cutting people’s hair”.
Seven years after starting out in the industry, Tekin completed two years of formal training and has been working as a freelance hairstylist for fashion magazines, television and film since 2011.
During the lockdown, as was the case everywhere around the world, Turkish men were not able to go to barbershops and barbers were prohibited from visiting customers’ homes. Even Tekin had to stay at home for a while. As a result, Alam and Tekin received many calls from men wanting guidance on how to groom themselves at home.
Lisa Morrow
Istanbul’s barber shops range from basic shops to ultra-expensive salons.
Tekin especially recommends that men seek advice from their barber rather than looking for a generic solution, because everyone’s skin type and beard structure are different, so it’s important to know your own skin sensitivities.
While Tekin and Alam prefer their customers to get a good shave, there are some basics to getting a good shave, whether in a shop or at home.
What kind of razor? A sharp one.
The make and model of razor a man uses is less important than his skill with it. Practice is key to preventing nicks and cuts, especially when using a straight razor.
Alam says the best way to learn is “to practice and try multiple times without the razor in place. This is especially important in training, when barbers are taught to hold the skin with their fingers and stretch it a little to make hard-to-reach areas of the face easier.”
Aram uses a single-blade razor with a handle and replaces the blade after each client, ensuring not only hygiene but also a clean shave.
When he was an apprentice, he would spray cologne on his razors and light them on fire, but now all his equipment is thoroughly sterilized in professional ultraviolet ovens. But after shaving a client, he still sprays his razor with white spirit, lights it, and lets it burn. Only once it’s clean does he insert a new blade. Men who shave at home would be well advised to do the same.
Lisa Morrow
Barbers can boost customer morale, Nihat Alam said.
Water temperature? It’s hot.
“You should never shave with cold water, and for a better shave, you should shave after a shower if possible,” says Tekin.
Alam agreed on the issue of hot water. “Using hot water is very important in case there are bacteria on the blades. Also, using hot water makes the shave more comfortable and soft,” he said.
He also had a lot to say about the type of soap you should use: shaving with regular soap “can cause allergies, irritate the skin, and lead to rashes and fungal infections.”
To get as close as possible to Turkish shaving, he recommends using a pre-packaged foam soap, such as the Turkish brand Alko. [the] “Put soap on the brush and put it in hot water, boiling water. This is the most hygienic way.”
The bristles of the shaving brush should not be too hard, but slightly soft. Men should first dip the brush in very hot water, apply soap to the brush, and then lather it on their face. If you apply soap directly to your face first, then dip the brush in hot water and lather soap on your face, you risk burning your skin.
If done correctly, after about five seconds the heat of the brush bristles will create a lather in the soap, cooling the brush slightly in the process to create a safe, smooth lather.
They know that customers can shave at home, but as Alam points out, only the barber can “lift the customer’s spirits” by providing a personal listening experience.
“I say to them: ‘Get better soon.’ They will get better. This is life. It goes on. When they wake up, they are happy and loved. When I feel better and motivated myself, I tell them that.”
At least in Turkey, there seems to be no substitute for going to the barber, whose skills go far beyond just a simple shave.
