Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I would visit my barber (Eddie) every 4-5 weeks. After exchanging…read morepleasantries about how our respective families were doing and small talk about the weather, Eddie would ask how I wanted my hair cut. And my response was usually something along the lines of, "Use the number 3 setting on the clippers to take a couple of inches off the top, the number 2 to keep the sides 'high and tight', and then finish with the number 2 setting to do a skin-fade for the back." To which Eddie would normally reply, "Don't worry, I'll make it look fresh and crisp as always." I would venture to guess that 90+ percent of men have had a similar if not verbatim conversation with their barber.
March 8, 2020 was the last time I visited Eddie, and I recall this vividly since we were discussing this "Coronavirus" thing that was in the news and whether it was something to be concerned about here in the U.S. I believe that our uninformed opinion was that this was probably just another "flu strain" and that it was nothing to worry about. Hmm...weren't we a bit off on this prediction?
As things were shutting down, I started experiencing the dreaded "pandemic hair," which is to stay by May 2020, the hair on the top of my head was a crazy unkept mane. It got so bad that during a MS TEAMS meeting, one of my co-workers offered to send me some Scooby Snacks, since I was looking so Shaggy.
Thankfully, a family member told me about May Samara Beauty Studio in the summer of 2020. I was a bit hesitant at first to see May for two reasons:
1). What type of COVID-19 protocols did she have established to ensure a safe environment?
2). I was raised with the belief that men only went to "barbers" for their haircuts.
As for point number one, May has implemented excellent COVID safety and security protocols. It starts with the appointment process itself. She will usually want to talk with you first to vet you as a potential client. And once the appointment is made, upon entering her studio (in the basement of a Condo building), she only allows one (two max) people in at a time and makes sure to lock the door so as to control access to her space. All clients need to wash their hands before starting, and May provides a fresh paper face mask during their visit; I actually appreciate this gesture since it prevents my usual cloth mask from getting too filled with tiny cut hairs.
May, herself, is of course masked up during the visit and takes care to clean between clients. She also has a UV air filter to sanitize and circulate the air. In the past 9 months that I've been a client, I've always felt safe visiting her studio.
But how about the most important consideration...which is to say, how does May perform as a hair stylist? Simple - 5 stars! As other reviewers have noted, she definitely takes the time to not just ask how you want your hair cut, but does a CONSULTATION to factor in the shape of your face, whether you wear glasses, and what kind of look a person is trying to achieve.
She will start with a thorough hair washing, and will provide feedback regarding the health of your scalp and hair, and suggest some strategies if she feels there are areas of improvement. And unlike with my former barber Eddie, who was usually done in 15 minutes since it was mostly just "buzz, buzz, buzz" with the clippers and done - May takes the time to not just cut by also style hair. She does use clippers, but also utilizes a range of various sizes of scissors to create texture; a concept which was previously lost upon me. My old haircuts may have looked "fresh and crisp," but after leaving May's studio, I am extremely happy with the cut since it looks good and more importantly, professional.
Post-pandemic I'll still be patronizing May Samra's Beauty Studio because if 2020 taught me anything, it's that once you find a good hair stylist, you KEEP that person.
