How Met My Barber

I’ve been running around with a major English hangover for the past five years, right from the moment I was tragically forced to leave London on graduating. Ever since, aside from counting days since my last breath of British air, I allow myself to reminisce in the good old days with anything that might remotely remind me of my time in England. I’d indulge in the occasional glass of Pimms or an episode or two of classic British shows (Come Dine With Me is British television at its finest), if it helps me feel like I’m reliving that time. Of course, all of this was immediately traded in for the ultimate experience, a day well spent at the oldest barber shop in the world, Truefitt & Hill, founded in 1805 in England. Pampering oneself with facials, pedicures and a haircut, no procedure was undertaken without the cleverest of precision and serious skill.

Upon entering their Meherchand branch, you’re first met with shelves of their in house products, lotions, after shaves, shampoos and all other grooming necessities they’ve perfected over the years, as demands grew, their business expanded as well. A warm smile greets you and asks you politely what services you’d like to have for the day. They have a full menu to pick from. The Royal Facial? Don’t mind if I do!

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I start by being escorted into my own room named the Duke’s Den, where staff awaited my arrival dressed in the spiffiest of uniforms. I climb up onto the Pedicure station in the corner, while trying to look graceful. I suppose the decor called for it. It’s got the old English Charm. Dark wood wall panels and furnishings, dim wall lamps across the room, leather seats and hard wood floors adorn this private room, fit for a Duke. I am handed a small menu of refreshments to pick from. “One Coke, please”. Another mark of great service, in my opinion, is when they don’t respond to that request with ‘a Diet Coke, sir?’, hinting that perhaps that’s a more suitable choice for a hefty me. Truefitt got me the Coca Cola I wanted, no questions asked. Whilst Ashu worked on my pedicure, I had Sonam on the manicure. I’m no stranger to pedicures. As a man who is very confident with his sexuality, but still trying to find the confidence in his looks, pedicures are a mere drop in the ocean of beauty treatments and services I’ve come to adopt in my life. But this was my first manicure - since my mother stopped cutting my nails, that is. I’ve been biting them off for as long as I can remember so I never felt the need for a manicure. Man, was I wrong! Sonam helped me get rid of all my cuticles and left my nails well rounded and shining bright. I get it. I get the importance of the perfect manicure now. Has Truefitt spoiled me? Is this another expense I need to incur in my life? Can I not go back to just biting my nails? No, I’ve been doing it all wrong. I’ve learnt the error of my ways and it took one crafty Sonam to help me realise that. The pedicure was fairly generic in that sense. Aside from the decor and the fancy uniforms, nothing else about the pedicure differed from my past experiences. However, Ashu does give a mean leg massage. That’s not to say the pedicure was any less satisfying. My feet weren’t tickled and they looked clean. As a man with very few desires in life, I was glad that these two were met.

As I finished, I was escorted up to the main area, the not so private area anymore. Feeling a little less special, I went along anyway. I suppose in my head I was still in a salon in London. Anyone who knows me, knows that I’ve always kept a stubble. The two part reason being – one, I hate shaving, I get lazy and so I always trim it at a barber shop or salon when I get my hair cut and two, it’s a great disguise for the lack of a jaw line. It works wonders for those devoid of the privileges that come with a structured jawline. Women have contouring make up, men have the stubble. Both essentially serve the same purpose of vanity and hiding your insecurities. I hadn’t seen the bare skin of the lower half of my face in 11 years, and I trusted Rihan with it. I said to myself, it’s now or never. And I needed to remind myself what I actually looked like, a harsh reminder, but a necessary one nonetheless. Is it because I haven’t shaved in over a decade and there are new techniques now or was this always a part of the process? I was given a pre shave oil rub which creates a protective layer over the skin to avoid any dryness. It also softens the facial hair, making it easier to shave. It’s light weight and not greasy, which is ideal for any kind of oil handling. As my seat was put up at a 90 degree angle it’s meant to be at, I took one look at my naked face in the mirror and blushed. I hadn’t seen myself in years! It felt so strange, like meeting someone new. The shave served its purpose. It re-introduced me to myself. All the while leaving beautiful scented remnants on my face of the after shave oil - he suggested I use the oil as it doesn’t contain alcohol, and so it doesn’t burn. No pain? Say no more.

We moved on to the facial. There was a very apparent tan line on my face on the area once covered by hair and the bit constantly exposed to the sun. We had to get rid of that. It looked like the mid process shot of one of the makeup tutorials teaching you how to contour your cheeks. The tan lines were that apparent. All products used for my facial were Phytomer. From the cleansing milk right at the beginning to the SPF 50 sun protection cream. Rihan gave me a face massage only dreams were made of, hitting all the right spots, just the right pressure and all the right creams and scrubs.

As it happens, I did manage to squeeze in a haircut. I’m always looking for a haircut that could potentially change the way I feel. I remember when I was in London, I went to get a haircut at a salon owned and run by ladies from North London’s Tufnell Park. I came out feeling, “that could possibly have been the best haircut of my life.” I had shoulder length hair and I was ready to chop off my luscious locks and go back to the short hair I preferred. Skip ahead five years, Truefitt & Hill was handed over the great challenge to give me that life changing haircut which, so far, only the London ladies had managed to pull off. I’m happy to report that the ladies of London have officially met their match. The mark of a good barber is the precision with which one cuts each strand of hair, to really understand the shape of one’s clients’ face, to give a haircut that flatter their structure most. The haircut ended with an almond hair oil massage which is just how I imagined my day at the Barber shop to end. When you’re there, ask for Akil. If there’s a man who knows how to handle a tricky client and his insecurities about the way his hair should look and leave him in a sweet daze after a good massage, Akil’s your man!

What struck me most about my day of pampering at Truefitt & Hill was the fact that at no point was I in a rush to just leave. I surrendered myself completely to the team for the many hours it took to make me up. Despite the amount of work I had to get back to, which should’ve been looming over my head, there was no place on earth I’d have rather been. It was simply some caviar and a live performance short of the most extraordinary experience, Truefitt & Hill is the finest place for personalised grooming. A manicure, a pedicure, a massage, a facial, a shave and a hair cut later, I am a new man. Apparently much younger in appearance, if one is to believe my mother - although I wouldn’t take her word for it. There’s a spring in my step and a confidence in the way I can now flick my hair. These experiences don’t come by very often, so I sure am glad to have made the most of it.