If there is one business that is growing by leaps and bounds in Lanzarote, it is that of barbershops. In a quick internet search, we have found around seventy barbershops across the island, not counting hair salons, a figure that reflects the enormous demand that exists.
This fever for entrepreneurship in the so-called barbershops, which contrasts with their decline a few years ago, is also motivated by the growing boom in male grooming. This is also driven by social media, which are becoming a powerful disseminator of trends that, in this case, involve haircuts and beard styles.
One of the few female barbers in Lanzarote is Fayna Rodríguez, a young woman who started becoming interested in this world almost three years ago. As she explains in an interview with La Voz, it all began when she started changing her own hair. "It really caught my attention, I did it as a hobby with my friends until I reconsidered training seriously to be able to dedicate myself to it," she says.
After that, he didn't really know how to start training, and to get a foundation, he decided to take a training course, although he assures that "you really learn through practice."
Rodríguez began to put into practice the knowledge he had learned with friends and some family members, anyone who would "lend him their canvas." "As a result of the training and of publishing my own cuts on social media, I caught the attention of some people who started to come," he points out.
First steps in a "little room" at home
The beginnings of this barber took place in her own home. "I made a small room in my house with a close group of friends and my family," she recalls. Three months ago, Rodríguez began working professionally in a barbershop in Arrecife where she pays monthly for the rental of her own chair, something that allows her to work doing what she loves. "Whatever you do and all your work is all for you," she points out.
Regarding the workload, he highlights that "the clientele and the barbershop in general are active because a lot of people pass by and there are always people to get haircuts." Despite the risk of starting this new phase with a very small group of clients at first, **more and more people are coming** to get their hair cut by her.
A job that goes beyond the cut
The barber emphasizes that it's not just about providing good service in terms of the haircut, although that's important too, but about having a good connection and communication with the client. "The haircut is important, but the interaction with that person, the trust, and making them feel comfortable will make them come back, or not; it's a determining factor," she states.
On the other hand, fashion has had a very important influence on this boom in barbershops. "Everything is ultimately about fashion, and I feel that people increasingly want to look more put-together and better, that self-care, and they tend to go to barbershops more often, especially men," he says.
A barber's job isn't just about following a client's instructions when they ask for a specific cut, but also about giving advice. That's why these professionals use the technique of visagism, an aesthetic technique that analyzes face shapes to enhance natural beauty and balance features through haircuts, hairstyles, makeup, or eyebrow and beard design. "In the end, it's art; it depends on my mood and my motivation that day, I feel like I'll paint the canvas differently," he emphasizes.
"Getting ready and changing, in the end, I think it has a brutal impact on a person, it's part of the search for your identity and I feel that helping someone feel good and leave with a smile is the best thing you can give them," she explains. "When a client returns and we get to know each other better, I understand your tastes, your image, and what you want or don't want to show. In the end, I hit the nail on the head and make them feel more comfortable," she continues.
Regarding how often men come in for a haircut, he points out that it depends on the client, but the average is **approximately every two weeks**. "Some people give it more importance and others don't give it as much," he specifies.
The high demand for this type of business has undoubtedly made it a profitable business. "In the end, you know there's going to be work for it," the barber points out.
Being a barber in a male-dominated profession
Fayna Rodríguez is one of the few female barbers in Lanzarote. However, in her experience, the treatment has not been different from that of her male colleagues. "It has been positive because people are generally attracted to the different and when they are used to the typical male barber, they are intrigued that it's a girl attending to them," she comments.
Regarding this, he also points out that it depends on the trust you give the client or how they feel. "You really don't know why that person comes to you or to the barbershop... some go to relax, for others it's their escape route, or others simply don't give it importance, and others too much. In the end, you have to understand a little through communication with that person what their objective is and what they feel most comfortable with, because **some people don't enjoy it if you talk to them, while others do**," he concludes.
Rodríguez dreams of one day being able to open his own barbershop, although all of this will come after gaining more experience and confidence, as well as accumulating a large clientele.
