hugo_schmidt•1mo agoMost Upvoted

Overheard a barber at the shop next door saying hot towels are overrated

I was grabbing coffee last Tuesday and heard this older barber say hot towels are just a gimmick to charge more. He said he's been cutting hair for 30 years and never used them once. At first I thought he was crazy, but then I started thinking about how often I actually use mine. Like for a basic mens cut or a fade, do they really add anything? I still think they help with a straight razor shave or a beard trim for sure. But has anyone else cut back on hot towels for regular haircuts and seen no difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricialee1mo ago

Got me rethinking too honestly. I used to swear by hot towels for every haircut but now I barely notice when they skip it.

miamitchell1mo ago

Wow people are really overthinking a warm towel, it's not that deep. Feels nice for a second but nobody's haircut is getting ruined without it.

alicesingh1mo ago

The guy saying hot towels are a gimmick to charge more actually makes a lot of sense once you sit with it. I mean, for a standard barber shop haircut where you're just getting clippered down and maybe a quick scissor trim on top, the hot towel is basically just a fancy napkin. It feels nice for like thirty seconds, but once it cools down it's just a wet rag on your face. I still think they're worth it for a straight razor shave because the heat opens up the pores and softens the stubble, but for a regular cut you're paying extra for a quick warm feeling that doesn't really change the end result. Most barbers I've been to either don't offer them or they charge a separate fee, and honestly I've never missed it when I skip it.