Pall Mall Barbers in the City of London

Our ever loyal customers have been asking us to open a Pall Mall Barbers in the City of London for a very L-O-N-G time.  Well, guess what?  We’re just about to.

Yep, that right, Pall Mall Barbers is opening a brand new salon to the City of London in the next few weeks, in the vicinity of Liverpool Street. With our usual old school barber shop styling – ceramic sinks, wood paneling and the traditional red and white barbers pole along with the witty barber shop banter and of course the modern razor sharp haircuts and wet shaves that we’re known for.  You’ll get all that and more at our barbers in the City of London.

The City of London is a magnet for smart, professional men who need to look sharp.  It instills confidence. And there really is no better place than a professional men’s barbershop to get all the advice and tips a man could want. You may want to know how to get the smoothest closest shave, a haircut that suits you/your hair/your job and is easy to manage even some general grooming advice?  When we open our barbers in Liverpool Street, you’ll be able to get all that from the best barbers in London (we may be a bit biased, but if you don’t believe us, see some of our credentials in another blog article we’ve written.)

Offering the full range of men’s hairdressing and barber services at the new barber shop in the City of London, you’ll be able to nip in during your lunchtime – although we would advise making an appointment to secure a set time, so perhaps on your way out after a long day in the office? Once we open and have updated the Pall Mall Barbers website, you’ll be able to book on line, but as soon as we open we’ll publicise the telephone number so you can always call us to book.barbers in the city of london

Don’t forget, in the next few weeks you’ll see our brand new barbers in the City of London, but until then, why not visit one of our other Central London barber shops – we’ve got salons in Trafalgar Square, Fitzrovia and Westminster where the full range of barbers and mens hairdressing services are offered, alongside quality men’s shaving and hair styling products.

We look forward to seeing you!

Barber Shop in Westminster

Did you know that we’ve opened a new barber shop in Westminster?

Fitted out to the usual high standards of Pall Mall Barbers, the new salon in Central London has all the traditional barber shop features whilst still offering all the modern men’s hairdressing and shaving services you’d expect.  You can also get the full range of Pall Mall Barbers eponymous hair styling and shaving products, featuring the masculine scents of sandalwood and clove.

The new barber shop in Westminster has been featured in Professional Hairdressers latest news and we’re really proud of the new addition to the Pall Mall Barbers family.  If you live or work in the area, you can now get a first rate haircut or luxury wet shave without having to travel far.  And we’re easy to find – right next to the Palmer Street exit of St James’ Park tube station.

With the new barber shop in Westminster being the 3rd salon – our other barber shops are at Trafalgar Square and in Fitzrovia, Pall Mall Barbers is growing due to the increased demand for quality men’s hairdressing services in the capital.  No doubt, you’ll be seeing more of our barber shops opening around the city in the near future too.

You can call the PMB barber shop in Westminster to make an appointment on 020 3267 0001 or via our online booking service, and as we’re open later each day during the week – until 7pm, we hope you’ll find it convenient to come and see us at a time to suit you and enjoy the usual barber shop skills, services and banter!

We look forward to seeing you at our barber shop in Westminster.

History of the Beard

The history of the beard is fascinating. We've been going through a particular phase of beard loving in recent years so no doubt sometime in the future, people will look back and analyse our own social landscape as reflected by the hirsute amongst us right now.

When you look into the history of the beard, you can often identify a period by the style of beards popular at the time. For example, Henry VIII's bushy, fully grown beard was shaped as a "spade" and squared off at the chin. The style was much copied in the 16th century with most noblemen growing their facial hair as it was widely considered a sign of a man's virility!  The King even introduced a Beard Tax in 1535, knowing that men would pay it, as they wanted to keep their facial hair as a reflection of their masculinity.  Sneaky, eh?

By the time of the Stuarts reign in the 17th century, beards were shaped into a more of a pointy style quite often with the moustache separated from the beard hair under the lip and on the chin. This was known as a "Van Dyke".  In more recent years, this style has been sported by Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger and Jonathan Ross at various times.

When you look into the history of the beard, one thing is fairly constant. Beards being a reflection of a man's virility.  But they were also thought to prevent germs by preventing noxious substances getting into the mouth. Although given the lack of personal hygiene over the centuries we think a beard could have actually been harbouring more germs than was good for anyone.

Luckily, that's not the case today, even though the most favoured style of the moment is still a bushy, full on face of hair. With beard oils to keep beards in good condition, combs to shape and the general recommendation from barbers being to wash and condition the beard as you would your hair, then they really are something you wouldn't mind getting close to.

If you'd like to know more about the history of the beard, there's a great piece on The Conversation Blog.  It's written by Dr Alan Withey, who we had the pleasure of meeting when he came into Pall Mall Barbers and was filmed having a luxury wet shave as part of his research for a show on the BBC.

It's a fascinating read and you'll learn some little known facts about the history of the beard - like the development of fake beards made from goats hair in the middle of the 19th century for those who couldn't quite manage to grow their own!

Don't forget to call into one of our Central London barbers shops for all beard related products, beard trimming appointments and general beard care advice from one of our professional barbers.

Luxury Wet Shave

A luxury wet shave by a professional barber is the height of pampering for most men. Especially those who appreciate the skill required as an open blade glides across your skin. Plus, it’s the ultimate shaving experience – giving you the best shave you’ll ever have.

At Pall Mall Barbers, we have been shaving the men of London at our barbers shops for over 100 years.  Our barbers are some of the most respected and experienced in the capital – you’ll often see them on TV or quoted in the press when a shaving expert’s view is needed.

So if you book in for a luxury wet shave you know you’ll be in good hands.

The first step would be to remove any dead skin cells and rough patches of skin by using an exfoliator. Specially designed for men, this prepare your skin and ensures you’ll get a smoother finish.  Next, to relax you and open up the pores we’ll place some hot wet towels over your face for a few minutes.  As you sit back, eyes closed and start to enjoy the experience we begin preparing for the next step which is working up a thick creamy lather of shaving cream with one of our badgers hair shaving brushes.

Once the hot towels have been removed, we’ll rub some shaving oil onto your face and then start to apply the shaving cream using the shaving brush in small circular motions.  This encourages the bristles on your face to stand up which is helped by your pores having been opened by the hot towels.

Then the real skill of the luxury wet shave can begin.  It can be quite scary the first time you have a sharp blade held against your skin, so it’s reassuring to know that the barbers at Pall Mall Barbers are the best in the business. Using short, firm strokes on your skin, the blade won’t tug at hairs or pull against your face, so it’s unlikely to cause any irritation, no matter how sensitive your skin is.

When your traditional wet shave experience is finished, your skin will be cleaned and a moisturising balm applied to hydrate and smooth the skin.

The first thing most men do when they’ve had a luxury wet shave, is to put their hand up to their face and feel their skin. It’s great to see their reactions – they often can’t quite believe how amazingly soft and smooth it feels.

Why not treat yourself to one, you can book a Pall Mall Barbers traditional wet shave online or if you want to get a really nice gift for someone else, get them a luxury wet shave gift voucher so they can come into one of our Central London barber shops at their convenience?

Mens Hair Styling Products

There are so many hair styling products for men on the market, how do you know which one to use?

There are so many mens hair styling products, how do you know which one to use?

The best way, is to ask an expect. Like one of the barbers at our very own Pall Mall Barbers shops in Central London.  With their collective experience of cutting and styling men’s hair, they’ll know exactly which of their mens hair styling products to use to get the look that you want.

One thing we often find, is that men like to stick to what they know.  Whether that’s the hairstyle they’ve sported for years, or the products they’ve been using.  Have a chat to your barber next time you’re in and you’ll be surprised to learn that you could get a better result or finish to your hair, with something other than the hair styling product you’ve relied on for so long.

Our range of mens hair styling products has been developed over many years using the finest ingredients – ones that really work, and also smell great. And we’ve tried and tested them with the people that matter – our customers, to make sure that they definitely do what they say on the tin.

Whether you want a smooth slicked back look, like that of those Mad Men Don Draper and Peter Campbell, or maybe you prefer a more rugged, casual and messy style like Prince Harry likes to sport, then we’ll have just the right hair styling products for you.

Your barber will advise you and show how to use the product properly – we always suggest that you use a little bit first, warm it between your hands and then apply it. We’ve even created a load of videos to give you advice  on how to use them if you can’t call into our barber shops. Why not head over to the Pall Mall Barbers YouTube Channel and have a look.

Check out the full range of mens hair styling products, watch a few of the videos and then go ahead and order them online too.  What could be easier?

Men's Conditioner

We often get asked, is it really necessary for men to use conditioner?

Well, yes. In our opinion, it is. And as experts in men's hair and men's hairdressing, we know what we're talking about.  At Pall Mall Barbers, we are one of the oldest and most respected barber shops in Central London.  We have been cutting and styling mens hair for a very long time - in fact, our barber shops have been around since 1896.  So if there is one thing we know a lot about, it's definitely men's hair! That's why we developed our own range of men's conditioners because we wanted to apply that expertise and create the very best range of products we could.

If you do use a conditioner, you may well just be using whatever your partner does. It's easy to grab the bottle in the shower without giving it much consideration.  But honestly, if you use a men's conditioner that has been developed specifically for the needs of men's hair and for your particular hair type, you really will see the difference.  That's why we always advise our customers to use a men's conditioner.

At Pall Mall Barbers, we have spent years developing our own men's shampoo and conditioners.  We have an Argan Oil one that is great for drier hair and one with Tea Tree Oil that is more suited to guys with a slightly greasier scalp or hair.

So which men's conditioner would be best for you?

Pall Mall Barbers Argan Oil Men's Conditioner is a luxurious and powerful Argan enriched conditioner for vitality and lustre. This men's conditioner is recommended to be used on a daily basis and it was designed especially to improve shine and strength of the hair.

The main ingredient is Argan Oil that is rich in Vitamin E and comes from a natural plant oil produced from the kernels of the Argan tree that is endemic to Morocco. To use Argan Men's Conditioner after washing, apply a small amount to your wet hair. Apply from root to tip. Rinse. For an intensive conditioning treatment leave in for up to 5 minutes before rinsing.

With Pall Mall Barbers Luxury Tea Tree Men's Conditioner you can benefit from the soothing properties of tea tree and eucalyptus oils. Ideal for itchy and flaking scalps, but also suitable for all hair types.

To use Tea Tree Men's Conditioner after washing, apply a small amount to your wet hair. Apply from root to tip. Rinse. For an intensive conditioning treatment leave it for up to 2 minutes before rinsing. .

Both men's conditioners come in 250ml pump dispensers and are available online at Pall Mall Barbers or in any of our Central London barbers shops.

Shaving Cream

All men use something during their daily shaving ritual to help their razor glide across the skin - it may be a shaving cream, a gel, an oil or foam.

Here at Pall Mall Barbers, we use a shaving cream.  In our opinion, it really is the best product to use.  And we should know what we're talking about.  Pall Mall Barbers has been in London since 1896 cutting mens hair and delivering the closest, smoothest shaves in the capital,  All from our traditionally styled barbers shops.

In fact, we provide ourselves on delivering a traditional service in a modern manner for over 100 years.

Our barbers are some of the most experienced and respected in the UK today and you'll often see them in magazines, on the TV or radio talking about their skills and sharing their advice.  In fact, when a media company wants an expert's view or advice on shaving, it's Pall Mall Barbers they turn to. So, when we say a shaving cream is the best product to use, you should listen.

Our Pall Mall Barbers Sandalwood and Clove Shaving Cream has been developed using the finest ingredients and contains prickly pear seed oil and jojoba oil combine in this hydrating shaving cream to deliver a luxury lather and a comfortable shave.

It will create a thick moisturising foam when lathered up with a shaving brush and the circular movements with encourage the bristles on your face to stand up.This means your razor can get closer to the base of the hair, so you get a smoother shave.  The oils in the shaving cream will soften and hydrate your skin so that it feels super smooth afterwards.  Use regularly and not only will your shaving experience and end result will be better, but people will probably start commenting on the quality of your skin too.

If you'd like to try some of Pall Mall Barbers shaving cream, you can buy it in any of our Central London barbers shops or on our website, on the shaving cream page.

Traditional Barber Shop in Central London

Pall Mall Barbers and our traditional barber shop is the star of the show!

At Pall Mall Barbers we’re very proud of our traditional barber shop interior.  All wood paneling, lean over sinks and tiling. Not only is it a nod to the great history of barbering but we also see it as staying true to the integrity of a real barbers environment and reflecting our skills as professionals. If you'd like to see our traditional barber shops in London you'll find details of central London locations by clicking on the links above.

It seems many others think so too. And this is probably why our traditional barbers shops in London are often featured as the backdrop in photo shoots, high profile interviews and filming sequences.  You may have seen us in some leading men’s publications like GQ and on some prime TV programmes, such as Heir Hunters on the BBC.

And it looks like our traditional barber shop in Fitzrovia will be on your screens again soon.  It will be featured as the setting for an interview that took place recently for a programme that will be seen on BBC sometime in the near future.

We’re always surprised at how much work goes into filming a sequence, no matter how short it will finally be.  The team who were setting it up were great and it was really interesting to see what was involved. And we like to think the real star of the show was our lovely London barber shop!

As soon as we know when it will be aired and on which BBC channel, we’ll let you know.

Looking After Your Beard

Beards... for men, are still really popular and it seems they're getting bushier too.  They do require some maintenance to keep in shape though, so it's important to regularly wash and condition that hairy face of yours.

We've got a great list of top styling tips for beards - shaping and maintaining them  from our resident beard experts at Pall Mall Barbers. Check out our blog article on beard trimming to see the  full list.

But maybe it's not you that's growing all that facial hair, but the man in your life.  And as Christmas is coming, we've got some great gift ideas of men that include some luxury beard care products - beard oil or moustache wax anyone?

We've even got a beard oil video on our youtube channel to show the bearded fellow exactly how to use it, so for Beard Oil or Moustache wax tips have a look.  Don't forget you can buy them both online too.

All beards need trimming but it can be a bit tricky if you're new to the whole beard thing. Maybe treat the man in your life to a voucher and get our barbers to shape it into style and at the same time offer some expert tips on how to care for and maintain it?

But it's not just us that things our gifts for beards are great, even those experts at Beard Bias Blog think so too! They've included the Pall Mall Barber shop gift vouchers on their Christmas List for a Bearded Gent.

Post Shave Balm

Post shave balm is the best way to finish your daily shaving ritual.

The final step in the Pall Mall Barbers unique 3 Step Shaving System is our Sandalwood and Clove Post Shave Balm.

If you’ve followed the 3 step process, it’s important to finish with a product that will soothe and smooth your skin, so that it looks refreshed and feels comfortable.

We developed this product after years of experience shaving men’s faces and noticing which products worked and listening to the specific needs of our customers.

Hence, our Sandalwood and Clove Post Shave Balm has been developed using the best ingredients available.

It contains prickly pear seed oil which will calm and soothe the skin after your shave, and then glycerine to smooth it, and prevent any dry or rough patches developing. Its masculine scent of sandalwood and clove adds a luxurious end to your daily shaving ritual, as well as containing antiseptic properties to protect your skin.

To use the post shave balm, simply dispense a one pump dose after shaving and massage into your face. It you want to see a video to see exactly how to follow each step in our professional shaving system including the post shave balm, watch it here.

Suitable for all skin types, the post shave balm can be bought on its own or as a set with the pre shave scrub and shaving cream with from the exclusive Pall Mall Barbers 3 Step Shaving System.

Shaving Cream for Men

Shaving cream is a must for a good shave.

The second step in our exclusive 3 step shaving system is the shaving cream.

We developed the Pall Mall Barbers shaving cream over several years. Applying our experience as barbers, listening to our customers and noticing what products worked well.

The result is this Sandalwood and Clove Shaving Cream with its luxurious scent and thick lather.  It contains prickly pear seed and jojoba oil which combine to create a smooth, creamy lather that encourages the bristles on your face to stand up, so that you get a smoother and more comfortable shave.

To use this shaving cream, all you need to do it wet your face with warm water, dispense one pump of the cream from the canister directly onto the face and lather it up with a shaving brush. Using circular movements with your shaving brush with generate a generous lather.  We’ve got a great video of Erin demonstrating the technique for you.

Once you’ve finished your wet shave, rinse any remaining shaving cream off your face with cool water and pat your face dry – don’t rub it with the towel.

The natural products in this shaving cream make it suitable for all skin types, even sensitive ones and it comes in a 100ml dispenser which will last quite a while as a single pump dose is all you need for your daily shave.

This product can be bought on its own or as part of our 3 step shaving system – a professionally developed range of shaving products specifically designed for men, to give the closest and smoothest shave possible.

Men's Cologne

Men's cologne is a very personal choice, but as one of the oldest and most respected barbers in Central London, we’ve got years of experience that has given us great insight into what men really like and the types of products and scents that they’d choose.

Using this experience, we recently launched our classic signature men's cologne. Developed and designed by Pall Mall Barbers, our men's cologne has top notes of spicy clove and rose spiked with lively, woody hints of cardamom and almond. This clean, energising scent is further enriched with sandalwood tones and base notes of sweet vanilla and tobacco.

It’s light enough to be worn during the day but spicy enough to be suitable for the night time too. It’s the perfect finishing touch for your skin after shaving and  compliments our popular 3 Step Shaving System that was also specially designed to make your shaving experience exceptionally smooth.

Our men's cologne is available in a classically styled, very sophisticated looking 50ml glass bottle and can be bought on line or in one of our barber shops in London.

Especially for the Christmas season, we’ve put together a great gift set comprising of our eponymous 3 step shaving system along with a bottle of our men's cologne.  It would be a lovely gift for someone really special.  Have a look at the full gift set for men.

Shaving Lesson from Professional Barbers

Have you ever thought about having a shaving lesson?

You’ve probably been shaving for years, but have you ever wondered if you’re doing it right? Ok, so the end result may look alright but is there any way you could be getting a closer, smoother shave?

At Pall Mall Barbers in Central London, our barbers really are the very best at what they do.  Their experience has been built up over years of barbering and their knowledge is often sought by the media – you might have seen them on various TV programmes and in high profile publications sharing their expert advice?

So what better way to get top tips on your daily shaving routine than booking in for a shaving lesson from the best in the business?  You can book online or why not treat someone you know to a gift voucher for one of these shaving lesson?

We have 3 different types of shaving lessons:

Open Blade:
This is the epitome of the masculine self-care ritual. Our barbers will teach you how to shave properly with an open blade – you’ll learn about hair growth, skin products, the right way to hold the blade and how to save money on blades in the long-term.  Once the most popular way for men to shave, the open blade razor is becoming more popular again.

Safety Razor:
You’ll learn the art of the safety razor with advice and a personal demonstration on how to get the closet shave possible, how to use the right products and make sure your skin’s condition is optimised.

Double Edged Razor:
A very popular razor, learning how to use a Double Edge Razor will help you achieve excellent results with your daily shave. As well as offering you a brilliantly close shave you will also save a substantial amount of money over time by using one, as blades for the Double Edge razor can be much cheaper than typical replacement blades. It’s a beautiful looking piece of male grooming equipment, and will last you many years.

A shaving lesson gift voucher would make a great present for the man who has everything.  It's a real treat and the benefits he'd pick up would last a very long time.  So, go on, treat him..... or yourself!

Barbers in London, Barber Shop History

Barber Shop history of the Barber Pole

www.PallMallBarbers.com

The barber's trade is an ancient one. Razors have been found among relics of the Bronze Age (circa 3500 B.C). Barbering is mentioned in the bible by Ezekiel who said "And Thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon the head and upon the beard."
Barbering was introduced in Rome in 296 B.C. and barbers quickly became both popular and prosperous. Their shops were centres for daily news and gossip. All free men of Rome were clean-shaven, while slaves were forced to wear beards. It is from the Roman (Latin) word barba, meaning beard, that the word "barber" is derived.
About 334 B.C. Alexander the Great made his soldiers shave regularly for the purpose of gaining an advantage in hand-to-hand combat so that his warriors were able to grasp an enemy by the beard, while they were safeguarded in this method of fighting. The barbers of early days were also the surgeons and dentists. Most early physician’s disdained surgery and the barbers did surgery of wounds, blood-letting, cupping and leeching, enemas and extracting teeth. Since the barbers were involved not only with haircutting, hairdressing and shaving but also with surgery, they were called barber-surgeons. They formed their first organization in France in 1094.
In an effort to distinguish between academic surgeons and barber-surgeons, the College de Saint Come, founded in Paris about 1210, identified the former as surgeons of the long robe and the latter as surgeons of the short robe. French barbers and surgeons were organized as a guild in 1391, and barber-surgeons were admitted to the faculty of the University of Paris in 1505. Ambrose Pare (1510-1590), the father of modern surgery and the greatest surgeon of the Renaissance, began his career as an itinerant barber-surgeon. His brother was a barber-surgeon and his sister married a barber-surgeon. In England the barbers were chartered as a guild by Edward IV in 1462 as the Company of Barbers.
The surgeons formed a guild 30 years later and the two companies were united by the statute of Henry VIII in 1540 under the name of the United Barber Surgeon's Company. In actual practice, however, barbers who cut hair and gave shaves were forbidden to practice surgery except for bloodletting and pulling teeth and surgeons were prohibited from "the barber of shaving." In France a decree by Louis XV in 1743 prohibited barbers from practicing surgery from the barbers by acts passed during the reign of George II. The surgeons with the title of "Masters, Governors and Commonalty of the Honorable Society of the Barbers of London." This body was subsequently dissolved and later replaced by the Royal College of Surgeons in 1800 during the reign of George III.
The origin of the barber's pole appears to be associated with his service of bloodletting. The original Barber pole has a brass basin at its top representing the vessel in which leeches were kept and also represented the basin which received the blood. The pole itself represented the staff which the patient held onto during the operation. The red and white stripes represented the bandages used during the procedure, red for the bandages stained with blood during the operation and white for the clean bandages. The bandages would be hung out to dry after washing on the pole and would blow and twist together forming the spiral pattern similar to the modern day barber pole.
The bloodstained bandages became recognized as the emblem of the barber-surgeon's profession. Later in time, the emblem was replaced by a wooden pole of white and red stripes. These colours are recognized as the true colours of the barber emblem. Red, white and blue are widely used in America due partly to the fact that the national flag has these colours. Another interpretation of these barber pole colours is that red represents arterial blood, blue is symbolic of venous blood and white depicts the bandage. After formation of the United Barber Surgeons Company in London, a statue required barbers to use a blue and white pole and surgeons to use a red pole. In France the surgeons of the long robe placed a red pole with a basin attached to identify their offices. The barber’s pole - a historical link with surgery.
Next! (Surgeon? Dentist? or Barber?) ...






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