Whew! that was a close shave

Getting my hair done has never been a problem for me. Anyone who knows me knows that. At the office, the color of my hair is a conversation piece – or the object of debate. Will it be lilac, yellow, shocking pink or simply shocking today? The only thing I’ve never dared do with my ’do is to have it cut in a barbershop.

That is, until I was assigned to try out the services at Bruno’s barbershop. Of course, I’d heard about Bruno’s – after all, it seems it’s been around forever. And I know that many men still prefer to have their hair cut in a barbershop, not in a hair salon, because of the neat cut they get. And by neat, they mean not a single strand of hair is left uneven.

That ’do would never do for me. I like my hair a little shaggy and as uneven as possible.

I was informed that Bruno’s also did girls’ ’do, too. But that was little consolation.

New ’do Day

"It all started when my family and I moved to Alabang 10 years ago," says Amy Manas-Pascual, who with her two other sisters – Joyce Manas and Karina Manas-Manapat – owns Bruno’s barbershop. "I found it hard to find a place where I could accompany my son when he went to get a haircut," she says.

Thus, Bruno’s was born.

"We wanted a place which men would frequent but where their wives, girlfriends or mothers would feel at home, too," adds Joyce.

While I interviewed the three sisters, they kept egging me on to try out all the services they offered at Bruno’s. "I get my hair cut in a salon but I keep it maintained the way it is at Bruno’s," further pushes Amy. "Did you know that 10 percent of our clients are female?"

"We also make sure that we use the best products available on the salon market. Our barbers are the best and they are well-trained," Joyce points out.

"But we’re not turning into a beauty salon. We have perfected the barbershop and we would like to keep it that way," says Karina.

The three sisters agree that what they have done with Bruno’s is to convince the women who accompany their regular customers to try out the services themselves while they wait.

Without much choice, I sit on the barber’s chair and surrender my fate to the guy assigned to give me a haircut, Edgar, who whips out a shining pair of scissors. I hope he doesn’t have any grudge against me – in this or a previous lifetime.

"Ano ang gagawin natin (What will we do with your hair)?" he asks. "Bahala ka na (It’s up to you)," I reply.

Very carefully now, Edgar proceeds to cut my hair. I sit on pins and needles.

"Hindi pantay ang gupit mo. Kailangan ayusin natin (Your cut is not straight. We have to fix it)," he says.

My hair done, Edgar suggests that I try the Mauro scalp treatment. Mauro who? They say the treatment is good for the scalp and is very soothing because the cream applied to the scalp is mentholated. Edgar further suggests that while they apply the cream, I allow them to give me a scalp massage.

I yield.

Ahhh, the scalp massage is refreshing and very relaxing! Veron, who does the scalp massage, makes sure to ask if the pressure she is applying on my scalp is fine with me.

I tell her she is doing great.

Veron suggests that I also try out their 30-minute body massage. "Gusto ito ng mga customers namin, lalo na yung mga gustong mag-relax," says Veron. Not wanting to disappoint her, I also agree to the massage.

Veron simply pulls the chair down and the massage begins. I tell Veron I have very tight shoulders and she says that she will do her best to get rid of the knots.

Veron is really good at getting her clients to relax.

This Sunday afternoon, there are a lot of people at Bruno’s. There are small boys, accompanied by their fathers, and older men who come in for their usual weekly treatments.

I didn’t think I’d spend almost two hours at a barbershop and come out feeling literally like a new person. After seeing me, my friends and family didn’t threaten to kill my barber. Best of all, all that didn’t really cost me an arm and a leg. The haircut was only P140, the 30-minute massage, P300, and the scalp massage with Mauro treatment, P475. The only thing they didn’t give me was a barber’s shave (– at the nape, that is, like they do at the parlor).

But I must say that was a close shave!