Carlene Gentles, the lone female in her barbershop, is making her mark. The 23-year-old works at the Classic Barbershop in Willowgate Plaza, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica.
She told The Star, “I was always doing forex trading but I wasn’t making enough money. I knew I needed something meaningful to do but I know I wasn’t going to the call centres or a Chinese shop. Anything I want, I usually just ask God and I know him always show me the way. So I prayed and one day I was just outside and the vision just come to my head that I should be a barber.”
RELATED STORIES
She found the courage to go to Classic Barbershop, where she asked one of the barbers, Peter Binns, to teach her the craft.
She recounted, “He told me that I could come and watch every day until I learnt. I was here every day and I watched and watched for about five months then I did my first trim. My first trim was messed up really bad. Mi bald off the whola di man hair line and whole of all of his head. It was really bad but he still liked it.”
Even though she has only been employed there for just over a year, she has already attracted a large following of patrons who frequent her booth.
However, some have criticized her presence in the salon, arguing that a woman shouldn’t be cutting men’s hair. Many people still praise her work, nevertheless.
Gentles explained, “Dem would be like ‘A one girl dat!’ Sometimes I would be on the road and I ask a man if dem a trim and they would ask who is trimming them. Some of them kiss dem teeth and walk pass and others would say dem don’t believe that woman suppose to cut men hair because of the Samson and Delilah story. But a lot of people will just welcome the idea and let me trim them saying that they never had a girl barber before.”
Dave Meikl, one of her customers, revealed that he found her on TikTok.
He remarked, “I follow her on TikTok and I sell hair products as well. At first I wanted to meet her to discuss business so I was thinking that we could do a partnership where we promote each other’s products. I visited her and decided to get my hair done so I can actually stand behind her brand and say that she can trim good. I am very pleased and I might have to fire my original barber, no disrespect, big him up same way. It’s more comforting to be staring up in the face of a female than a man. It’s a refreshing vibe.”
Gentles also does microshading. Like Meikl, she said her clients travel from other parishes for her services.
She expressed, “I have customers come from all the way in Kingston. I am the only female here and the rest of the barbers treat me like family. I am like their little sister. It is just love here.”
She encouraged, “Barbering is a trade that I would encourage other females to get involved in. Yea, it’s a male dominated job, but us females can do it all. You get to work on your own time and you get people from all walks of life.”
