This article on posh barbershops that offer salon services for men (“don’t call them spas”) briefly discusses the difference between hair stylists and barbers. The skillset for cosmetology and barber’s licenses are different. These upscale barber shops often hire stylists with cosmetology licenses to give massages, manicures, and facials in addition to haircuts. The cosmetology license is more versatile for the range of services these shops offer, but barbers take 300 hours of training with clippers and are skilled in that ultimate luxury service, the straightedge razor shave. Shop owners are hiring stylists who specialize in straight-razor shaves instead. Some states have combined their cosmetology and barber licenses, but that means aspiring barbers have to sit through learning how to do nails and updos. Barbers and barbershops continue to decline in number as stylists grow.