A traditional barber’s offering Croydon’s only hot towel shaving service has opened.
The Valet on Lower Addiscombe Road, offers a full male grooming service to rival the expensive barber’s in the West End.
Owner David Maseyk said it is already proving very popular with men in the area who want a little of their own Mr Maseyk who runs the shop with his wife Margaret said: “Apart from wanting to restore some good old traditional values back to the community, we also wanted to create an establishment and environment where men can come and feel special, get pampered, enjoy great surroundings, as well as feeling totally relaxed and comfortable at the same time.
"A real hot towel shave includes a complementary beer or coffee, two hot towel applications, two separate lathers, to finish with a cold towel, moisteriser, cologne splash as well as a shoulder and arm massage.
“Some of our customers are addicted to the hot towel shave and come in twice a week.
"We have many bridegrooms and their parties coming in to have the signature treatment on their wedding day.
“That personal touch has disappeared from our suburban high street barber shops, yet here we strive to guarantee attention to fine detail is applied with every customer.”
Razor shave is a cut above
It’s tough being a man in the noughties, writes Matt Knowles.
Pressures of work, the homegenisation of the sexes and nary a place these days to truly call our own.
The Valet aims to change all this and give us back a sense of what it’s like to be a man.
In the capable hands of my valet, Hadini DiCaprio settled into the black leather upholstered barber’s chair in the stylish barber’s clutching a bottle of beer.
A choice of music or sports channel was offered and, feeling a little like a 1920s gangster, I settled for some classical accompaniment.
The process began with a hair cut, then proceeded to the main event – the hot towel shave.
Hadi slathered my face with Italian shaving cream using a pure badger hair brush, of course, and then wrapped a hot lemon balm towel around my face. I lay back and had manly thoughts.
A wipe down followed by another towel and then I was ready for the cut throat razor shave.
I was a little apprehensive when the cold steel scraped along my throat, but Hadi is no Sweeney Todd and the two hot towels earlier had left me feeling fully relaxed.
With my face smoother than it has been since I was a teenager, Hadi finished off with a moisturiser, a splash of cologne and a gentle shoulder and arm massage.
The whole process lasted about an hour and costs £23 and I came off the chair feeling both energised and destressed.
And just a little bit more of a man.
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