With the general community quarantine underway, and with no clear resolution nor timeline for when things will get better, the list of ever-growing concerns just keeps expanding — even things that don’t seem to be “essential” at first glance. After all, even with limited access to the usual places for maintaining hygiene and well-being, how can one stay at home and groom himself to maintain his hair when it goes beyond the length of comfort? We consulted with the barbers of QUBO for an easy way for men to trim their hair — at least to get by for the interim.
QUBO started out as an extension of KAPWA Studio, which signifies ‘home’ (pronounced as kubo, a traditional house in the Philippines) and ‘simplicity.’ It is a barbershop and tattoo studio that offers grooming services — from classic to modern haircuts, fades, styling to quirky coloring, hair tattoos, or hair art — done with utmost precision and creative energy. In terms of cosmetic tattooing, their artist Niña Defensor offers a unique style of no-tattoo brow tattoos. She also pioneered freckle tattoos in the country.
So to start, Joe Camacam, founder of QUBO, shared that it’s more difficult to cut one’s hair using scissors compared to using clippers especially for first timers, and given this situation we’re in, it might be best to invest in clippers that you can also have at your disposal anytime. He suggests to use clippers with guards 1, 2, 3, and 4.
STEP 1: Use guard #3 (closed lever) of your clippers for the side and back of your head. Make sure that the guard is flat and able to follow your head shape once you cut through. Glide straight up. Don’t be afraid to do so since the guard will serve as a buffer
STEP 2: Using guard #2 (closed lever), cut the hair parallel from where you cut during your first step. This time, glide the clipper outward.
STEP 3: Using guard #1 (open lever), cut hair about one inch above the ear and then flick. Cut it again parallel to how you did your step 2. Once you’ve cut it with your guard open, close the lever and cut just below your #1 open.
STEP 4: Line up your clipper close (no guard), cut the edge of your hairline.
STEP 5: For the top part, use half inch of your first section as a guide to your second section. Do this until you reach the front part or your fringes (if any). Start in the middle, this and the edge from your first step will be the guide to cutting the sides.
These are five steps in order to achieve a simple haircut in the comforts of your home. Don’t expect to have a stylish haircut just yet, but this is a pretty good jump-off point to get started on your quarantine hair grooming. For more information, you may reach QUBO and their barbers through their official Instagram here and Facebook here or through the barbers’ own accounts below: Joe Camacam, Dencio Aguilar, Michael Ibisate, and Kharl Cordero. You may also book an appointment here and know more about cosmetic services here.
You can visit QUBO if you need more hair and grooming service, they are located at 5650 Don Pedro Street, Poblacion, Makati. Pictured are Michael Ibaste and Joe Camacam.
Illustrations by Itim Na Linya, and images by Marvin Conanan
