Budget Haircut in Makati, Manila

Before heading down to Boracay, my hair was just long enough that it required something more than a dash of water in the morning. Time for a travel haircut.

The 4th floor barber in WalterMart, Makati

This is a photo of the barber shop on the top floor of the mall just up the road from my condo. Like most SE Asian barbers, it was very low tech: shears and a huge pair of scissors that looked like the kind you would use to cut into a 1/2 leather hide. But it was cheap. 120 Pesos — about $2.80

Would I recommend this kind of cut? For guys who like short hair and are armed with a bottle of mousse, sure, why not. You can survive about two of these cuts before you need to see a “real” stylist to repair the damage, so they are a cheap way of staying coiffed on the beach. Just don’t let your hair grow out or you’ll look like that kid growing up whose dad used to cut his hair in the garage. Here’s the result.

A bit lop-sided looking…but for $2.80…I can walk with my head tilted to one side to compensate.