The Barbers of Mexico City

When it comes to politics in Mexico City’s barbershops, the conversations currently revolve around progressive president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The consensus—and the haircut prices—change from neighborhood to neighborhood; the business elites of Polanco are worried about Obrador while those in the city center express cautious optimism. A haircut runs from 90 pesos ($4.70) in Ecatepec to 500 pesos ($25.77) in Polanco, but the final result looks pretty much the same. All five barbers and hairstylists CityLab surveyed in Mexico City say that local hairstyles are fundamentally conservative.

For 40 years, Alfredo Palacios has cut the hair of stars and politicians from his flagship salon in Mexico City’s posh Polanco District. For the past 28 years he’s also hosted his own radio show, Salud y Belleza. Amid a maze of mirrors, chairs, scissors, and soaps, he explains what makes a fashionable haircut: “It requires exposure.”