"The pampering that men used to get, a lot of them miss that . . . It is a lost art." - Jennifer Houle

Jennifer Houle has enjoyed barbering for 10 years and recently purchased the shop she currently worked at for the past four. She renamed it Roy's Barber Shop, which is her maiden name. Her intent is to keep the shop traditional - the way barbering used to be done, offering a full face shave with hot towels, a back massage, as well as cutting hair.

Out front of 655 Great Road in North Smithfield hangs a barber pole. Inside are three barber chairs for Houle; Sarah Dube, a hairdresser who is being cross-trained as a barber; and Heather Chelo a barber apprentice.

Sometimes an older man will come in and see just women barbers and get all mad. "But they leave happy and come back and back," she says. Houle has even visited a nursing home on occasion, if a regular customer won’t let anyone else cut his hair.

Houle has great conversations with her customers. She describes them as fun and easy going, everyone knows everybody.

Although the trend now is for young teens to grow their hair long, parents tend to drag them in. For the little kids and men, they want that clean look. And some men come in every week.

For more information, call Roy's Barber Shop at 767-3113.