A barber shop is generally an old style shop primarily for men. It has the red and white barber pole out front and generally the customers are served on a first come first serve basis. The barbers each have their own chair and specialize in traditional men's cuts. They do not generally shampoo and style hair, nor do they color it. They will also give you a great shave with a straight razor and heated shaving cream. A barber shop is a place to read a sporting magazine or discuss current events with other men. Barber shops that do not also offer salon services (nails, styling, coloring, curling, perms) are sometimes considered oldfashioned, and often have bare wooden floors, old barber chairs, etc. They are almost nostalgic to many men.

A salon usually offer more featues and services, usually costs more, and has both men and women hair professionals who are likely to have graduated from beauty college. They wash, color, curl, and style hair, mainly for women, and will also do your nails or a weave.

Many businesses have now combined the two and it is quite common to see both terms in the business namme (Cleopatra's Beauty Salon and Barber Shop). For those of us who were brought up in the old days, they are not the same thing, and we hope the true old fashioned barber shops always stick around.

Here's a good example of the way it used to be:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XxhKSWoG-A