Last April, Evan Arcilla returned from his barbershop disappointed and ready to make a change. After giving his barber clear instructions, Arcilla still ended up with an extra four inches cut off his hair. “I looked like a completely new person,” Arcilla said. “I told myself that going forward I wasn’t going to any more barber shops. I was cutting my own hair.”
At first, learning to cut hair was difficult for Arcilla. The precision and detail required for the craft take time to master. After buying clippers and scissors, Arcilla began by practicing on himself in a mirror at home. “I just kinda went for it,” he said. “There was a lot of trial and error at first, but I eventually got there.”
Arcilla quickly fell in love with cutting hair and wanted to expand his interest. During the summer, he practiced by cutting the hair of his friend, sophomore Ethan Zhao. At first, Zhao was reluctant to have his hair cut by Arcilla. “I was uncertain because I was basically his test subject,” Zhao said. However, Zhao noticed that over time Arcilla improved at a rapid pace. “Every time, I felt more confident sitting in that chair because I knew that he was going to get me right,” Zhao said.
When school started in August, Arcilla started cutting more of his friends’ hair. He documented his haircuts through his posts on his Instagram account dedicated to cutting hair. “People saw my work [on social media] and began to ask if I could give them haircuts,” Arcilla said. “From there, the business really took off.” According to Arcilla, he has given haircuts to more than 30 Menlo students during the first few months of the school year.
Arcilla cuts hair in the boys locker room and charges $15 per haircut. So far, he has made over $500 which he plans to reinvest into his hair cutting supplies and business. When he first started, each of Arcilla’s haircuts would take upwards of an hour and a half; now Arcilla says he can complete one in a third of that time. “As a barber, I think I’ve really improved,” Arcilla said. “My confidence has gone up [because of more practice], which has led to faster times and overall better haircuts.”
When senior Sam Reznik learned of Arcilla’s hair cutting businesses, he was skeptical. “I told him that I would never let him cut my hair in my life,” Reznik said. However, after hearing positive feedback on Arcilla’s work, Reznik agreed to let Arcilla cut his hair. Reznik was pleased with his haircut and plans to go back to Arcilla. He believes that the relaxed and informal aspect of Arcilla’s haircuts offer an advantage that most barber’s can’t match. “Constant dialogue [with] your barber is very important,” Reznik said. “With Evan [Arcilla] it just makes it that much easier.”
“There is definitely a link between performance on the field or court and a fresh haircut,” he said. Arcilla aims to increase the confidence in the people he cuts. “I love seeing the smiles on a client’s face after a haircut,” he said. “It just makes me feel great.”
Zhao has been a key supporter of Arcilla throughout his haircutting journey and is proud of the work that his friend has accomplished. “It’s pretty inspirational seeing my peers after the haircuts knowing that one of my closest friends did it,” he said.
Zhao, like Reznik, thinks that there is a huge advantage of having someone you know personally cut your hair. “[Arcilla] really cares about making you look good. I think that having that personal connection can be a real difference maker,” Zhao said.
Arcilla is looking forward to growing his business and passion for cutting hair. He is planning to create a website for his business which would allow clients to book time slots based on his availability. Arcilla understands how impactful a good haircut can be. “I’ve learned that a haircut can really change your life,” he said.
