The Rev: providing genderless hair cuts in Sacramento

Revelry Barber and Salon combines barber and cosmetology skills to provide gender-inclusive hair cuts in Sacramento.

 A portrait is hanging on the wall, depicting a cartoon person with full facial hair, glam makeup, and holding a razor to their beard line as if mid-shave. This is the logo of The Rev Barber and Salon. The rest of the interior of the shop includes plants and knickknacks like stones, candles, figurines, framed bug art, and more.

The gender ambiguous person grooming their facial hair is a perfect symbol of the mission behind this salon + barber combo.

Photo by SACtoday staff

Hair dysphoria (noun): a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their gender identity + their hairstyle.

Hair plays a massive role in appearance. We’ve all had bad hair days, but for gender-noncomforming folks, the stakes of a bad hair cut can be exponentially more harmful and far more frequent.

Enter the Revelry Barber Shop + Salon (2739 Riverside Blvd.), born out of the need for safe spaces in Sacramento’s hair care scene — where people can just be themselves.

Owner Emily Carson’s vision marries two main approaches to hair — barber cuts + cosmetology styling — to create a blend of services that meets the needs of clients across the gender spectrum.

Three photos are shown next to each other of City Editor Madeline, sporting different styles of haircuts. Left shows a mullet with fringe bangs, middle shows a curly short shag, and right shows blunt baby bangs and a curly bob.

City Editor Madeline, who identifies as genderqueer, often switches up their hair to fit how they’re feeling.

Photo by SACtoday staff

Each stylist is equipped with an array of training that deviates from just “men’s” and “women’s” hair cuts. Revelry cosmetologist Jay, who specializes in clipper cuts + zero fades, hopes to use their hair services to help LGBTQ+ folks experience euphoria, with hair and identity.

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