THE CLASSIC SHAVE
Hot Towel Straight Razor Shave in Staten Island
A classic hot towel shave at Styles Barber Lounge in Staten Island costs $30 and includes the full straight razor ritual: layered hot towels that soften the beard and open the pores, a careful shave with a straight razor, and a calming finish. The shop sits at 2234 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314, minutes from the College of Staten Island and the Staten Island Mall.
Styles Barber Lounge is a premium barbershop founded in 2018 by Shalom Gruber, and its slogan is not a joke: Stylists for the Stars. Pete Davidson, born and raised on Staten Island, has been photographed in the chair, along with Lil Jon, Paris Hilton, and Bobby Shmurda. The Staten Island shop holds 4.8 stars across 300+ Google reviews. More than a haircut. It's an experience.
2234 Victory Boulevard
Staten Island, NY 10314
Sun-Fri, 8AM to 8PM
Closed Saturdays
Hot Towel Shave (straight razor): $30 at the Staten Island shop
What does a hot towel shave at Styles Barber Lounge involve?
The $30 hot towel shave at Styles Barber Lounge is a full straight razor service, not a quick cleanup. Your barber layers steaming towels over your face to soften the stubble and relax the skin, works up a warm lather, then shaves with a straight razor in slow, deliberate passes before closing with a finish that settles the skin.
This is barbering at its most traditional, and Styles Barber Lounge treats it that way. Any of the Staten Island barbers, Shalom, Gilson, Diego, Nissan, Elvis, ODidit, Omar, or Big J, can take you through the ritual. Recline, close your eyes, and let the towels do the first half of the work before the blade does the rest.
How much does a hot shave cost in Staten Island?
At Styles Barber Lounge, a hot towel straight razor shave costs $30 flat. For context within the shop's Staten Island menu, a beard trim is $15, a haircut is $45 with a hot towel finish included, and a combined hair and beard service is $60. The shave sits in the middle: more than a trim, far more experience per dollar than either.
That $30 buys dedicated one-on-one time with a barber whose whole job, for that stretch, is your face. The service stands on its own. It is one of the most affordable ways to feel what a premium barbershop actually does differently.
How is a straight razor shave different from shaving at home?
A barbershop straight razor shave starts where home shaving usually skips: preparation. Hot towels soften the hair and open the pores before the blade ever touches skin, and a single sharp edge in a trained hand glides where a multi-blade cartridge scrapes. The result is closer, and for many men, noticeably less irritating.
There is also the angle problem. Shaving your own jawline in a mirror means guessing at pressure and direction. A barber at Styles Barber Lounge stands over the chair with full visibility and full control, following the grain and finishing edges a home razor cannot match. Add the fact that you do none of the work, and the comparison is not close.
Who is the hot towel shave for?
The hot towel shave at Styles Barber Lounge suits anyone who wears a clean-shaven face and wants it done properly: grooms and wedding parties, men prepping for interviews or photos, guys whose skin gets wrecked by cartridge razors, and anyone marking an occasion. It also works as a reset between beard phases, taking everything down to smooth so you can start over.
It makes a strong gift, too. A $30 service is easy to give, and the recipient walks out with a story, not just a smooth face. You can also pair the shave with a haircut at the Victory Boulevard shop for a full before-and-after in one visit.
Should you add the black mask facial to your shave?
If you can spare the chair time, yes. Styles Barber Lounge offers a facial with black mask for $30, and it pairs naturally with the hot towel shave: the razor clears the surface, then the mask goes to work on freshly exposed skin. The shave is $30 and the facial is $30, two separate line items on the Staten Island menu.
Consider the combination before a wedding, a reunion, or a photo day, when you want skin that looks as clean as the shave line. Mention at booking that you want both so your barber blocks out enough time for the full sequence.
Where is Styles Barber Lounge and when can you come in?
Styles Barber Lounge is at 2234 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314, on the Victory Boulevard corridor between Willowbrook, Staten Island and Bulls Head, minutes from the College of Staten Island (2800 Victory Blvd) and the Staten Island Mall. Call (718) 524-6011 with questions, and find parking along the Victory Boulevard corridor.
Hours are Sunday through Friday, 8am to 8pm, closed Saturdays. Those Sunday hours run later than nearby Staten Island shops, which close by 4pm on Sundays, so a weekend shave does not require a day off. If you searched for a hot towel shave near me from anywhere mid-island, this is the stop on the corridor. Book online through Squire or the Styles Collective app; booking guarantees the time.
Good to know.
Do I need an appointment, or can I walk in for a shave?
Walk-ins are welcome at Styles Barber Lounge whenever a chair is open, but availability is never guaranteed. Booking ahead locks in both your time and your barber. If the shave is tied to a specific event, a wedding morning or a flight, book it. If you are already passing by on Victory Boulevard, step in and ask.
Is a straight razor shave okay for sensitive skin?
Many men with sensitive skin find a hot towel shave more comfortable than their home routine, because the towels soften the hair first and a single blade makes fewer passes than a cartridge. Tell your barber about irritation-prone areas before the lather goes on; pressure, angle, and direction all get adjusted around your skin, not the other way around.
Can I get a haircut and a hot towel shave in the same visit?
Yes. A haircut at Styles Barber Lounge is $45 and includes a consultation, precision cut, hot towel finish, and a complimentary beverage. Add the $30 straight razor shave and the visit becomes a full grooming session, with each service priced separately on the menu. Book both services together so your barber has the chair time blocked out from the start.
What is the C.E.O Treatment, and how does it compare to the shave?
The C.E.O Treatment is the signature booking at $100 and runs about an hour: haircut and beard, eyebrows, the Facial Scrub X Black Mask and a nose wax. The $30 hot towel shave is the opposite end of the same idea, one classic service done slowly and well. Both end with you looking sharp.
Have celebrities really sat in these chairs?
Yes. Pete Davidson, born and raised on Staten Island, has been photographed in the chair, along with Lil Jon, Paris Hilton, Bobby Shmurda, and others. KTLA 5 News featured Styles Barber Lounge in May 2025, the fifth news crew to film at the shop, and the segment ran on 11+ Nexstar stations and Yahoo News.
Does Styles Barber Lounge trim beards, or only do full shaves?
Both. A beard trim at the Staten Island shop is $15, and a combined hair and beard service is $60. The trim is for shaping what stays; the $30 hot towel shave is for the days the whole beard comes off. Either way, you leave with clean lines and a plan for the regrowth.
More at the Staten Island shop