Yellowknife (Feb 06/04) - There's something luxurious about getting an "Italian style" shave with a straight razor.

If you are looking to lose your beard or just get rid of a few days growth, Billy Chehade is the man for the job.

It's a close shave for Drum Editor Jason Unrau as hairstylist Billy Chehade goes to work. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

The key to giving a good shave, he says, is checking the customer's facial hair to determine in which direction it is growing.

During the shave, Chehade gently stretches the skin to ensure the straight razor cuts the hair and nothing else.

The 31-year-old Lebanese immigrant learned his craft in Beirut 15 years ago.

He worked in a salon there until coming to Canada with his wife and daughter last April.

With a brief stop in Edmonton, Chehade headed North and started working at Style and Tangles on Mackenzie Rd.

Chehade says he got proficient at cutting and styling by practising on his friends' hair in Beirut.

When asked if his buddies were satisfied with his early haircutting attempts, Chehade answers "always," with a wink.

He says that the biggest challenge as a hairstylist is advising the customer that a particular hairstyle may not be suitable for certain individuals.

"People will come in with a picture and want to look exactly like that," Chehade said. "Sometimes I have to tell them that their hair is different and their face is different."

And how do his customers take the news?

"I have a good idea what would suit them and they always leave happy with the results."

As for the perks of being a hairstylist, Chehade says that he enjoys the relaxed pace of his work. His job also keeps him up-to-date on the latest gossip in town.

"I always know everything," he laughed.

Piping up from where she was working at the other end of the salon, Chehade's wife, Lina, an esthetician, was quick to add that the town's secrets are safe.

"He always has things to tell me," she said. "But of course, he only tells me."