That's why, while barbers may start off as strangers, they don't remain strangers for long. Often, they become long-term confidants with whom men share intimate details of their lives. The conversations may begin with sports, cars or politics, but they often end with personal revelations that customers would share with few others.

"The barbershop is an intimate space where people come to discuss what they cannot speak about in their homes or in public, including politics and even their lovers," said Andrew Esiebo, who has photographed scores of West African barbershops. "It's one of the few spaces where people from different walks of life, from different classes, mix." (...)

[Read James Estrin's full article and watch the gallery]