This Barber Lives in His Car to Give Free Haircuts: The Gentle Barber Explained for Barbers
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A corporate job, swapped for a barber chair on the road. Richard Agers, known online as The Gentle Barber, turned his electric car into a mobile barbershop and now gives free haircuts from state to state. Here is the story behind our latest Sultan Barber News reel, explained for barbers.
Who is The Gentle Barber?
Richard Agers is a 33-year-old barber from Tempe, Arizona, and most people know him on social media as The Gentle Barber. In 2025 he left his corporate job and turned his electric car into a mobile barbershop. Now he lives on the road and drives from state to state with his dog, Simba.
Why he cuts for free
Richard gives free haircuts to veterans and people experiencing homelessness. His late grandfather was a Vietnam veteran, and that helped inspire the idea of serving both groups.
How a stop works
He rolls into a town and sets up his chair outside a VA hospital or right on the street. He doesn't charge for the haircut, and he livestreams his cuts on TikTok. Donations pay for his expenses on the road.
How far he has come
By late July 2026 he had given free haircuts in 22 states, and he planned to reach 38 states by the fall.
What barbers can take from it
A barbershop doesn't have to be a building. Richard's shop is an electric car, a chair and a spot on the street. A free haircut can also be a simple way to give back to your community. And sharing the work, the way he does with his livestreams, lets people far from the chair follow along. Who is the gentlest barber you know?
More from Sultan Barber News
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The reel also goes live today on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Follow The Gentle Barber on Instagram and TikTok, and tag the gentlest barber you know.
Sources: Times Union (27 July 2026) and cutsacrossamerica.org. Sultan Barber News is an independent news series and is not affiliated with Richard Agers or Cuts Across America.