Erik, a native of San Pedro De Macoris in the Dominican Republic, left his home city 17 years ago to travel to New York. In the heart of the world’s business hotspot, he established himself in victorious fashion.
Erik’s barbershop is responsible for hundreds and hundreds of haircuts of all sorts of shapes and sizes, serving customers from all walks of life. Many people flock to his barber shop knowing how good his skills are. Roberto has won first place in a range of prestigious barber competitions including the CT Barber Expo.
What makes Erik’s story even more special is that despite his success as a barber, he decided to be the first of his industry in the world to venture into performing Scalp Micro Pigmentation (SMP). If you are unaware, this is a procedure that aims to recreate the hair follicle in areas where the hair is not growing very much or has stopped growing entirely. SMP may be used to treat baldness, alopecia or scars. Erik takes great pride in being able to make a difference to his customers’ lives, as he says: ‘It is a great pleasure to be able to please our clients, meet their needs and at the same time suggest what works best for them. That has been our success in the American public, knowing how to handle all types of scalp.’
Gerow Hair Ink, the clinic that Roberto founded with Jonathan Gerow, has become the world’s busiest of its kind. Many famous names are listed amongst the happy clients, with the brand a well-renowned at this point. The hair transformations that have taken place here are recognized for their high quality in countries such as the UK, Poland and the USA.
Erik has also won first place in the Hair Battle Tour, which took place in Boston, as well as the Barber Shop Connect, taking place in New York. These are two prestigious and highly regarded competitions that are a appropriate testimonial to Erik’s skills and hard work. Hairdressing is a creative and interesting medium, but it is also a very competitive one. To stand out in such unique fashion, speaks volumes for Roberto’s work.
It will be interesting to see, how common the technique of SMP is going to be within the next years, if competitors will be able to catch up to Gerow Hair Ink’s currently untouched level of quality, and what further achievements the future holds for Erik Roberto.
Instagram @erikroberto
