WATCH: Lakewood Barber Looks Back on 60-Year Career

Paul Mediate followed in his father’s footsteps as a barber, when he started cutting hair when he was 13 years old.

That was 60 years ago. For the past 49 of those years, Mediate’s owned and operated the in Lakewood.

The space — at 14530 Detroit Avenue — has been a barber shop since the building was constructed in 1917.

In his 60-year career, Mediate estimates he’s given nearly 300,000 haircuts. 

Mediate said that men don’t get as many haircuts as they used to, and no one really gets their shoes shined anymore. But business, despite the recession, rolls on. And he has no plans to retire.

It should also be noted that the Belle Barber Shop was picked by Lakewood Patch readers as the .