You Must Know These Facts About Your Barber’s Salon

Everyone wants to be well groomed. The average African man gets a haircut at least once a month. Many do so once a week. In most African cities, there’s at least one barber’s shop on every street. Some barber’s shops are indoors while others are out on the street. Most barbers learn on the job via an apprenticeship. In some parts of the world, barbering schools actually exist and you could get a cheap haircut if you go to one.

There is an increasing concern that barbering procedures could increase the risk of transmitting infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. However, little is known about barbers’ practices in Africa with respect to infection prevention. Before you read on, why don’t you try to answer these questions about your own barber?

Do you know how the barbing equipment is sanitized and cleaned?

Are hair clippers sterilized or disinfected after every use?

Does your barber use a new blade after a haircut?

Does your barber change their apron after a haircut?

Does your barber wash their hands after a haircut?

Do you know how often your barber has accidental cuts particularly those that lead to bleeding?

Has your barber ever told you if they have transmitted infections between customers in the past or if they themselves have any infectious diseases like HIV or hepatitis?

I bet that you don’t know the answers to any of the above questions, right? Well, you are not alone. These questions are very important and there are data on these topics.

Barbing Salon Hygiene Etiquette

Most barbers use electric clippers, however, a few still use manual clippers and razor blades. Many barbing salons dispose of razor blades immediately after use, however, manual and electric clippers typically have to be reused. You may not believe this but depending on where you get your hair cut, the mode of disinfecting or sterilizing clippers is different. Some barbers don’t even know the type of infections that can be spread if their equipment is not properly cleaned. Other barbers use chemicals that do not kill these infectious agents (such as kerosene!), while some use the same brush that was used for brushing the hair during the haircut to clean the clipper after the haircut. Yes, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Others use ultraviolet-light sterilizers. However, even in barbing salons that have the right equipment, the procedures to sterilize equipment are often improperly performed. It is also important to know that the rates of diseases like hepatitis are high in barbers especially if they have been barbing for a long time. This is because while doing their job, barbers may get exposed to blood from their customers (sometimes without their knowledge) that can lead to infection transmission.

Barbers in the high-class communities are more likely to practice appropriate equipment decontamination than those from lower-class inner communities. Blade-to-skin contact occurs in most haircuts and accidental cuts to the skin during barbering are common, and in some salons, these cuts are not properly managed. In these salons, the risk of transmitting infections may be high.

So what can you do:

If you can afford it, the best thing to do is to get your own personal clipper and avoid sharing it.

If you cant get your own hair clipper, ensure that the salon is clean on the outside and inside. If a salon is disorganized and dirty in appearance, they probably don’t spend much time on disinfection and sterilization processes.

Also, check to see if your barber has adequate personal hygiene. This includes regularly changing their aprons and washing their hands after haircuts.

For salons that disinfect and/or sterilize, ensure that this is done via the proper techniques. If you live in a country where barbing salons are closely regulated and inspected, ensure that your salon has the adequate credentials to show that they have been properly and recently inspected.

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