Barber shops become potential risk to fatal diseases - Pakistan

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Barber shops become potential risk to fatal diseases

By Shahid Ali Butt

ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (APP): Barbers are important professionals of the society

which are still owned, cared and financed by the community especially the rural

one. Barbers, besides performing duties in social events are also responsible

for hair and nail cutting. In both urban and rural localities, one can find many

barber saloons including roadside shops are engaged in risking lives of their

customers by continuously using de-sterilized shaving kits, used blades and

other necessities.Every third person in the community gets to the barber’s shop

for keeping himself clean by trimming and shaving the hair and beards. The young

people very frequently visit these shops because of their stylish and

fashionable savvy and trendy nature.

During a survey of many shops and roadside barbers in some areas of Federal

Capital, it was observed that a good number of them especially at pedestrian

pathways were using de-sterilized instruments and substandard shaving and after

shave creams.

Mostly poor and unaware people visit such barber shops without knowing the

potential risks to their health.

Several health hazards including communicable diseases and skin conditions are

associated with barbers’ profession to which their visitors are exposed. The

diseases of primary importance linked to this profession are ringworm disease,

(through direct contact), infestation of head louse, staphylococcal, Scabies

(through contaminated towels, combs, and aprons) and hepatitis B & C and tetanus

(contaminated blades and clips).

A large proportion of population is enjoying the services of barbers in our

community and their place of work and profession may be a potential source of

infectious diseases transmission silently in the community.

The roadside hairdressers having a flimsy chair and a simple mirror hung on a

tree, expose their customers to blood-borne infections and communicable diseases

by using contaminated traditional long handle razors and shaving kits.

A labourer in G-6 weekly bazaar said he usually went to roadside shop to get

haircut in Islamabad.

“I know there is no fancy showers to wash hair. No proper environment but I am

satisfied with the price and style. I pay Rs. 25 for a cut but a normal shop in

Capital charges 70 or 80.” he said and added expensive place cannot make me look

better.

A barber just had a name - Khalid and it was not written anywhere. He was in

an underdeveloped area of the city and said the authorities just let him setup

by the tree and did not bother him for rent. He had no electricity bills as

there was no connection there - he used daylight.

He said, “I charge only Rs. 35 for hair cut and shave. I use a new and clean

blade to shave but said that the towel I uses to clean the faces is washed every

day. Not a new towel for new customer.”

Another barber Rahim near demolished covered market said he starts around 9 in

the morning and ended when the it got dark. He said he can earn good money for

living. Because of his customer relationship skills, he said once a customer

came to him, he always came back the next month.

It was also observed that many people were reportedly declared the victims of

fatal diseases over the year due to the unhygienic environment of the barber

shops, but these barbers are almost oblivious of the sterilizing process.

Muhammad Nazeer said he has become a victim of Hepatitis while getting hair cut

in these shops as barbers do not take care of the cleanliness.

“I am a patient now and when I visit these shops they use the same towel and

other tools which they use for all the people who come to their shop,” he said

and added how would they ensure our safety if they are using same tools for all

the customers.

A hairdresser in Aabpara told APP on Sunday that they cannot keep and afford to

buy separate towels or tools for every single person in this sky-rocketing

spiral of inflation.

Meanwhile, a doctor at Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH) said that

the risk of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) transmission and blood-borne diseases was

considerably increased due the regular use of roadside barbers and their

de-sterilized instruments.

He said that the skin of the face and armpits were susceptible to micro trauma,

leading to the possible exposure to HCV and several other skin infections.

He said that roadside barbers should be banned as they have established their

shops illegally and their instruments must be checked.

People in the federal capital also criticised this practice and demanded to

impose a ban on barbers who were using de-sterilized instruments. They said a

campaign should be launched to create awareness among the masses about this

major health hazard.

These barbers are only bent upon earning without spending much money and are

using year-old tools which they once happened to buy.

This is a very alarming matter of cleanliness and hygiene which can bring

disaster while spreading the fatal, epidemic diseases if not properly and timely

controlled.

[Guest guest]

http://ftpapp.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content & task=view & id=148329 & It\

emid=57

Barber shops become potential risk to fatal diseases

By Shahid Ali Butt

ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (APP): Barbers are important professionals of the society

which are still owned, cared and financed by the community especially the rural

one. Barbers, besides performing duties in social events are also responsible

for hair and nail cutting. In both urban and rural localities, one can find many

barber saloons including roadside shops are engaged in risking lives of their

customers by continuously using de-sterilized shaving kits, used blades and

other necessities.Every third person in the community gets to the barber’s shop

for keeping himself clean by trimming and shaving the hair and beards. The young

people very frequently visit these shops because of their stylish and

fashionable savvy and trendy nature.

During a survey of many shops and roadside barbers in some areas of Federal

Capital, it was observed that a good number of them especially at pedestrian

pathways were using de-sterilized instruments and substandard shaving and after

shave creams.

Mostly poor and unaware people visit such barber shops without knowing the

potential risks to their health.

Several health hazards including communicable diseases and skin conditions are

associated with barbers’ profession to which their visitors are exposed. The

diseases of primary importance linked to this profession are ringworm disease,

(through direct contact), infestation of head louse, staphylococcal, Scabies

(through contaminated towels, combs, and aprons) and hepatitis B & C and tetanus

(contaminated blades and clips).

A large proportion of population is enjoying the services of barbers in our

community and their place of work and profession may be a potential source of

infectious diseases transmission silently in the community.

The roadside hairdressers having a flimsy chair and a simple mirror hung on a

tree, expose their customers to blood-borne infections and communicable diseases

by using contaminated traditional long handle razors and shaving kits.

A labourer in G-6 weekly bazaar said he usually went to roadside shop to get

haircut in Islamabad.

“I know there is no fancy showers to wash hair. No proper environment but I am

satisfied with the price and style. I pay Rs. 25 for a cut but a normal shop in

Capital charges 70 or 80.” he said and added expensive place cannot make me look

better.

A barber just had a name - Khalid and it was not written anywhere. He was in

an underdeveloped area of the city and said the authorities just let him setup

by the tree and did not bother him for rent. He had no electricity bills as

there was no connection there - he used daylight.

He said, “I charge only Rs. 35 for hair cut and shave. I use a new and clean

blade to shave but said that the towel I uses to clean the faces is washed every

day. Not a new towel for new customer.”

Another barber Rahim near demolished covered market said he starts around 9 in

the morning and ended when the it got dark. He said he can earn good money for

living. Because of his customer relationship skills, he said once a customer

came to him, he always came back the next month.

It was also observed that many people were reportedly declared the victims of

fatal diseases over the year due to the unhygienic environment of the barber

shops, but these barbers are almost oblivious of the sterilizing process.

Muhammad Nazeer said he has become a victim of Hepatitis while getting hair cut

in these shops as barbers do not take care of the cleanliness.

“I am a patient now and when I visit these shops they use the same towel and

other tools which they use for all the people who come to their shop,” he said

and added how would they ensure our safety if they are using same tools for all

the customers.

A hairdresser in Aabpara told APP on Sunday that they cannot keep and afford to

buy separate towels or tools for every single person in this sky-rocketing

spiral of inflation.

Meanwhile, a doctor at Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH) said that

the risk of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) transmission and blood-borne diseases was

considerably increased due the regular use of roadside barbers and their

de-sterilized instruments.

He said that the skin of the face and armpits were susceptible to micro trauma,

leading to the possible exposure to HCV and several other skin infections.

He said that roadside barbers should be banned as they have established their

shops illegally and their instruments must be checked.

People in the federal capital also criticised this practice and demanded to

impose a ban on barbers who were using de-sterilized instruments. They said a

campaign should be launched to create awareness among the masses about this

major health hazard.

These barbers are only bent upon earning without spending much money and are

using year-old tools which they once happened to buy.

This is a very alarming matter of cleanliness and hygiene which can bring

disaster while spreading the fatal, epidemic diseases if not properly and timely

controlled.