Hairdresser- no sterilising equipment.

B

BOXtheFOX

Guest
I decided to try a new mens hairdresser in the Mount Merrion area of Dublin recently. It was only after I was sitting down that I noticed that there was no sterilising machines for the combs/scissors etc. Thinking that my head was being infected by all types of nasties wasn't a nice feeling. Then on top of everything else the barber used a cut throat razor on the back of my neck.
What I wan't to know is are hairdressers required under any health law to have and USE sterilisers and even if they did are they any use?
 
relax

Imagine, I have been going to barbers for 20 years and these thoughts/ideas never entered my mind.

As the barbers move onto a new person less than one minute after finishing the previous head, I assume they don't use "sterilising machines for the combs/scissors"
 
I agree with Protocol. My barber does have those sterilising things but seeing as it's a conveyor belt I'm not sure how they really get utilised from one person to the next. Still, no ones died yet from it as far as I know and most barbers would refuse to cut someones hair who had nits etc...wouldn't they??? (please say yes)
 
hair

And create a row in the premises, and lose customer(s) for life ? No, the barber always takes the money. Its what you do not know that ....
 
barbers

At the rate I am loosing my hair this won't be an issue for me in a few years. Could it be that I caught "baldness" from some other punter who had his locks shorn before me!!?
 
barbers

My wife is a barber and I seem to recall her mentioning that the sterilisation equipment is seldom if ever used. I think that combs etc. might be sterilised each day but scissors, clippers/guard attachments etc. are not normally as far as I know. She has mentioned having to politely refuse to cut certain adult and child customers when they had various scalp and related problems (e.g. including nits/lice, psoriasis etc.) that they may not have been aware of. She would definitely sterilise the comb etc. after examining such a customer.
 
Sorry about the nick.

So where do people go to get their hair cut if they are suffering from nits, other skin/hair problems and the unmentionable.? And what about using a cut throat razor to cut the hairs off the back of my neck, should she have asked first?
 
Sorry about the nick.

> So where do people go to get their hair cut if they are suffering from nits, other skin/hair problems and the unmentionable.?

My wife advises them to get the problem seen to first. She certainly would not cut the hair of somebody suffering from lice or nits until they had it cleared up first and would sterilise the equipment having seen to them. Psoriasis and that sort of thing is another matter. If it was really bad then the person would most likely know about it already but if they didn't she would obviously tell them. However that sort of thing is not like nits/lice in that it's not contagious as far as I know so she would probably go ahead unless there was a problem with infected scalp etc...

> And what about using a cut throat razor to cut the hairs off the back of my neck, should she have asked first?

She doesn't use the cut throat and says that the people she works with who do don't sterilise it or change the blades between customers which is bad.

She also confirmed that they generally sterilise combs etc. from time to time throughout the day and usually at the end of the day but certainly not between each customer.
 
barbershop

"She also confirmed that they generally sterilise combs etc. from time to time throughout the day and usually at the end of the day but certainly not between each customer."

I am never going to the barbers again. Ever.
 
Re: barbershop

I noticed that my barber does sterilise the combs between customers and then uses a different one each time. So he always has two combs in the steriliser.
Doesn't change the cut-throat though!
 
Re: barbershop

Then on top of everything else the barber used a cut throat razor on the back of my neck.
Click to expand...
What's wrong with using a cut-throat? If you ask me, it's the most enjoyable part of getting a haircut.
 
Nasty Nick.

If you get a nick and the person before you also got a nick, are we then blood brothers. Know what I mean?
 
Barbers

My local barber uses disposable razors (new each time) for the final touches.

Now wondering if he takes them from the bin at the end of the day and simply replaces the caps?! Otherwise, I'm surprised he is able to sustain the cost (based on razors @ €1 ea, from an overall €8 fee).

Speaking of which, what are people paying for their cuts?

€8 at my local barber, for a blade. Usually takes about 10 mins, sadly(!).

Others in the vicinity charge up to €13 for a lesser quality service.


Some places have a rule that blade cuts require the hair to be washed (by them) beforehand. Is this a scam, or somehow linked to the hygiene aspects mentioned in the above posts?
 
> €8 at my local barber, for a blade.

What do you mean blade? Surely they aren't cutting your whole head (of hair ;) ) with a cut-throat?! Most of the cuts in my wife's place are clippers and scissors jobs. The odd time the cut-throat (with disposable inserts) is used but not that often.

> Some places have a rule that blade cuts require the hair to be washed (by them) beforehand.

Again I know that my wife's place generally only does dry cuts on Saturdays and very few men look for wash and cuts. In a few cases (usually young lads with loads of gel/wax) she has to insist on it being washed (either by themselves at home or in the shop) before cutting as otherwise it would destroy the clippers and scissors.
 
barbers' blades

Blade is the generic term for the depth of cut with the clippers (methinks).

It refers to the plastic shield placed on the clippers.

Blade 0 - clippers only - no hair left!
Blade 1 - small shield - v.tight cut (skinhead)
...
and so on up to Blade 4 - biggest shield - just tighter than scissors cut.

While we're at it: I hereby selfishly suggest all barbers bar all kids under 12 from haircuts on Saturdays.

Hassle enough without mommy dearest and the brood clogging up the place...sort it during the week, parents !!! Most of us don't have that luxury, and it's not as if we book appointments in advance...
 
barbers' blades

> It refers to the plastic shield placed on the clippers.

Right. I call them guards but I guess blade is the common term all right.

> While we're at it: I hereby selfishly suggest all barbers bar all kids under 12 from haircuts on Saturdays. Hassle enough without mommy dearest and the brood clogging up the place

The bane of my wife's life - certain parents (particularly "weekend dads") fussing over their brats and attempting to bribe them with treats instead of leaving them alone with the barber to get the job done. On the other hand some kids and parents are great to be fair. Her place charges kids full adult prices on Saturdays to discourage them and encourage them to come in during the week. I think that this is common enough.
 
The towel. It smells clean.

I went in to a hairdressers recently. The hairdresser carefully placed the combs, scissors etc in the steriliser. I noticed that the little red light was not on, on the machine. My eye followed the flex to show that it was not even plugged in. What's the point and who are they trying to fool. I hope that they do not treat their towels the same way.
 
Re: The towel. It smells clean.

Hassle enough without mommy dearest and the brood clogging up the place...sort it during the week, parents !!!
Click to expand...
You assume that the parents aren't working themselves?
 
kids in the barber's

Rainyday:

> You assume that the parents aren't working themselves?

Nope; nor do I assume the brats are unsupervised from the time they leave school (3pm or so?). Plenty of time to get sorted then.


In addition, most barbers' premises seem to be on the small side, with limited spaces available to wait and queue. The last thing you need to deal with as part of your scant-enough free time at the weekend is to wait for selfish bloody parents and their kids.

And to top it all, many's the occasion where mammy has a clutch of kids in tow, including ones who aren't getting a cut, yet still take up the available seats...


Rant over...
 
kids in the barber's

> And to top it all, many's the occasion where mammy has a clutch of kids in tow, including ones who aren't getting a cut, yet still take up the available seats...

I remember, when I was a kid, a local barber chasing me and some others out of his shop while brandishing a scissors when we attempted to accompany another mate into the shop to get his hair cut! We didn't attempt it a second time! :eek
 
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