Barbers: A Medical Origin

It seems that for as long as we have been growing our hair, we have been cutting it as well. It’s not surprising to find that barbers are not only an old profession, but actually ancient in its origins. In Ancient Egypt, barbering services were provided by Egyptian nobility who used sharpened flint or oyster shells in place of scissors and razors.

Skip forward a few thousand years to the Middle Ages and find barbers who not only performed haircuts but regularly performed surgical and medical procedures as well; hence their name barber-surgeons. However, this joint job began to faze out in fourteenth century England when barbers either became recognised for their skills as a barber or their skills as a surgeon. By 1745, a bill was passed that officially separated the roles. Barbers who previously identified as barber-surgeons were now stripped of their surgeon title. The only thing that ever marked them as having been of that profession was the red, white and blue striped poles that remained outside of their shops; red for blood, white for bandages and blue for veins. These poles are still used today to identify barber shops and have become an iconic symbol for the profession.

It would be many years until barbers were medicine men again. In 1897, the state of Minnesota enacted legislation whereby barbers were licensed abodes that would inspect for symptoms of disease that would endanger the public and therefore allow for efficient sterilisation. With many States following suit, diseases such as impetigo, anthrax, ringworm and barbers itch are seldom heard of today.

Nowdays, it is unlikely that you will be given anything but a haircut when you walk into a barbershop. But its history is one that has provided our the world with both good hair and good health as well.