Barbers have today sounded the alarm over a worrying rise in young men contracting ringworm when cutting their hair.
Cases of contagious skin fungi that can cause disfigurement have increased significantly in just a few months, they say.
Barbers believe this is because more and more men are opting for skin-bleaching haircuts (when the sides are shaved and the length is left on top) at “cheap, dirty and unqualified” shops that ” spread across the main streets.
But the government said today it still has “no plans to regulate the hairdressing sector.”
Despite ringworm’s reputation as a scalp disease of Victorian slum dwellers, it is a common fungal infection estimated to affect between 10 and 20 percent of the population, mainly children. .
It is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, despite its name it is not caused by a worm.
It can also be transmitted through infected objects, such as sheets, combs or towels.
Mike Taylor, who runs a barber training academy in Poole, Dorset, said he had seen “loads of cases” recently.
Cases of contagious, potentially disfiguring skin fungi have increased significantly in just a few months, they say. Pictured is a 2022 case in Australia of a child who contracted ringworm after visiting the barber.
Barbers believe this is because more and more men are opting for haircuts that discolor the skin. Pictured is a 2022 case in Australia of a child who contracted ringworm after visiting the barber.
The barber who has been working in the sector for 34 years he told the BBC He believes cheaper stores don’t keep their equipment clean.
He said, “I would say 70 to 80 percent of the clients that come in ask for skin bleaching.”
“To achieve that effect you have to use the hair clipper, but the problem is that it traps the hair and you have to clean it thoroughly.”
He added: “The high street is running out, it’s dying and suddenly there are 12 barbershops on the same street and they’re all trying to be a bit cheaper than each other.”
‘If prices have to be lowered, then something else has to go and maybe it’s all the time spent cleaning the equipment or the time spent acquiring the right knowledge.
“Sometimes the cheapest price is not always the best price.”
Gareth Penn, registrar of the Hair and Barber Council, also called for “mandatory registration for those wishing to practice as a hairdresser or barber”.
The council, based in Hampshire, is a statutory authority for hairdressing in the UK. But currently it is only a voluntary registration.
Pictured, illustration of Trichophyton mentagrophytes, the cause of ringworm of the scalp
Gareth Penn, registrar of the hairdressers and barbers council, also called for “compulsory registration for those wishing to practice as hairdressers or barbers”.
“This opens the door to hairdressing and barbering to those who are not trained or qualified, or worse still, to those who wish to use our industry as a front for illegal activities,” he said.
A government spokesperson said: “We have no plans to regulate the hairdressing sector, however we will always seriously consider evidence when it is presented.”
“We work closely with the industry to address skills and training needs, and HMRC is also working to address tax fraud in the sector.”
Cases of ringworm are usually treated with antifungal medications available by prescription, such as gels and creams.
But sometimes oral antifungal medications are also needed.
Common signs of fungal infection include itching, a ring-shaped scaly area, a scattering of bumps that vary in color from red on white skin to reddish, brown or gray on black skin.
According to the NHS, other key signs are slightly raised expansion rings or a flat, round patch of itchy skin.
Dr James O’Donovan, a member of the World Health Organisation’s NHS medical and technical advisory group, also advises people to avoid sharing “combs, hats, hairbrushes, towels and pillowcases with others.” people”.
in a youtube video Viewed more than 125,000 times, he explained that this is “because fungi can live for a long period of time.”
If a child is affected, it is essential to inform school teachers and the parents of their classmates, he added.
“Other family members should be examined by a doctor and receive treatment,” he said.
“Sometimes it is best for the entire family to be treated with a medicated antifungal shampoo twice a week for four weeks, whether or not a fungal infection has been proven to exist.”