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Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
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By Mohammed Kabir Garba, Bauchi
History is replete with how men value neatness. Looking good is not essentially a woman’s attribute or passion alone. Men also take grooming as a hobby which translates to masculine beauty and neatness. A fine looking man takes the idea of grooming his beards, trim his moustache, have a clean hair cut to look trendy.
Nowadays, men patronize both the traditional and modern Barbers to have a nice haircut. However, some may have second thought before patronizing traditional barbers. The reason is not farfetched. Health implications are some of the reasons some are hesitant. In a heart to heart conversation with traditional barbers by Apex News Exclusive correspondent, two (Wanzamai) that is how they are referred to in Hausa language said they are aware of such fears among majority of their customers and as such they take maximum care to ensure their clients safety.
According one of the traditional barbers called Abdullahi, who showcases his business in front of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in the heart of Bauchi town, he said that he started the job at eight years old. He got the talent or was trained by his grandfather which is the line of business in their family. Abdullahi, a lean wiry type of man at the age of 45 looked a little bit younger than his real age. He said when a client comes, he demands for what he wants. He said he had the modern barbing tools like clippers and herbal ointments to take care of a client’s needs besides the traditional tools for his job.
How does he perform the act of barbing. He said after wetting the hair on the head and beards with soda soap since it is effective against skin diseases. He has a packet of new razor blades which he uses for each client. And his native barbing tools which comprises of locally fabricated shaving blades are sharpened, then he burns them mildly to kill off any infection from the previous user before barbing.
He equally said that he does not know any other job apart from barbing which has benefitted him immensely. He proudly said that he is married with 14 children and he is living in his own house he built from the fruits of his labour.
His colleague in the business of barbing who goes by the name of zakariyau Wanzan said he originally hailed from Jigawa State but had spent a better part of his adult life in the ancient city of Bauchi.
He spoke at length on some basic issues of traditional barbing such as incision of marks on the cheeks of new born babies which is a common tradition among the northerners. He also said that their services are always on demand during circumcision of new born babies as well but the most engaging aspect of their job is barbing.
In response to some of their customers, Reverend Father Ezekiel Abasu, of Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), Yelwa Kagadama on the outskirts of Bauchi said that he had been patronizing the traditional barbers for decades. He said he is at ease as he gets the best shaving he desires.
The reporter also beamed his searchlight on the modern barbers who are usually on demand as they display array of different hairstyles for their views. One of them, Sulaiman Adamu quipped that they are not in competition with them at all and that only the elderly patronized them essentially.
The barbershop has always been a safe haven for dudes but it is also a nasty undercover germ factory according to health experts. Diseases like Folliculitis which the inflammation of the hair follicle mostly caused by bacterial infection is common according to Dr. Shehu Abdu of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital Bauchi. It looks like tiny while pustules filled with pus. It is usually caused by staph bacteria, which can be transmitted through improperly sanitized combs, scissors or razors. Others are Tinea capitis which is a fungal infection of the scalp, Impeigo among others.
