Unsafe, Substandard Clippers Cause Skin Infection, Says Dermatologist

Martins Ifijeh

Using unsafe and substandard clippers for barbering can cause various diseases and skin infections like HIV, hepatitis, tinea captis, keloid, bumps and pseudofolliculitis barbae, a Consultant Dermatologist, College of Medicine University of Lagos, Dr. Aisha Akinkugbe has said.

She said a typical African man’s hair was relatively difficult to barb, hence barbers tend to apply extra pressure which consequently cuts the skin if the clippers were not skin friendly, adding that such skin cuts could in turn lead to various skin issues and blood transmittable diseases.

Akinkugbe, who delivered a lecture on ‘Have a Clean Cut, Not a Skin Cut’ at the launch of Philips West Africa’s new clippers, said barbers should be courageous enough to refer their customers with bumps, pseudofolliculitis, keloid, among others to a dermatologist rather than barbing such hair. “Barbering such hair will cause more damage to the customer because the more a clipper is used on such areas, the more the skin issue increases,” she said.

The dermatologist therefore endorsed the Phillips West Africa’s new innovation for professional and private barbering.

Lending her voice, the General Manager, Philips Personal Health, West Africa, Mrs. Chioma Iwuchukwu- Nweke said: “Philips conducted extensive research across a cross-section of men and barbers in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa; it was developed with extensively research on what to do to get the needed clean shave without skin cuts, scratches, bumps and pimples that sometimes develop on shaved areas,” she noted.

Iwuchukwu- Nweke who disclosed that a total sale of clipper in Nigeria was put at 3.4 million annually, added that the unique thing about the product was that its blade was skin friendly while cutting hairs finely. “The blades lasts the lifetime of the clipper and it is specifically designed to adapt to our fluctuating power. It is the first clippers designed to ensure no bumps and less rash,” she added.

The two clippers introduced are the Philips Clipper Pro ideal for professional barber styling and Philips Clipper Home for personal use.