Health risks of the clean-shave chiskop haircut

Khumalo, Nonhlanhla P.; Gantsho, Nomphelo; Gumedze, Freedom; Mthebe, Thami

doi:10.7196/samj.6675

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 7 publications

(10 reference statements)

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“…This was later confirmed in a later study where a history of bleeding was reported in 24.8% of HIV-positive men. [5,6] Invisible bleeding was recently detected from scalp swabs after professional clean-shave haircuts (with no visible injury on the scalp when examined by a dermatologist) in 37% of participants using genetic testing for bloodspecific RNA markers (albumin and haemoglobin beta (HBB)). [7] The potential transmission of blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B (HBV) and HIV is most concerning.…”

Section: Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…PCR products were analysed under ultraviolet (UV) light after 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. [6,9] For HBV testing, 600 µL of wash was tested with the quantitative Roche COBAS AmplPrep/COBAS TaqMan HBV Test, version 2 (Roche Diagnostics, Germany). Samples with detectable HBV DNA were then tested on a qualitative nested PCR [11] to obtain products for sequencing, as follows.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Blood and virus detection on barber clippers

et al. 2018

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Background.Bleeding from the popular clean-shave 'chiskop' haircut was recently reported as prevalent in South Africa (SA), a country with 6.9 million HIV-infected people. Objectives. To investigate the prevalence of barber hair clipper contamination with blood and HIV and hepatitis B viruses. Methods. Fifty barbers from three townships in Cape Town, SA, were invited to participate. One clipper from each barber was collected immediately after it had been used for a clean-shave haircut. Each clipper was rinsed with phosphate-buffered saline and then submerged in viral medium. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify the blood-specific RNA marker haemoglobin beta (HBB), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV. Conclusion. This study confirms that there is significant contamination of barber hair clippers with blood and blood-borne viruses. Hepatitis B was detected with enough DNA copies to pose a risk of transmitting infection. Although HIV was not detected in this small study, the risk of transmission should be quantified. Further studies to investigate barber clipper sterilisation practices and whether the clean-shave hairstyle is an independent risk factor for HIV, HBV and hepatitis C virus infections are warranted. Public education on individual clipper ownership (as is the case with a toothbrush) should be advocated for clean-shave and blade-fade haircuts.

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Section: Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blood and virus detection on barber clippers

et al. 2018

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“…To offset the psychological price of relinquishing amenities of using barbershop services (e.g., practical convenience or/and feeling well-groomed), social marketers should encourage purchasing and taking personal shaving kits to barbers. Research has suggested that the practice of using private shaving kits seems to coincide with lower HIV prevalence (3.6%) in Nigeria, a country that is three times more populous than South Africa but whose HIV prevalence is 17.8% (Arulogun & Adesoro, 2009;Khumalo, Gantsho, Gumedze, Mthebe, 2013;Salami et al, 2006).…”

Section: Theoretical and Practical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, 13.7% of respondents in this study reported that they use barbershop services once per month, 39% reported twice a month, 6.7% reported three times a month while 13.7% reported four times a month. Such frequent use may increase risks associated with close-shave practices (American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (n.d.); Arulogun & Adesoro, 2009; Biadgelegn et al, 2012; Howard, 2016; Khumalo, 2012; Khumalo, et al, 2013; Ngoboka, 2015). The close-shave hair styles may cause skin abrasions because they are executed “by pressing the metal of the electric hair clipper directly and firmly onto the scalp without using the manufacturer-supplied clipper combs that determine hair length; the result is similar to that achieved with razor blades” (Khumalo, et al, 2013, p. 197).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Marketing Mix and Hygienic Barbershop Use: A Formative Study

Kwitonda

2020

Social Marketing Quarterly

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Background: Previous public health research has demonstrated that barbershop services in Sub-Saharan Africa involve close-shaving styles that may irritate the skin or cause injuries particularly among clients with razor bumps. Barbershop services may also facilitate client-to-client transmission of pathogens because they involve reuse of sharp implements (e.g., clippers) and other tools (e.g., brushes, towels and combs). The above concerns are compounded by limited access to adequate sanitization products in reasonably-priced barbershops. Focus of the Article: The goal of this formative research was therefore to identify and assess the structure of hygiene and hair care beliefs to be targeted by a social marketing intervention by integrating elements of the marketing mix and fundamental assumptions of the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model. Research Questions: To elicit hygiene and hair care beliefs, respondents were asked to state up to 9 beliefs specific to hygiene and safety information, perceived consequences of raising hygiene and safety concerns in barbershops (motivational beliefs) and efficacy skills in practicing hygiene and safety behaviors. To assess structural adequacy of the proposed IMB model, beliefs underlying information and motivation were hypothesized to be positively associated with beliefs underlying hygiene and safety negotiation skills as well as frequency of close-shave practices. To determine whether parameters of IMB model might differ across rural and urban settings, the following research question was considered: do individual paths and mediating mechanisms operate differently across rural and urban IMB models? Importance to the Social Marketing Field: This research provides empirical evidence for the integration of social marketing principles within the IMB framework and the potential of such integration in developing formative propositions for social marketing interventions in low-income contexts. Methods: This research was conducted in two phases. In phase one, data from a semi-structured survey ( N = 65) were analyzed to identify modal salient beliefs and set up subsequent survey research. Phase two consisted in collecting cross-sectional survey data ( N = 622) and using exploratory and structural equation modeling to assess the proposed model. Results: Together, identified beliefs and statically significant associations between IMB variables suggest that barbershop clients experience ambivalence toward risks associated with barbershop use, the relative benefits of alternative behaviors (e.g., use of personal shaving kits) and what it would cost them to receive the benefits. Recommendations for Research or Practice: Results in this study call attention to various ways in which the marketing mix can be used—to not only provide ecologically relevant information and increase motivation but also sell the benefits of hygienic barbershop use, offset prices of safer practices and draw attention of policy makers. There was no evidence of moderated mediation or moderation across individual paths to support significant differences between respondents in urban and rural settings, suggesting that a single-group model can be used to design interventions in both settings. Limitations: Future research should pre-test specific intervention features to identify audience reactions to preliminary propositions discussed in the current study.

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“…A history of visible bleeding after clean-shave haircuts has been reported in at least a quarter of men who wear this hairstyle (32% of men with unknown HIV status [2] and 24.8% of HIV-positive males [3]). Blood-borne viruses like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are a major public health concern.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invisible Bleeding from Clean-Shave Haircuts: Detection with Blood Specific RNA Markers

et al. 2013

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Background: ‘Haircut-associated bleeding' is a newly recognized entity that affects at least a quarter of African men who wear shiny clean-shave (‘chiskop') haircuts. Aim: This pilot study aimed to elucidate whether invisible haircut-associated bleeding was detectable using blood specific RNA markers (16 participants, 5 with unknown HIV status) and whether surface virus could be detected using PCR from scalp swabs (of 11 known HIV-positive participants). Methods: Haircuts were performed professionally and scalps examined by a dermatologist to exclude injury. Serum samples for viral loads were also collected at the same time. Results: In all, 6/16 (37%) samples tested positive (>100 relative fluorescent units) for hemoglobin beta and albumin, confirming evidence of blood; of these, only 1/11 was HIV-positive but had an undetectable serum viral load. No surface HIV was detected from any scalp samples. Conclusions: This study confirms the entity of haircut-associated bleeding but goes further to show for the first time that invisible bleeding from clean-shave haircuts is also common. Both a high serum viral load and evidence of bleeding should ideally be present prior to surface HIV detection. Future investigations for potential HIV (and hepatitis B) transmission through clean-shave haircuts are warranted but should not delay public education for disease prevention.

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Health risks of the clean-shave chiskop haircut

Cited by 8 publications

References 7 publications

Blood and virus detection on barber clippers

Blood and virus detection on barber clippers

The Marketing Mix and Hygienic Barbershop Use: A Formative Study

Invisible Bleeding from Clean-Shave Haircuts: Detection with Blood Specific RNA Markers

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