The history of the barbershop

In our last blog post we wanted to focus on a current and even future topic, and that was the trends we were going to see in the new year. We also told you how with our styling products you could take care of each of these looks with ease. Today we want to do just the opposite, and talk about the history of barbering and its origins, because barbering is one of the oldest professions in living memory.

The first people in charge of cutting and grooming hair date back to Ancient Rome. The Romans, especially senators and patricians, were very careful with their physical appearance, and a rich Roman who was not well groomed was a source of criticism and mockery. The tonsors, as they were then called, were the forerunners of a profession that still had a long way to go.

We have to go back to the Middle Age to find the first barber. But he did not limit himself to cutting hair and beards; his services went far beyond that. Back then, the full name of the profession was barber-surgeon, and their functions, in addition to those we associate today with any salon or barbershop, also included performing bloodletting to cure illnesses, extracting teeth or even whitening teeth. In those days, they were the closest thing to a modern-day doctor.

Surgeries, amputations, fixing breaks, treating wounds... And cutting hair. All this was carried out by a barber surgeon, and although western medicine did not have the advances that existed in more eastern lands, the barber was a person who was treated with respect for his knowledge of various sectors.

It was not until the 15th century, under the reign of Henry VIII, that barbering and surgeons were separated as different trades, although barbers were still engaged in work such as tooth extraction. This distinction became more and more profound, until the present day.

The Barber Pole

We have previously mentioned that in the barber's shop, bloodletting was carried out. This is the removal of excess blood from the body, as it was thought at the time to help the body balance itself and fight disease. To do this, the patient's arm was immersed in cold water to mark the veins. The patient would hold tightly to a pole while the barber made an incision in the vein to draw blood.

When a barber-surgeon gained a certain notoriety in the region, and could afford a barber's shop, he would put up a sign with the raised hand through which the blood was dripping, as an advertisement. Given that the impact was not the best, as it was not an image that transmitted confidence, they began to use another symbol: a red pole on which they tied white bandages, forming a red and white element, the origin of the barber pole that we know today.

A profession full of history and change, evolution and adaptation. Did you know it? What do you think about this evolution from the Ancient Age until now?