Let’s face it: with most men, it takes a major health scare to get us to prioritise our well-being. At least, this is exactly what happened to these six guys who share the experiences that made them ditch public clippers and invest in their own personal grooming tools.
Ademola*
My barber wasn’t around, so I tried this new guy who just opened a spot on our street. Everything seemed brand new, making me less insistent on watching him sterilise the clipper. Two days after the cut, I started having a terrible itch on my head. Initially, I ignored it. I thought it was just a regular itch that would go away. Then, the rash started spreading and became painful to touch. Eventually, I had to go to the hospital when over-the-counter medication didn’t work. I felt embarrassed when the doctor asked if I had a personal clipper, and I said no. I bought one on my way home from the hospital.
Dayo*
I got my clipper during COVID. I went to my barber’s to cut my hair, and he got into a heated argument about how the coronavirus was propaganda and just a way for the government to embezzle money. Something about the way he argued made me doubt if he took any health and safety precautions in his salon. The next time I went to the shop, I had my clipper.
Ibrahim*
My barber’s sterilising kit fell off the table, and I helped him pick it up. In the process, the content spilt, and I found out this guy only had water and soap in the container. I was so livid and went into a long argument about how he was endangering customers’ lives. This guy didn’t seem remorseful at all. He said something along the lines of, “If you dey fear, buy your own clipper.” It was a sub, but it was also the call I needed to buy a personal clipper.
Jerry*
I once had a deep cut while my barber was shaping my hair, and blood was all over. The barber sterilised the clipper with mentholated spirit, but it didn’t seem like it was enough. Something about getting injured by an object that had been used by so many other people was deeply unsettling. In that moment, I kept wondering how many other customers had had similar accidents and if the wishy-washy sterilising process was all the barber did. I eventually gave him money to help me buy a brand-new personal clipper.
Johnson*
I watched this HIV sensitisation programme on TV, and there was this guy who recounted how he’d gotten infected with the disease from a haircut. I realised how stupid and careless I’d been not to have a personal clipper. I didn’t have money to buy one then, so I went without a haircut until I saved up enough to buy a clipper.
Adekunle*
I went to cut my hair, and the guy before me had a terrible rash on his head. It was such a disturbing sight, and I almost walked out of the salon to come back another time. After the cut, my barber sterilised the clipper, but I wasn’t satisfied with how he did it. I told him to also use a lighter to burn the clipper blade for proper sterilisation, but he said there was no need because the spirit had done the job. After my cut that day, I knew I had to get a personal clipper.
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