Why do the barber poles found in all the barbershops have these colors?
The barber shop colours are a legacy of a happily bygone era, when people went to the barbers of the time
not only for haircuts or shaving, but also for other medical services.
You can tell a salon by the barber pole symbol on the door.
During the Middle Ages, bleeding, which involves opening a vein and draining the blood,
was a common remedy for a wide range of illnesses, from sore throats to the plague.
Monks who often cared for the sick often did the procedure and barbers, given their skill with sharp instruments,
sometimes provided assistance.
After Pope Alexander III in 1163 forbade the clergy to perform the procedure,
the barbers added bloodletting to their repertoire.
Known as barbers and surgeons at the same time, they undertook tasks such as tooth extraction, bone setting and wound treatments.
The appearance of the barber pole is all about bleeding, with red representing blood,
white for the bone and the bandages and blue for the vein.
The barber polle pole itself symbolizes the stick that a patient clamped to make the veins in his hand
to stand out more for the process.
In most countries of the world the barber pole is red, white and blue.
The end of the trade guild.
By the mid-1500s, English barbers were forbidden to provide surgical treatments,
even though they could extract teeth normally.
Both barbers and surgeons remained in the same trade guild until 1745.
Why have barber poles become the brand for a barber shop?
The barber’s trade has been around for many, many years.
Razors were discovered among Bronze Age remains in 3500 BC.
Barbering was introduced in Rome in 296 BC and barbers became very popular and prosperous.
Their shops were centres of daily news gathering.
All free men in Rome were shaved, while slaves were forced to have beards.
The barber pole is now found in all men’s hairdressing salons and not only as in recent years it has boomed
and more and more barbershops can be found in every alleyway whether they are large or have a single workstation.
The only sure thing is that you will recognize it by its barber pole that now comes in various designs,
but with the characteristic three colours, white, blue and red.
Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth Makri.
