A POOLE man has criticised the Government's approach to education and regulations surrounding barbering following multiple cases of bacterial infections.

According to the NHS, ringworm is a common fungal infection that can be passed on through close contact with an infected person or objects, such as bedsheets, combs, or towels.

(Image: Mike Taylor)

The infection can be treated with anti-fungal creams but untreated can lead to hair loss.

Mike Taylor has worked in the barber industry for 34 years and now runs his own barber’s academy in Poole, offering training to others.

He has spoken out about the cases of bacterial infections and how he thinks the government is failing to regulate new businesses.

Mike said: “It's not just ringworm, folliculitis is a massive issue too, as well as other bacterial infections and fungal infections.

“I got an email yesterday from someone that their child had it and they've their anxiety is through the roof now because of the bald patches it's caused in their hair, and they were thanking me for getting this into the public eye because it’s happening all the time and isn’t talked about enough.

“Skin fade is the most popular haircut for men at the moment. But to take hair that short, you need an instrument called a foil shaver.

“These shavers take all the hair off and take skin.

“So imagine you get the skin caught into these instruments and after you've done the service, it takes time to take them apart, to clean them properly, and sterilise them before the next service.

“If someone's not doing that, then they will pass on infections like ringworm and folliculitis.

“This is a massive problem in the industry.

“I blame the government for no regulation and bad education.

“At the moment, the most open shop is a barbershop. At the moment they're opening up everywhere. In the UK there's no regulation to barbering at all, it's quite a fashionable, cool job to be a barber so people want to do it.

“But you need the education to know how to deal with different hair types and manage the time needed to clean these and sterilise this equipment properly to stop infections from growing.”