Would sir care for a little blood pressure reading to go with the trim?

A pair of Mitcham barbershops are offering customers free blood pressure tests along with their regular trim in a bid to tackle undiagnosed health issues.

The project, run by London South Bank University (LSBU) and Croydon BME Forum, has trained barbers to provide on-the-spot blood pressure checks.

The initiative aims to reach black and Asian men who have undiagnosed high blood pressure.

About 30 per cent of men in the UK currently have high blood pressure and roughly half of these are not diagnosed or receiving treatment.

High blood pressure is the third biggest cause of disease in the UK, leading to heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease and costing the NHS £2bn every year.

Barbers who are participating in the project are Finishing Touches in Monarch Parade, and Jul’s The Hair Klinik, Laing Corner.

Hugh Benain, barber at Finishing Touches, said: “I’m very happy for the opportunity to add even more value to the community – especially something as important as blood pressure, which is an underlying cause of so many other poor health conditions. I’m so privileged and so happy to be a part of this project.”

Julian Appiah-Koduah, barber and owner of Jul’s the Hair Klinik, said: “I think the project is brilliant because we are able to create great awareness and also, most importantly, save lives.”

Pictured top: A customer getting his dual service from Hugh Benain, left, and Julian Appiah-Koduah  (Picture: LSBU)