North Texas area barbers train to help clients improve their health

The barbershop is more than a place to get a haircut.

"People tell us EVERYTHING," Duncanville barber Kirk Sanders said. "So the community will talk to a barber before they'll talk to a doctor. So that's part of my job; to be more than just a barber."

Sanders was among the barbers who came to the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center for a 'He's My Hero' program training session with Dallas Fire-Rescue, learning the importance of monitoring blood pressure, and how to take blood pressure readings.

"I can speak from a Black man's point of view," Dallas Fire-Rescue Lt. Chris Washington told the class. "I hate the doctor and a lot of us do!"

That's where barbers come in.

"Because we touch so many people," barber James Thomas said. "I like to tell people we touch everybody from the drug dealer on the street to the President of the United States. They all need haircuts."

"You all have the gift of gab," Washington said. "Just talk to 'em!"

The idea is to get blood pressure monitors in barber shops and get barbers comfortable with talking about health.

"We never talk about health in the barbershop. We may talk sports and everything, but we don't talk health," Sanders said, saying he plans to change that.

"Because first of all, we have traffic. Second of all, it's in the Black community, and high blood pressure is very high in our community."

According to the American Heart Association, about 55% of Black adults have high blood pressure.

"I think we should ask them, 'Sir or ma'am, while you're here today, would you like to have your blood pressure taken?'" Thomas said. "And hopefully most of them will say yes!"

The 'He's My Hero' program is a collaboration between the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center and MAVSFIT, which is part of the NBA's health and wellness platform.

"Get your blood pressure checked," Sanders said. "Peace!"

"I can't wait to get started," Thomas said.