Hair singeing: from barbershop staple to niche curiosity

For much of the late 19th and early 20th century, having your hair “singed” was a normal part of a visit to the barber or hairdresser. Today, the same procedure survives only in a few traditional barbershops, in some Brazilian and European salons as “velaterapia,” and in social-media demonstrations. It has largely disappeared from mainstream practice, replaced by good quality scissors, conditioners, and a more scientific understanding of hair. This article outlines the history of hair singeing, how it was done, the beliefs that sustained it, and why it has fallen out of favor in contemporary hair care.

What is hair singeing: In classic barbering usage, a singe was a distinct treatment: the barber twisted sections of hair, then passed a flame rapidly along the protruding ends to burn off “rough” or “unhealthy” tips. A candle, taper, alcohol-soaked wand, or later a small gas lighter or spirit lamp might be used. The flame was kept moving to scorch only the ends, not the entire fiber. The same logic underlies velaterapia and similar “candle cutting” treatments: dry hair is twisted into small sections and the flame is run along mid-lengths and ends to burn off split ends without shortening the overall length. Not surprisingly, this manual method of hair singeing gives rather variable results and final result very much depends on the expertise of the practitioner.

Historical development and barbershop culture: Barbers have supplied grooming services for millennia, but singeing as a defined technique appears to have become especially prominent in Europe and North America from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, coinciding with the growth of urban barbershops as social spaces.  By the late 19th century, many barbers advertised “hair cutting, singeing and shampooing” as a standard service bundle. Singeing fitted neatly into the broader ritual of the traditional barbershop: hot towels, straight-razor shaves, scalp massage, and other tactile services that emphasized skill and theater as much as outcomes.

In 1895, an electrical singeing apparatus was invented by the Bell Electric Company in New York. Basically, it comprised of a comb with a wire that heated up as an electrical current was passed through it. How many people received an electric shock during their singeing process was not reported!  It was claimed that this electric method of singeing hair not only cauterized the cut hair ends quickly and evenly, but also had a hair growth stimulating effect. One advertising promotional of the day claimed “When the hair is singed by the electric process, all bleeding is prevented and at the same time the stimulation received by the follicles from the current makes them vigorous and healthy”.

Technique and variations: Historically and today, three main technical variants can be distinguished:

1. Classic barbershop singe
   • Hair cut to the desired length with shears or clippers
   • Sections lightly twisted
   • A small open flame quickly passed over the ends, producing a characteristic sizzling smell
   • Ash and charred tips brushed out or trimmed off
2. Velaterapia (candle cutting)
   Originating in Brazil in the 1960s and later marketed internationally, velaterapia is pitched as a treatment for split ends and frizz in long hair.
   • Very dry hair is twisted into tight sections
   • The candle flame is run along mid-lengths, burning protruding, damaged fibers
   • Hair is then washed, conditioned, and re-trimmed with scissors
3. Heated scissors and “thermal cutting”
   While not singeing in the literal sense (no open flame), heated scissors and “hot razor” systems are a conceptual descendant. Modern marketing claims that cutting with blades heated to ~270–310°F (130–155°C) “seals” the ends and reduces split ends, supposedly locking in moisture and lipids.

From a structural biology perspective, all of these methods rely on applying heat sufficient to denature keratin at the cut end. In true singeing, that heat is uncontrolled and often high enough to carbonize surface layers; in hot scissors, it is more regulated but still concentrated at the tip.

Why people believed singeing helped: Several ideas, now known to be incorrect, underpinned the popularity of singeing:

• Hair as a hollow tube full of “fluid”: Before modern microscopy was widely integrated into cosmetology education, hair was often described as a hollow cylinder. Barbers and some early cosmeticians believed that singeing “closed” the tube and trapped the vital fluid inside, preventing dryness and disease.
• Analogy with cauterization: Since cauterizing a wound could stop bleeding and prevent infection, the same logic was metaphorically transferred to hair ends: burning them was assumed to stop “leakage” and contamination. Some barbers recommended having one’s hair singed in autumn or winter to stave off colds, or after a haircut to finish and “seal” the ends
• Short-term tactile changes: Immediately after singeing, the ends can feel temporarily less flyaway because they have been fused or partially melted, and surface ash or residue can mask roughness until the next wash. This subjective improvement helped reinforce the perceived benefit.

Modern biomechanical work on split ends emphasizes that splitting is governed by the microstructure of the cuticle and cortex and by repeated mechanical and chemical stress, rather than by any simple “open tube” phenomenon.

Scientific reality: what flame exposure does to hair: Hair fibers are composed of dead, keratinized cells. They cannot “heal” or regenerate once damaged. Thermal or flame exposure:

• denatures keratin proteins
• degrades the 18-MEA and other surface lipids that normally reduce friction and water uptake
• can crack or erode the cuticle scales
• increases porosity, making hair more vulnerable to breakage and weathering

High, localized temperatures from an open flame easily exceed those used in flat irons or curling tongs and are far more difficult to control. Repeated singeing is therefore more likely to worsen structural damage than to prevent it, even if the immediate visual effect appears smoother.

Trichologists and dermatologists generally advise against direct flame treatments, and modern cosmetology textbooks prioritize mechanical trimming, conditioning, and protective styling as safer ways to manage split ends.

The decline of singeing in mainstream practice: By the mid-20th century, hair singeing in Western barbershops began to fade for several converging reasons:

1. Advances in hair science: As microscopy, cosmetic chemistry, and dermatology clarified hair structure and the pathophysiology of damage, the “fluid-sealing” rationale lost credibility. Educated hairdressers increasingly saw singeing as unnecessary or actively harmful, especially as better scissors and razors became standard.
2. Safety and liability: Open flame in a salon or barbershop is an obvious fire hazard. Modern health-and-safety regulations, insurance requirements, and building codes make routinely wielding candles around hair, capes, and volatile products unattractive from a risk-management standpoint. Reports and expert commentary on velaterapia repeatedly highlight the risks of burns, singed skin, and accidental fires, particularly if attempted at home.
3. Changing client expectations: As salon culture shifted toward glossy, controllable results with blow-drying, rollers, chemical straightening, and later thermal tools, the smoky smell and theatricality of singeing seemed old-fashioned. Clients became more focused on visible shine and smoothness achievable through conditioners, silicones, and oils rather than ritual procedures.
4. Emergence of alternative technologies: High-quality stainless and later ceramic shears allow very clean cuts with minimal mechanical damage. Heat-styling tools (curling tongs, flat irons) introduced controlled thermal modification. Conditioning, protein, and silicone-based hair products provide smoother cuticle interactions without burning. In contrast, singeing offered no unique advantage that could not be achieved more safely with these newer methods.
5. Professional branding and education: Modern salon chains and training programs emphasize evidence-based services, consistent outcomes, and branded treatments that can be marketed and standardized. Singeing is difficult to standardize, hard to insure, and visually associated with “old-time barbers” rather than contemporary fashion imagery.

As a result, by the late 20th century singeing had become rare in mainstream Western salons, surviving mainly in isolated traditional barbershops, some Turkish and Middle-Eastern practices, and a few Asian barbers’ schools.

Modern revivals and social-media visibility: Despite its decline, hair singeing has periodically resurfaced in niche contexts:

• Velaterapia’s global moment (2010s): Celebrity endorsements and fashion coverage briefly brought Brazil’s candle-cutting technique to international attention. Articles in fashion magazines, and online beauty media showcased models having their split ends burned off in high-end salons.
•  YouTube and Instagram/TikTok demonstrations: Videos of barbers singeing ear hair or stylists performing velaterapia generate views because the technique is visually dramatic. Trichologists and dermatology-aligned clinics, however, generally counsel caution or outright avoidance for routine care.
•  Hot scissors as a “safer” evolution: Heated scissors and “thermal haircuts” are promoted as a safer way to achieve some of the same supposed benefits – sealed ends and reduced splitting – without an open flame. Yet independent cosmetic chemists and hair-science commentators note that hair does not melt into a glassy seal in the way marketing suggests; rather, it is simply another form of heat exposure, and the key determinant of split ends remains overall damage load and mechanical stress.

Overall, these modern revivals are limited in scale, heavily market-driven, and often controversial among hair scientists.

Why hair singeing is not popular today: Today, hair singeing is not a popular or mainstream practice for several clear reasons:

• Lack of demonstrable long-term benefit compared with a straightforward trim plus good conditioning.
• Evidence of potential harm to cuticle and surface lipids with uncontrolled high heat.
• Fire and burn risk, which is unacceptable in many regulated salon settings.
• Availability of better alternatives (sharp shears, conditioning treatments, protective styling, regulated heat tools).
• Shift in professional education away from traditional beliefs and toward structural biology and cosmetic chemistry.

Where it persists – traditional barbers in parts of Turkey, the Middle East, and South Asia; a few specialized salons offering velaterapia; or heritage demonstrations – it functions more as cultural ritual or niche service than as a scientifically justified treatment.

Conclusion: Historically, hair singeing was a routine, even fashionable, part of grooming, grounded in plausible-sounding but inaccurate ideas about hair as a hollow, fluid-filled tube that needed “sealing.” The practice left an enduring mark on barbershop culture and survives in a handful of regional and boutique forms, but it has been largely displaced by modern cutting tools, conditioners, and a better understanding of hair biology. In contemporary trichology and cosmetology, the consensus is straightforward: there is no compelling biological reason to expose hair to open flame, and several reasons not to. For most people, a precise trim with sharp scissors, combined with appropriate conditioning and protective care, will achieve everything singeing promised – without the smoke.

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