With Valentine’s Day around the corner, stop and love your heart by getting your blood pressure checked. Community members can now do one-stop shopping when it comes to their haircuts and health. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) medical students will host the Barbershop Health Check from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday (Feb. 13).

The medical students will screen Lubbock community members for high blood pressure and answer questions about hypertension, body mass index (BMI), and diabetes. Love Your Heart Day is an event organized through the Barbershop Health Clinic, a student organization run by TTUHSC School of Medicine students. The organization goes to 11 barbershops and beauty salons monthly, taking blood pressures and talking to clients.

Vivien Ingram, second-year medical student and clinic co-chair, said meeting with community members in a non-medical setting helps alleviate some of the anxiety that can come with visiting a doctor’s office.

“Barbershop Health Clinic is an amazing way to increase awareness in our community with one of the most important components of medicine – prevention,” Ingram said. “It’s a fun way for us to interact with community members. We get a chance to learn a little bit about them while helping them learn about their blood pressure and answer questions about diabetes and BMI.”

Shaun Wesley, second-year medical student and co-chair of the Barbershop Health Clinic, said high blood pressure and obesity can lead to larger health problems if they are left untreated, even if a person has no symptoms.

“Giving people the ability to check their blood pressure and BMI at beauty salons and barbershops is a good way to help the community stay informed as to the status of their health,” Wesley said.

The following barbershops and beauty salons will participate in the free Barbershop Health Check:

▪ Gipson’s Barber Shop, 1802 East Broadway

▪ Lubbock Hair Academy, 2844 34th St.

▪ Paul’s Barber Shop, 1528 East 19 St.

▪ E’s Barber Shop, 508 East 23rd St.

▪ CNJ’s Barber Shop, 4210 50 St.

▪ Da Barber Shop, 1704 East Fourth St.

▪ Garza’s and Ramos’ Barber Shop, 114 University Ave.

▪ Talk of the Town Hair Salon, 510 E. 23rd St.

▪ Navarrette’s Barber Shop, 1928 19th St.

▪ Navarette’s Barber Shop #2, 3404 Raleigh Ave.

▪ Lord’s and Lady’s Salon, 4622 34th St.

For more information, email TTUHSC.BSBP@gmail.com.