What do the red and white stripes on a barber's shop represent?

Question

What do the red and white stripes on a barber's shop represent?

Answer 1

Blood and Bandages.

(This too, is totally correct (not from Wiki or other Site but, from an old Barber I used to go to).

Why on earth have I got a thumbs down ??? the answer is perfectly correct...swinging the vote towards yourself are you ???

Answer 2

White for bandages, red for blood, as barbers were kind of minor surgeons

Answer 3

the barber shop-in the old days- was also used to "bleed" you to cure ur illnesses

they were not that smart back then. so the red stands for blood and i dont kno what the white stands for.

Answer 4

The red and white stripes symbolize the bandages used during the procedure: red for the blood-stained and white for the clean bandages. Originally, these bandages were hung out on the pole to dry after washing. As the bandages blew in the wind, they would twist together to form the spiral pattern similar to the stripes in the modern day barber pole. The barber pole became emblematic of the barber/surgeon's profession. Later the cloths were replaced by a painted wooden pole of red and white stripes.

Answer 5

Barbers used to do a lot more than cut hair; they were also surgeons.  The red and white stand for the same thing that the red cross on a background of white stand for nowadays--medical help.

Answer 6

yes! i was waiting for this question for soooooooo long!

origanaly barbers did more than just cut hair, the would do slight operations like tooth pulling or leech "bleeding". when he was done he would hang his bloody rags outside to signafy good service, but it was later declared unsanitary and switched to red paint.

and this answer is actually correct, guys. :D