AN upmarket men's hairdresser is hoping to sell its grooming products in department stores and luxury retailers across the UK.

Ruffians opened its first barber shop in Edinburgh in March and is now selling its own brand of shaving gel, texturising putty, sculpting gel, shampoo and moisturiser.

A range of aftershave and eau de toilette is also being finalised.

The products are being manufactured by a private label cosmetics house in England.

Founder Andrew Cannon said the range would soon be able to buy from the Ruffians website plus other online male grooming retailers such as Mankind and Niven & Joshua.

Mr Cannon, who raised just short of £1 million from private investors to launch the business, said: "We are building a brand here and we want to be proud of it.

"I researched what products service men's skins types and hair types.

"The hormones we produce and the amount we sweat is very different to women.

"Yet the vast majority on the market is women's brands which have been adapted for men.

"So I thought lets make products suitable for men.

"For instance our shave gel has a cationic charge in it, so it raises the hair on end so you get a closer shave.

"If the hair is standing upright, the blade comes down on it rather than dragging across it.

"It is these sort of things we are trying to do."

Mr Cannon, who was brought up in Oban, is also keen to start negotiations with high-end retailers such as Harvey Nicols and John Lewis about stocking the Ruffians range.

He said: "We are a premium brand. We want to be in department stores and luxury retailers.

"The barber shop side of the business will be larger initially but eventually the product side will overtake it.

"Down the line we will have to be accessible to people outside the city and internationally."

Mr Cannon is scouting additional sites in Edinburgh and locations in Glasgow. He plans to open a dozen Ruffians outlets in the next five years.