Earth - Water - Wind - Fire
When you are seated, the barber will wash your hair if necessary then dry it. A cape is fastened around your neck and you are asked how you would like your hair done. The first step is carefully trimming the area just around the ears and at the back. Several different combs on the electric trimmers will be used to get it just right.

This is followed by a wet cut.

If you have a beard or mustache, this is trimmed and shaped if required. Plenty of shaving cream with the long handled razors.

Any extra hair on the face is either waxed with a pine resin, pulled out with tweezers or string. A cotton thread is twisted and the resulting loop is opened and closed over the hair to be removed. Nose hair is trimmed with small scissors.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the haircut is when the barber dips a ball of cotton wool in methylated spirits. Perhaps you think this is for cleaning something? Not exactly. It depends on how you define cleaning. They then set fire to this and flick the flames into your ears to burn the hairs. Also any stray hairs on your face.

Finally the hair is washed. Then blow dried. Then gel is applied. Followed by hair spray and deodorants.
"the barber dips a ball of cotton wool in methylated spirits... they then set fire to this and ..."

Wow...I better go to Turkey quick and experience such a barber, before I loose my hair !

and have you ever hear that??''Bir berber bir berbere bre berber gel beraber bir berber dükkânı açalım''demişso you see TUrkish berbers really like partnership

Turkish barbers are very professional! Quite an art what I witnessed in Fatih district.

Yes they do seem to be very professional,also it always strikes me how many barbers and womens hair salons there are all over turkey many more than the UK.

My blond hair needed a cut, Turkish barber would not touch it. Must have been Islamic Law. No clue?

Maybe somebody can clarify this, guess must have something to do with strict Islamic orthodox rules

You must have gone to the Taksim or Laleli area. I went to ultra conservative neighborhood of Fatih. Maybe that's why.

They are not allowed to touch you. Like in El Maroc.

Ha, ha, ha, Waseem!!

Never took the headscarf of. Have a look at my pic.

I never heard such a restrict. It doesnt make make much sense since there are also many natural blondes in turkey especially among balkan immigrated from balkans...
But,of course there are always some stupid preacher that can talk nonsense. SO I cannot say that there is no islamic sect that has such a restriction.

I happen to be in the men's barber shop with my husband and I needed badly a hair cut. He told me to go and find a women's hairdresser. Now you know. I am still puzzled by this.

It has nothing to do with islam.

I've had my hair cut and set several times in Turkey and everyone seems to be really interested in it for some reason - I mean if I would actually dye my hair do you think I would chose this colour - in Turkey? Yes I'm a foreigner, here, bring me some attention! I've had great hairdresser experiences there
But I'd never go to a male hairdresser. Maybe I'm from a conservative country (not!) but we still haven't learnt that.

Instead barber asked me if I have ever gone to Mecca to the Haj.

You got it! End of discussion, let's go to other topics.
Fin, Basta. again Thanks

You got it! End of discussion, let's go to other topics.
Finito, Basta. again Thanks

yea, if I go to my mom's hairdresser, he will also refuse me. (I am a male)
There are very few "common" hairdressers, and even there, only the shop is common but the hairdressers are specialized to cut a particular gender's hair.

Tamam,o.k. next topic, please!!!

Barbers in the USA do women's and men's hair cuts. Same in beauty salons. Perhaps only in the USA

In The Netherlands it is generally mixed too, except for the Turkish barbershops in the big cities, they do have some special for males, and so do some Dutch shops. But generally its mixed.

I find the Turkish kuaförs to cut my hair way better than I have had it cut here. But I hate it when they dry my hair, they seem to forget I dont have thick hair like most Turkish women and therefore put the blower way too close to my head

Btw Ive never heard of anyone not willing to cut blonde hair. Im highly blonde too, and all the kuaförs that I went to were male. Even if I would go there just for a manicure, they would still ask if I would come back for a haircut soon

When we went to Oludeniz last summer, my husband found a fantastic little barber! He made three trips there for a shave and pamper which lasted an hour (and just as described in the initial post). His wife made jewellery and his daughter did manicures and pedicures.

They were fantistic couple, they had been married for over forty years and loved living and working in Oludeniz. He had customers (holiday makers) coming back year after year. They are those people you meet that you never forget.

Were you not paragliding there, Bridget?
http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/137010/2/istockphoto_137010_paragliding_in_oludeniz.jpg

North London has hundreds of barbers offering hair removal from nasal (and any other cavatiy) you may wish to have fire-blasted away. North London also has many great Turkish restaurants and cafes with names such as Bodrum, Fetiye, Istanbul... so if you can't find a cheap flight to Turkey and need your hair cut/removed -- come on over to NORTH LONDON