Hoping to prove a cut above the competition, Pakistani barber Ali Abbas relies on an unusual array of tools to practice his craft — including blowtorches, meat cleavers, and even broken glass.
Abbas’s fringe style is proving a hit in the conservative nation, with customers flocking to his shop in the eastern city of Lahore.
During a typical trim, Abbas will take a bit off the top with a blowtorch.
He adds some layers with the help of a cleaver and butcher’s block, while occasionally thinning out a thicker mane with a bit of broken glass.
“I thought I should do something different to attract more clients,” Abbas told AFP.
“In the beginning, I tried it on artificial hair, and then — after practising it for some time — I used it on a client, and he liked it a lot.”
“There has been a very good response from my clients, who were quite scared in the beginning,” said Abbas, whose eccentric manner and own unkempt, frizzy locks gives him the look of a mad scientist.
Abbas charges 2,000 rupees ($13) for the unorthodox treatment — or 1,000 rupees for a traditional trim with scissors. Abbas says he also enjoys a large number of women customers, for who he charges an additional 500 rupees for extra styling.
His popularity has only grown since resulting in television appearances and fashion shoots.
