Getting a men's haircut in Turkey
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Experience the art and culture of a Turkish haircut
A good way to experience the unique Turkish culture is to get a men's haircut in Turkey. It is a form of art and a national treasure!
Turks are very hospitable and friendly people. Walk into any barber shop in Turkey and you will be welcomed and made to feel like a king.
Discover all about the wonderful experience of getting a men's haircut in Turkey. Watch out for the fire!
Turks are very hospitable and friendly people. Walk into any barber shop in Turkey and you will be welcomed and made to feel like a king.
Discover all about the wonderful experience of getting a men's haircut in Turkey. Watch out for the fire!
Before: An old Turkish haircut! ... and after: a new Turkish haircut!
Hair length
I really enjoy a Turkish haircut, but I tend to let my hair grow long in the winter to avoid the cold. Some people prefer my hair short, some think longer is better. What do you think?
What is the best hair length for me?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byShort hair
dogface says:
I like to have short hair, partly because it's easier to maintain.
Posted October 13, 2011
Cinnamonbite says:
If you're going to grow the hair long, you better be working on some manuscript, a book of poetry, or researching the lost relics of the Ottoman Empire. Throw on a threadbare tweed jacket and tell people you're a college prof!
Posted May 25, 2011
Long hair
Turkey: Must do list
Drink çay
Eat pide
Visit Ephesus
Shop in the bazaar
Get a men's haircut!
A national treasure
A skilled profession
Turks take hair very seriously. So seriously that it is considered a national art form and foreigners are not allowed to be employed as barbers in Turkey.
The apprentices spend many hours just watching, cleaning and preparing equipment before they are even allowed to touch the hair.
The apprentices spend many hours just watching, cleaning and preparing equipment before they are even allowed to touch the hair.
View Male Celebrity Hairstyles at TheHairStyler.com!
Hospitality Turkish Style
Lots of Tea (Çay) and Coffee (Kahve)
Photos by
captain.orange,
one2c900d,
drinkingsnapple
Some rights reserved
curated content from Flickr
Enjoy the hospitality
Time to relax before your haircut
In Turkey, a typical men's haircut requires about two hours. The first hour is spent waiting while other customers have their hair done. During this time you are offered çay (Turkish tea). You can chat, read the local newspapers or watch the Turkish television. Sometimes you get a shoulder or arm massage from one of the assistants.
“the barber dips a ball of cotton wool in methylated spirits... they then set fire to this and ...”
The artist at work
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.
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.
My recent look
From my usual barbers, but a different Turkish haircut for me
I have had another haircut from a different barber since these photos, but the style is still the same.
Compliments
Customary sayings
When everything is complete, you pay and the barber will say "Sıhhatler olsun" meaning "May it be healthy".
An appropriate response might be "Elinize sağlık" - "Health to your hands".
You will probably get a lot of compliments from people about your hair - mostly "Sıhhatler olsun". This should not be confused with similar sounding phrases: "Saatler olsun" which means may you have lots of clocks; or "Saçlar olsun" meaning may you have many hairs.
An appropriate response might be "Elinize sağlık" - "Health to your hands".
You will probably get a lot of compliments from people about your hair - mostly "Sıhhatler olsun". This should not be confused with similar sounding phrases: "Saatler olsun" which means may you have lots of clocks; or "Saçlar olsun" meaning may you have many hairs.
Read Turkish Style and Travel books
Travel to Turkey
Come and experience a Turkish haircut for yourself
Turkey has more than just amazing haircut experiences to offer. Come and feast on the wonderful cuisine. Relax in the sun on the many beaches or explore the rich history of over 5000 years of civilization.
Close shave
Fromm Straight Razor, 5/8"
Amazon Price: $63.99 (as of 02/17/2012)
Turkish barbers use the long handled Straight Razors to give you a real sharp, crisp and close shave. For the ultra-smooth look or if you want your facial hair to have a definitive edge, buy a Straight Razor.
Other Turkish Barber Experiences
- Salon Wanderlust | The mystic-barber of Selçuk
- The mystic-barber of Selçuk: How a tonsorial teen in Turkey helped me understand the revelations of Rumi. By Gary Mex Glazner
- Badgers Forward: A Turkish Haircut
- ...I decided that I needed the "experience" of the Turkish Barber Shop...
- Mark's Turkish Haircut
- Steps for a Turkish Haircut 1. Wash hair bending forward over the sink 2. Cut the sides and back with a No 3 hair clippers (20mins) 3. Then feather in the No 3 area from zero to No3...
- The Turkish Invasion: Getting a haircut
- A Turk in Russia missing the experience of home, compares Russian and Turkish barbers.
- Getting Burned in Turkey
- "What happened to your eyebrows?" my girlfriend, Ana, asked me the other day...
- Turkish Haircut » griffhome.com
- Turkish Haircut
So Dave and I felt the need to loose a little extra fluff around the ears. Walking into the barber we saw close to the Aya Sophia Dave says, "Give us a haircut and make us look like a Muslim Turk!" - The barbershop connection
- Turkish barbers are not just great for haircuts. They are also an excellent source of advice.
"A new arrival to Istanbul recently came to me for advice on how to find reliable repairmen in her neighborhood. As I recounted to her the trials and tribulations of numerous expats before her in their own searches conducted for worthwhile ustas, her eyes widened in horror at the thought of what lay..." - Efe - The Art of Turkish Barbering
- Efe - The Art of Turkish barbering. Barbering is an art of Turkish culture. The art of barbering, preserved from the Ottoman period to the present day, had been carried out in a master-apprentice relation within mutual respect and love and in obedience to Turkish ways and customs.
- C-17 Daddy: Turkish Haircut
- Went for a haircut today. I was badly in need of one. I walked into the barber shop on base here at Incirlik AB, Turkey and ...
- Please Do Not Burn The Hair Out Of My Ears With A Flaming Cotton Ball | Turkish Phrases Blog
- A humorous article about a barber shop experience in Turkey.
- A Turkish Haircut « A Foreign Perspective
- A Turkish haircut lover sharing about life in Adana
- Henry North London: The Turkish Barbers
- A Turkish haircut experience in London.
- Tosif Trekking International Inc.: My Turkish Haircut
- I have always been blessed with a more than liberal amount of hair. Occasionally this has been the focus of humorous comments and rarely it has caused logistical problems...
- My Flaming Turkish Haircut
- Haven't paid for a haircut since Guatemala-back in 2006. It was a bit of a strange and wild experience here in Turkey. I sometimes miss learning about the haircut cultures of countries.
- Turkish Hairstyles | eHow.com
- Turkish Hairstyles. Turkey is a country rich in cultural distinctiveness, including the denotative hairstyles that Turkish men and women have available to them. What makes Turkish hairstyles uncommon from the...
- Close Shave: 5-Star Service at a 1-Star Price in Cappadocia | Captivating Cappadocia
- Sit in the chair, lean back, relax...
A story about getting a shave in Turkey - 10 Barber Shops in Cappadocia | Captivating Cappadocia
- The top 10 Turkish barber shops in Cappadocia.
Share your Turkish haircut experience
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DonD
Jan 26, 2012 @ 6:50 pm | delete
- Turkish haircut looks so clean, a well groomed haircut indeed. Superb lense.
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Optionstradingiq
Nov 11, 2011 @ 8:28 am | delete
- Hi Peter, thanks for your advice about the text list module! Greatly appreciated. Thanks Pal!
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ArtByLinda Oct 8, 2011 @ 9:56 am | delete
- A very unique and interesting lens, Blessed!
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trusty_travel_tips
Sep 5, 2011 @ 5:37 am | delete
- Hahaha a great lens, although a Turkish barber almost broke my neck once...come checkout our lenses for more great info on Turkey!
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---Chazz
Mar 10, 2011 @ 12:16 pm | delete
- Sounds spa-like, and if I am ever lucky enough to visit Turkey I will not get a haircut beforehand so I can try it. I had a great-uncle who was a barber and I thought a steaming hot towel and straight-edge razor shave were scary before I read about the flaming cotton ball.
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Titia
Feb 25, 2011 @ 7:40 pm | delete
- Interesting to see, but I can't say I like the results. Too clean and too neat, especially the line of the beard, yak. I liked your beard and hair as they were before much, much better, sorry.
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chefkeem
Feb 22, 2011 @ 11:54 am | delete
- Very interesting report on Turkish haircuts. I love to read about people who take great pride in their craft. :)
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moonlitta
Feb 14, 2011 @ 5:58 am | delete
- I have to admit the burning ball startled me. I didn't know about this habit of Turkish barbers.
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Jimmie
Feb 10, 2011 @ 9:19 pm | delete
- I like quirky travel lenses like this. Fun cultural experiences. I think you should make a lens about every one of the activities in your "must do" list.
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Know a local Turkish barber?
Let everyone know where you can get a Turkish haircut
If you have a local Turkish barber, please provide their location. When there are a few entries, I will add a map. I am particularly interested in finding barbers outside of Turkey. My own barber however, will remain secret - I don't want everyone crowding into his little shop and making the queue for haircuts longer than it is.
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AirT-23
Jun 7, 2011 @ 6:30 am | delete
- Great experience, excellent haircut!
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vallain
Mar 17, 2011 @ 3:27 pm | delete
- This looks like an experience that I can skip, but thanks for sharing it with us. Leaping Leprechaun Blessings on this lens.
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madoc
Feb 3, 2011 @ 11:53 am | delete
- I can't get a decent haircut now I live in the US. Now I know where to look for one. Thanks
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traveller27
Jan 29, 2011 @ 8:06 pm | delete
- I never knew anything about this..interesting!
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pmolinero
Jan 16, 2011 @ 11:54 am | delete
- I always wanted to go to a turkish barber for a shave. I missed the opportunity as I was in Northern Cyprus a few weeks ago, I shall remember it next time. Great lens.
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MiaBellezza
Dec 4, 2010 @ 11:21 am | delete
- Well you'd have to trust your Turkish barber to have him set fire to a cotton ball and then put it in your ear to remove the hairs. But I must admit it sounds effective!
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RYAN "AYHANNAH MONTANA" GUVENAL
Sep 21, 2009 @ 11:31 am | delete
- I CAN CUT MY HAIR! MY SPECIALITY IS THE TURKISH ROOSTER DELIGHT
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More haircut websites
Stories about haircuts from around the world
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- Older version of the 1hss.com website with earlier haircutting and head shaving stories
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- Streetside barbers are quite common in India, at least in the smaller towns.
- MopShots | Find the Perfect Hair Style and Best Hair Salons in Your City
- A photo guide to local hair stylists. Mainly women's styles at the moment.
- CoolMensHair.com: Best Men's Hairstyles, Tips, & Male Haircut Ideas
- Lots of different men's hairstyles for inspiration
- Hairstyles | Haircuts | Hair Cuts | Hairdos | Hair Styles
- Anything you need to know about hairstyles, haircuts and hairstyling.
Experience more of Turkey
Some more of my lenses about living and business in Turkey
Between haircuts I am busy living and doing business in Turkey. Check out my other lenses on life and work in Turkey.
About Me
Want to read it again
Jump back to...
- Before: An old Turkish haircut! ... and after: a new Turkish haircut!
- Hair length
- Turkey: Must do list
- A national treasure
- Hospitality Turkish Style
- Enjoy the hospitality
- The artist at work
- My recent look
- Compliments
- Video of one of my Turkish haircuts
- Close shave
- Other Turkish Barber Experiences
- Share your Turkish haircut experience
- Know a local Turkish barber?
- Protect your Turkish haircut from the elements
- More haircut websites
- Experience more of Turkey
by Peter.Murray
Peter.Murray
I am an entrepreneur, originally from New Zealand, living and doing business in Turkey because of the great culture and lifestyle and the many opportunities... more »
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