Barber offers hair-raising cuts

– 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’ 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,” he said.

“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.”

Since first unveiling his style in 2016, and after brushing away customer fears, he says the unconventional approach has become a hit.

His popularity has only grown since, resulting in television appearances and fashion shoots.

“There has been a good response from my clients,” said Abbas, whose eccentric manner and own unkempt, frizzy locks gives him the look of a mad scientist.