Next time you need a haircut or a shave, or you just feel like pampering yourself, maybe you’d like to try something different and do it Turkish style.
Orhan Okur has opened the island’s only Turkish barber shop in Castle Street in Douglas.
Among the delights on offer at The Turkish Barber are haircuts, wet shaves, eyebrow threading, face massages and even crazy with designs shaved into your hair.
All the products, such as wax, gel and shampoo that Orhan uses in his shop are from Turkey.
Orhan, who is 33, started his career early, at just 11 years old, and has now been working in a barber shop for 23 years.
He said: ‘I started working when I was 11 ,in a barber shop in Mersin in southern Turkey, just learning, and after two years there I started cutting hair and giving shaves.
‘When I was 16 I moved to Bodrum on my own and worked there cutting hair.
‘For the past 10 years I have had my own barber shop in Turkey.
‘But in July I came to the Isle of Man to visit a friend and I liked it so much I wanted to move here. My shop in Bodrum is still open – my brother is looking after it now.’
Orhan, who is single, runs the Castle Street shop on his own at the moment but is looking for someone to help with cleaning and making tea and coffee.
The Ward family, John and Bronnie, and their son Brad, aged 17, from Douglas, were Orhan’s first customers when he opened in November and coincidentally they were also in the shop when we interviewed Orhan.
John said: ‘The thing that strikes me is the detail that goes into Orhan’s work. It’s good fun and nice to relax in a manly sort of place and just chill.
‘We’ve recommended Orhan to lots of friends who have come along.’
Bronnie said: ‘I’m a teacher and I’ve put lots of photos on Facebook of Orhan’s work. The kids at school have been admiring it.
‘You feel confident you’re not just having someone fussing around you and he is doing things.’
The Turkish Barber is open every day, except Wednesday, from 10am to 7 or 8pm.