Indian barber cuts hair holding scissors in mouth

Ansar Ahmad, a young barber from Varanasi, has become somewhat of a national celebrity after a video of him cutting hair with the scissors in his mouth recently went viral online.

From barbers using samurai swords and hot metal tongs to cut hair, to others practicing their trade blindfolded or sitting on their heads, Oddity Central has featured some pretty bizarre hair-styling talent.

The Varanasi-based barber holds the scissors in his mouth to cut hair, and does such a good job that customers line up his shop to get what some describe as “the perfect haircut”.

Ansar has been cutting hair since childhood and first mastered the art the old fashioned way, using his hands. But an accident 15 years ago pushed him to come up with an alternative way of practicing his trade.

He soon discovered his mouth was just as able as his hands, when it came to cutting hair. “As I couldn’t work with one hand, I used to face a lot of problem that time. It took me three years to learn the art. Now, I can easily cut hair holding scissors in my mouth,” he told ANI News.

Even though he can’t handle the scissors as swiftly with his mouth, as he would with his hand, Ansar claims it only takes him 25 to 30 minutes to cut a person’s hair. His clients don’t mind the longer waiting time and are in awe of his ability. “Whether he uses his hands or mouth, he will always give you the perfect hair cut,” one happy customer said.

Inspired by all the media attention, Ansar now wants to have his name mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records. On May 3rd, he announced an attempt to cut people’s hair holding scissors in his mouth continuously for 25 hours. The haircuts will take place at his salon in Jagatganj and will be free of charge, so he’s sure to have plenty of volunteers.

But making a name for himself is just one of the talented barber’s goals. He also wants to open a hair cutting training centre for the physically handicapped and visually impaired, so they can support themselves. He told reporters that he has already trained several physically disabled children in his village.