When a Palestinian barber decided to use fire in his modest beauty salon to style his clients’ hair, the service was immediately controversial. Journalists mocked and misrepresented it. The negativity angered his customers, and their interest in trying the new form of styling only increased.

Ramadan Odwan, owner of the New Look salon in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, beautifully straightens and styles hair with the help of a special formula that he and his team developed. The formula contains creams and natural oils that protect the scalp, nourish the hair and shield it from the intensity of the fire.

Odwan told Al-Monitor, “The heat from the fire barely touches the hair. We use this method to style hair precisely, and we also spray on another special product, after treating the hair with the protective cream. The formula ensures smooth styling.”

Odwan has been working as a barber for 20 years. He said, “This is an old but [currently] innovative method. … I introduced the idea in Gaza. I learned it, developed it and adapted it to my available resources.”