"I took the risk of staying open from the first day of the war and I've been astounded how many customers we've got. I've been cutting 15 people's hair each day, about twice as many as before hostilities broke out," says Qais al-Shari.

In his white shop at Ferdus Place in central Baghdad, a soldier, a pensioner and a student wait their turn as Shari practices his art on a businessman. A hair salon is, in Shari's view, a sort of newsroom.

They chat about the price of vegetables and meat, discuss the latest night of bombings, heap scorn on the "invaders," or simply swap news about their neighbors.

"People come to the hairdresser because they're the best places to find out what's going on. There are civilian and military people, the young and the old," Shari says with a chuckle.

Relaxing on the sofa, Fayez Fathallah waits for the scissors.

"I don't know what will come tomorrow, so I saw that this salon was open and I came in. All I have is free time as the offices are closed," the 50-something says.

In the commercial area of Kardaha, Abu Mohammad trims the heads of 10-year-old Saddam and his 13-year-old brother Ahmad.

"They really wanted to get out of the house so I decided to take them here to distract them a bit," says their father, policeman Issa Yehya al-Nahami.

Schools have been closed since the first day of the war.

"Suddenly being inactive, fossil-like, at home with a wife and children is very difficult," Abu Mohammad says. "By coming here they feel like they're doing something useful."

"Some come here just for a shave, which before the war they'd do themselves. We're a good reason to go out."

But Dr Abra Paulina, a general practitioner, certainly has a lot of work these days. He is here for different reasons.

"Life must go on like it did before despite the war," he says. "So when I had a free moment, I came here."

On Rashid street, Baghdad's oldest avenue, there are six hair salons within 30 meters (yards) of one another, and they are all full of people. At the Benzart salon, the six hairdressers barely have time to breathe.

"We've never had this many people, and my brothers are in the same situation as me," one of hairdressers says.

First he takes his scissors to a lieutenant before moving on to a captain.

"We've come here before we head to the frontlines to fight the invaders. The Koran teaches us that to confront the enemy you have to be clean, on the inside as well," the officer says.

"You're ready to be a martyr," the hairdresser tells him, finishing the cut.

SPACE.WIRE