Most pilgrims after stoning the pillars symbolizing Satan look for a barber, and as the number of barbershops is limited, pilgrims, in order to complete their ritual, are forced to accept the services of makeshift barbers using unhygienic razors. These barbers shave the heads of pilgrims using the same razor on many people which can lead to the transmission of disease. “Blood caused by nicks and cuts on a pilgrim's head is a fertile environment for the transmission of viruses, such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV which causes AIDS,” said Dr. Nesreen Al-Sherbini, a specialist in infectious diseases. She recommended that once razors are used, they should not be thrown on the ground because they may injure the feet of pilgrims, thus leading to the transmission of infectious diseases. Several pilgrims, however, said that locating barbershops in one area has resulted in overcrowding, which leaves many of them with no choice but to go to less crowded areas, albeit ones where barbers are employing unhygienic practices. “Many customers end up fighting each other for the services of a barber. There are three million pilgrims stoning the pillars; obviously, more barbershops are needed,” Mahdi Ali, a pilgrim from the Kingdom's Eastern Province, said. He added that some customers look for less crowded barbershops even when the barbers there use the same razor on all their customers. He said that increasing the number of barbershops in different locations would put barbers with unhygienic practices out of business. Some barbers not only use dirty shaving materials, but they also shave pilgrims the wrong way inflicting small cuts and nicks on the pilgrims' heads. Most barbers come from out of town and charge the pilgrims high rates. “I make SR4,000 every year in just three days, and I am confident I'll make more this year what with the high price of shaving tools nowadays,” Mamdouh Nasser, a barber, said. He added that many of his customers do not bother to check if the tools he uses are clean or have been used on others. He said that as a personal rule, he uses the same razor for customers who are from the same family.
