Male employees aged over 40 of state-run organisations in Turkmenistan's Lebap Region have reportedly been ordered not to dye their hair ahead of an expected visit by Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Anyone attempting to conceal any greying in breach of the edict will not be allowed to attend public meetings with the autocratic leader, RFE/RL’s Turkmen news service reported. No explanation has been provided for the hair-dyeing ban, but observers say the fact that Berdimuhamedov himself stopped colouring his hair in 2018 might be behind it.





Berdimuhamedov seen not long before he gave up dyeing his locks.

In the capital city, Ashgabat, all hairdressers are said to have been told by officials not to provide dyeing services to men.

Odd regulations are not at all uncommon in remote, tightly controlled Turkmenistan. Even certain colours of cars have been banned due to Berdimuhamedov’s belief that they “bring bad luck”.