While physician, heal thyself is a related idiom, it assumes that the person is capable of solving their own problems, but unwilling. I think the Iranian proverb casts aspersions on the person trying to solve problems for others — she/he is incapable of solving that problem for themselves.

Yes, you are right,@ghoppe. It implies exactly what you think.

I'm reminded of a song I once heard, which began: The plumber's got a drip in his spigot / The mechanic's got a clank in his car. These aren't established idioms – if they were, I might be writing an answer instead of a comment. However, those lines show how one can derive an expression with the same sentiment by using a little creative thought.

Related but opposite direction: "The cobbler's children have no shoes"

Considering the number of deliberately bald people (my brother in law shaves his head), this proverb sucks.

@ghoppe Though the modern understanding of the proverb is usually 'deal with your own problems / sins before presuming to address those of others', the Bible uses imagery that predates modern usage. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible comments ... physician heal thyself ... which was a proverb in use with the Jews ... : the meaning of which is, that a man ought [first] to look at home, and take care of himself, and of those that belonged to him.... >> [ie 'charity begins at home'] 'Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.' NLT

Kinda dupe but you have more details: english.stackexchange.com/questions/222697/…

@ermanen, that's another Persian proverb, and it implies that " I don't need your advice/ guidance since I already know what to do ( although I can't do it now) so mind your own problem if you are that smart / clever! "(= stop giving me advice!) :)

@Joshua, you're right, and for this reason we try not to use it when the audience is bald! Instead we would simply say to them " If you were really capable of solving this problem, you would solve it for yourself since you have already the same problem."[ and most of the time they would continue our sentence by saying :"Yes, you are right, if the bald ...". :) ]

Turkish has the same proverb: "If the bald man knew a remedy he would rub it on his own head."

@ermanen, interesting! And do you have any English equivalent for that Turkish proverb in your English teaching books?

@MSalters, we have exactly the same proverb in Persian too, but it doesn't have this connotation.(1): A cobbler is capable of making shoes but a bald person is not capable of curing his baldness; the cobbler in the proverb doesn't pay attention to himself or his family members that much, so he doesn't spend some time for making the shoes for them; (2): The bald person in the proverb tries to solve the problem but doesn't know the suitable solution. We never use these two proverbs interchangeably In Persian. :) I hope you reconsider your opinion and don't mark my question as a duplicate. :)

My questuion is not a duplicate of english.stackexchange.com/questions/159004/…, I'm not asking about the etymology of this Persian proverb, I'm just looking for an equivalent of this Persian proverb, and as I have explained in my previous comment they don't have the same implication. "The cobbler's children have no shoes" criticizes the lazy or inconsiderate cobbler for not spending time for his family to repair their shoes ( although he is capable of doing it, he is unwilling!).

Q: The barber in a village shaves every man who does not shave himself. Who shaves the barber?--A: She doesn't shave.

I actually like your original Persian version. I might start using it myself.

Thanks,@ Stephen Rasku. Happy to hear that. :) ( Actually, it's a funny poem in Persian, just for your information: "kal agar tabeeb boodi sare Khod davā nemoodi".)

@Soudabeh: Some online dictionaries translate to "physician, heal thyself".

I see. Thanks @ermanen. :)