Grammar : Causative Have

Read the following sentences :

• A girl is having her hair braided

(The girl is not braiding her own hair. Someone else is doing it)

• They are going to have their faces painted.

(They are not going to paint their own faces. Someone else is going to do it)

Those sentences above use the causative above. We use causative have when we do not do the things ourselves but other people do it four us. The past participle (braided and painted) are used after have to give passive meaning.
Here are some common mistakes :

• I got the hairdresser to cut my hair
• I went to the tailor to make a dress.

The correct sentences are :

• I got the hairdresser to have my hair cut

(I do not cut my own hair. The hairdresser does)

• I went to the tailor to have a dress made.

(I did not make the dress myself. The tailor did)

(Taken From : English On Sky 2, 2007)