Hair trauma is common in Singapore, thanks to the humidity delivering never-ending frizz and places like EC House boasting a ‘$10, ten minutes!’ cut – tempting if you’re waiting for a friend to buy Swedish meatballs at IKEA. I’ve fallen into the cheap, quick trim trap, and ended up with a misshapen ’do (note: if your stylist admits to ‘never having seen hair this curly before’, get out of the chair). When she started vacuuming my head to get rid of stray hairs, I wondered what else I could have spent my ten bucks on.

But my faith in hairstylists has been restored by NEXT Salon, which opened its second branch on McCallum Street in Chinatown in late September (the first is in Holland Village). Its chic interior – think black chandeliers, leather seats and flat-panel TV – screams ‘wash and cut for just one week’s salary!’, but it is surprisingly affordable for a quality woman’s cut: $50, and that includes a 15-minute wash and head/neck/shoulder massage worth the price alone. Since there are only seven seats for styling, several people were on call for any one patron; the attention to detail can be both flattering (this is the first time I’ve ever had two people blow-dry my hair at once) and nitpicking (yes, we know our hair is fine and frizzy, please stop reminding us).

My stylist, ‘Mark from Malaysia’, managed to trim, thin and re-layer my unmanageable hair in about 20 minutes, giving me a refreshingly different look that prompted co-workers to ask who the new girl at my desk was when they saw the back of my head. Still, don’t expect to hit the salon during work hours – from wash to blow-dry, I was in a seat for roughly an hour and a half. And while the women’s cut is good value – several TOS staffers will attest to the quality of their experience – the men’s cut is overpriced for what it is ($45). If you’re in the neighbourhood, keep an eye out for this new, much-appreciated branch – right next to 7-Eleven. 

Cuts from $45 (men), $50 (women).