Geylang hair salon, accused of offering extra services, uses bad press for publicity

More than 10 new hair salons have popped up in Geylang over the past few months, and they are offering a variety of services, reported Shin Min Daily News.

Some of the services offered included a 30-minute hair wash for S$40, as well as massages that can cost more.

It was estimated that 15 hair salons occupy a 1km stretch of road between Lorong 8 and Lorong 30 Geylang, according to The Straits Times.

Salon capitalises on publicity

But at least one salon in the Geylang stretch is taking the dubious honour of being showered with negative publicity in its stride.

This was after a ST reporter wrote that he paid a visit to one of these salons on Nov. 25 for a hair wash, for an agreed price of S$40, only to be accosted.

This particular salon is known to post their services on TikTok.

The videos feature women who supposedly work as the salon personnel.

Their services include a "12 hands massage", which includes multiple women giving the massage at one time, as well as a "step body" massage.

Salon responds

In light of the negative media reports, the salon that the reporter supposedly visited responded on TikTok.

The salon posted at least two videos challenging those who have ever received sexual services on its premises, anytime between February 2022 and December 2024, to claim S$20,000 from it.

It also challenged the reporter to visit "every day" to understand the salon.

The salon also responded in the comments section of some videos, calling out the negativity, and questioning if it is "racial discrimination" against a particular nationality, and asking why "boycott a normal business".

ST reporter's account

The ST reporter was reportedly asked if he wanted additional massage services when he paid the salon a visit.

Once he was led inside, the woman took his hand and placed it on her chest.

When he laid down for the hair wash, a few other women begun to touch his limbs to induce him to pay for a full-body massage.

He rejected their offer.

One women reportedly even offered to accompany him to a more private area.

She apparently whispered to him that he could do "whatever you like" and that she could "look after him" for an hour.

These antics were reportedly part of the modus operandi the women employed: They would proposition men who walked by and take those agreeable to the back of the salons once the rates are discussed.

Legit salons in the area told Shin Min that it is easy to tell apart legit salons from those that provide illicit services.

However, operators of legit salons harbour the worry that foreigners might be mistaken that all salons in Geylang might be fronts for illicit activities.

Police response

According to Shin Min, the Singapore police said they have carried out operations in Geylang in the past year and will continue to carry out enforcement checks and raids to curb vice activities.

In Singapore, hair salons are not allowed to provide massage services unless explicitly allowed to do so by the authorities.

A massage establishment licence is required if a business intends to provide massage services in an establishment.

Under the Massage Establishment Act (MEA), a "massage" is defined as “the act of rubbing, kneading or manipulating the human body or any part of it, by any person (whether or not using any hand-held equipment), for the purpose of relaxing muscle tension, stimulating circulation, increasing suppleness or otherwise".

The MEA was introduced in 2017 to prevent massage establishments from "being used as fronts for vice activities and causing law and order problems".

This was following a 40 per cent increase in the number of unlicensed massage establishments found between 2013 and 2016, many of which were fronts for vice activities.

Under the MEA, those operating unlicensed massage establishment will receive a fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment of up to two years or both.

Punishment for subsequent convictions will be more than doubled, with a fine up to S$20,000 or imprisonment of up to five years or both.

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Top photos from Shin Min Daily News, and the hair salon's TikTok.