HAIRCUTS...AND SOMETHING MORE?

The signboard screams "Hair Studio" in neon lights, and the dimly lit shop has a row of barber chairs and large mirrors.

- David Sun

But the twist is how the hair salon charges for its services—$40 for 30 minutes, and more if you want a massage thrown in.

Dozens of hair salons have mushroomed all over Geylang in the past few months.

The Sunday Times counted at least 15 hair salons within 1km on the main stretch of Geylang Road alone, between Lorong 8 and Lorong 30.

Across six visits by ST to the area between October and November, suspicions of vice in the establishments were strong.

"Hairstylists" who wait outside their salons would offer hair washes and massages to men who walk by. After brief negotiations, men are led to the back of the salons, behind partitions or thin curtains.

Some of the units operated during the day like legitimate salons, with stylists and barbers.

An ST reporter visited one of the salons for a hair wash on Nov 25.

The reporter was propositioned with additional massage services within two minutes of agreeing to a hair wash for $40.

Once inside, a woman grabbed the reporter's hand and placed it on her bosom.

As she guided the reporter to lie down for the hair wash, a few other women started touching his legs and arms, hoping he would pay more for full-body massages. The services of another woman were offered for $40.

Even after being repeatedly turned down, the women kept trying.

One offered to provide an hour of company in a more private area, whispering in the reporter's ear in Mandarin that she could do "whatever you like" during that time.

She also said she could "look after" him.

The salon the reporter patronized also brazenly touts its massage services on social media.

In one TikTok video, it advertises a "12-hand massage", which sees six women simultaneously massaging a male customer from head to toe.