8 Baby- And Kid-Friendly Salons For Your Child's First Haircut
Check out our list of kid-friendly haircut places that will save you from a hair-raising experience
By Gwyneth Goh -
Getting your little darling through their first haircuts can be a daunting affair, particularly when they’re very young and won’t sit still. Depending on your child’s temperament, you might face a little resistance, or a lot of screaming and kicking, wailing and flailing—suffice to say, it can get quite ugly, not to mention stressful when you see a sharp pair of scissors hovering around your wriggling baby’s head…
Thankfully, there are specialised salons that cater expressly for this cause, staffed with friendly hairdressers trained to distract and engage even the tiniest toddlers while safely trimming their hair at record speed. Yes, these professionals have to be deft, nimble and very swift. Also, it definitely helps when the salon is decked out with fun decor, toys and games specifically designed to entertain and distract younglings. Here are some of our top picks.
As its name suggests, BabySPA is a good place to take your baby for their very first haircut. Their uniformed staff are trained in babycare and are quite adept at giving infants their maiden shave. Using rattles and brightly coloured noisemakers and cheerful cajoling, they can patiently and safely give even your littlest one their first haircut. They then pack you a lock of your baby’s first hair in an auspicious red packet which you can treasure forever.
While there, you could also get baby a relaxing therapeutic massage or swimming “lesson”. It’s more like 20 minutes of water play in a warm tank, but the babies seem to love it, and they also look super cute in their special neck floaties. BabySPA currently has four outlets all across the island covering the north, south, east and west, and they also provide a home service for baby haircuts starting from $50. Haircuts in-store cost only $20 if you decide to visit an outlet, but do make an appointment in advance to avoid disappointment.
BabySPA is located at 1 Maritime Square, #03-11 HarbourFront Centre, Singapore 099253, tel: 6272 0061; 930 Yishun Ave 2, #02-161 Northpoint City, Singapore 769098, tel: 6254 6500; 3 Gateway Drive, #04-34 Westgate, Singapore 608532, tel: 6465 9459; 681 Punggol Drive, #04-05 Oasis Terraces, Singapore 820681, tel: 6244 8700. Visit their website for more information.
A traditional Chinese company with unique offerings, Huaxia Taimaobi is the only place in Singapore where you can get your baby’s first hair made into a calligraphy brush, or your umbilical cord preserved in crystal or turned into a stamp engraved with baby’s Chinese name. Specialising in giving babies their customary first-month ceremonial head shave, these folks have “made 95000 baby hair brushes for more than 70000 newborn babies in the past 16 years”.
They also serve the local community with home services and Chinese naming services. Haircuts cost $21.40 in-store and $70 at home, which may be waived with the purchase of a brush or umbilical cord stamp, with prices ranging from $38-428 depending on your chosen material, design and engraving.
Huaxia Taimaobi Centre(s) is located at 13 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh, #03-05 Braddell Tech, Singapore 319261 tel: 6258 5505. Visit their website for more information.
Located in Forum The Shopping Mall, this no-frills salon serves both adults and kids, so daddy and mummy can actually get a haircut at the same time. Only walk-ins are allowed here, which means the wait can extend during busy peak weekend periods, but the good thing about being located at the Forum means you could put your name in the queue and easily kill time at Toys”R”Us or one of the many other toy or book stores in the building. There is also an indoor playground called “Hip Kids Club” just a few metres from the salon which is good fun for younger kids. Haircuts start from $24.90.
LittleRedDot is located at 583 Orchard Road, #02-35 Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore 238884, tel: 6737 9925. Visit their Facebook page for more information.
Also located in Forum The Shopping Mall just a few doors away, Scissors Paper Stone is a smaller salon dedicated entirely to kids. Believing that “kids deserve fun!”, Scissors Paper Stone has iPads docked at every station packed with games and movies for captivating your child's attention while they’re being groomed. The salon runs on a queue-number basis so you can also shop around the kid-centric building or take baby to the Hip Kids Club playground while waiting for your number to be called.
Scissors Paper Stone offers free membership to every little client, with perks including a free birthday voucher, every eighth haircut free, lollies and balloons, as well as downloadable photos of each haircut session which you can share on Facebook or Twitter. The salon has two other outlets in Marina Square and Parkway Parade.
Scissors Paper Stone is located at 583 Orchard Road, #02-18 Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore 238884, tel: 9853 9458. Their second outlet is located at 6 Raffles Boulevard Singapore, #03-157, Marina Square, Singapore 039594, and third at 80 Marine Parade Road, Parkway Parade, #02-52, Singapore 449269. Visit their website for more information.
Perhaps a lesser-known fact, Japanese quick-cut concept chain EC House offers haircuts for both kids and babies as young as newborn. However, certain outlets are actually equipped with kiddy ride stations where your little one can thoroughly enjoy their quick cut in the amusing comforts of a kiddy ride. Not all outlets have kids’ corners — check here ahead of time to see which ones do. Haircuts start from $14, and only walk-ins are accepted so time your visit or be prepared to wait a while!
EC House outlets are located island-wide, and outlets with kiddy rides can also be found all across Singapore. Tel: 6339 5677. Visit their website for more information.
Also under EC House, this cowboy-themed children’s salon is an offshoot of LA Barbershop. Nestled in VivoCity amid the cluster of kids and baby shops, LAKids Cowboy sits right in front of the outdoor play area on the second floor. This means you can clock some play time while awaiting your turn, and watch the kids at play while getting your haircut.
Taking its cue from LA Barbershop’s sleek sharp styling, at LAKids Cowboy, boys can enjoy the gentlemen's experience while girls can choose accessories to complement their new ‘do’s. Cuts start from $24 and only walk-ins are allowed.
LAKids Cowboy is located at 1 Harbour Front Walk #02-162 Vivo City, Singapore 098585, tel: 6266 2411. They also operate out of Great World LA Barbershop (weekends and public holidays only)—1 Kim Seng Promenade, #03-109 Great World, Singapore 237994, tel: 6235 7668. Visit their Facebook page for more information.
This decidedly ‘grammable blowout bar screams pink, ice cream and macaroon. With delectable sundae-shaped consoles and waffle cone chairs, each sugary styling station is outfitted with a tablet and actual candies to make the hairdressing session a sweet one for your kid. If it’s their first, baby will also receive a “First Haircut Certificate” commemorating the day!
Kids’ cuts start from $28, and BonBon Blowout Bar also does perms, styling, colouring and treatments—not just for kids, but for parents too. While the vibes here may be a tad too saccharine for dad, mummies love getting Bonbon blowouts with their kiddos. Parent-child promotional packages are seasonally available.
Bonbon Blowout Bar+ is located at 6 Raffles Blvd, #03-120/121 Marina Square, Singapore 039594, tel: 68770 9337. Their second outlet is located in the east at 2 Tampines Central 5, #02-12/13 Century Square, Singapore 529509, tel: 8831 4730. Visit their website for more information.
If all that really just sounds like it’s too much to handle, faint not—Manecub might be your answer. Instead of packing up half your nursery and taking baby out on an expedition to the shops, bracing yourself for a lengthy wait in a chaotic mall and finally facing all the unknowns accompanying that first haircut and your baby’s hair-trigger response, let Manecub come to you.
For $40, a skilled and patient stylist will arrive at your doorstep armed with everything necessary for the haircut. In the confines of their own comfort zone, in a controlled setting of your choosing, chances are baby will be much more amenable to having their head touched by a stranger. Accompanied by their favourite toys and games, or watching their favourite show on TV, baby will have a much more pleasant time receiving their first haircut. You could even do it yourself under the stylist’s supervision!
Click here to make an appointment, or visit their website for more information.