As someone with naturally curly hair, my number one red flag for hairdressers in Singapore is being told that I should rebond my hair to “fix” it.
To be fair, the majority of hairdressers here are only used to working with straight hair. Can I really blame them, when the majority of people here have hair of that type? But when I visit a hair salon, I’m greeted with shock at my thick, curly locks. Usually, hairdressers end up using a flat iron to temporarily straighten my hair into something they can work with before they start cutting. But even that can be a workout—one hairdresser half-jokingly told me to let him know early if I visited him again, because he’d need to eat a much bigger lunch for enough energy to take on my tresses.
It wasn’t until I started treating my hair as curly hair that I began to seriously consider another option: curly hair salons. These hairdressers have special training and experience working with curly manes, from Type 2 waves to Type 4 coils.
The most surprising thing I’ve learnt since I began looking into curly hair salons in Singapore is that a curly haircut in Singapore doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Here’s a cost guide to 5 hair salons in Singapore that’ll wash, cut, and style your hair to bring out the best of your natural curls.
Cost Guide to Curly Hair Salons in Singapore
| Curly hair salon | Cost of curly haircut (without additional treatments) |
| Ann’s Studio | $90 |
| Curly Heaven SG | $75 (dry cut) $150 (Curlformation Session—recommended for first-timers) |
| Hera Hair Beauty | $120 – $165 (ladies) $80 (men) |
| Immagine Italia | $96 (ladies) $57 (men) |
| The Parlour Singapore | $80 – $150 |
Ann’s Studio
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Ann’s Studio is a unisex hair salon that’s open to people of all hair types, but has become known for its curly haircuts and styling. They clearly state at the very top of their Instagram page that they are not a Curly Girl Method (CGM) or curl specialist certified salon.But what hairdresser Annie doesn’t have in paper qualifications she makes up for with experience.
I haven’t been to Ann’s Studio, but her name has come up a few times amongst other curl girls I know and talk to. One of my colleagues has also visited her before and spoke well of the experience at the salon:
“My experience at Ann’s studio was pleasant! I felt my curly hair needs were met. I had a wash and a cut, and the stylist asked me questions about my hair routine and gave me some advice on the type of hair I have. She suggested that I use more curl cream products for my frizzy hair and she gave me some alternatives to the product she used on my hair after my hair. I’d definitely recommend friends with curly hair to give it a try. I quite like the way my hair looks now.”
From what I can see on Ann’s Studio’s Instagram page, Annie seems to be less heavy-handed on products compared to other salons on this list. The end results look lighter and more natural, but on the downside may be more frizzy.
| Ann’s Studio services | Price |
| Haircut | $90 |
| Keratin treatment | $220 – $400 |
| Moisture treatment | $140 – $220 |
Address: Level 2 , 29A Seah Street, Singapore 188385
Opening hours:
- Monday to Friday, 12.30 p.m. – 6.30 p.m.
- Saturdays: 10.30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Sundays and selected public holidays: Closed
Appointments: WhatsApp +65 8815 9437 (strictly by appointment only)
ALSO READ: Is Singapore Too Expensive to Live In?—Singapore’s Cost of Living 2024
Curly Heaven SG (home-based salon)
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Curly Heaven SG is an interesting one. This is a home-based salon in Khatib run by Vijaiam Nathan, an independent hair stylist and curl specialist who’s also one half of the curly duo behind the online curly hair product store Mane Heaven SG.
While Vijaiam started with Mane Heaven, she felt the need for more curly hair salon options in Singapore. So during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she took an online curly haircut course from international curly hair care school Rëzo Academy, known for its Rëzo cuts for curly hair. Vijaiam then went on to gain more training and experience. Today, she’s Singapore’s first Rëzo stylist and Cadō stylist! (A cadō cut is also a type of dry cut for curly hair.)
What strikes me about Curly Heaven SG is the coaching aspect. On top of the usual haircut and styling services, Vijaiam offers Curl Coaching Sessions (1 hour 30 minutes, $150) where she’ll assess and review your curls, products, and styling techniques with you. For first-timers, she also offers a Curlformation Session (2 hour 30 minutes, $150) to kickstart your curl journey. The latter includes a Rëzocut (dry haircut for curly hair), wash, style and diffuse.
| Curly Heaven SG services | Price |
| Curl Coaching Session (1 hour 30 minutes) | $150 |
| Curlformation Session (2 hour 30 minutes, recommended for first-timers) | $150 |
| Rëzocut, adult (45 minutes) | $75 |
| Rëzocut, child 7 years and below (45 minutes) | $50 |
| Ultra Hydration Treatment (35 minutes) | $65 |
| Bond Building Treatment (35 minutes) | $75 |
| Protein Treatment (35 minutes) | $65 |
| Detox Treatment (35 minutes) | $70 |
| Wash, style and go (1 hour) | $75 |
If you’re totally new to caring for and managing curly hair, Curly Heaven SG might be the best place to start with their 2.5 hour Curlformation Sessions. At the time of writing, Vijaiam has accrued 110 reviews on Google, and every single one of them is a 5-star review! I’m not surprised, looking at the photos and videos she posts of her clients on Instagram with their gorgeous curly and wavy hair.
The only downside is that Curly Heaven SG doesn’t seem to offer hair dye, highlight or related services. It’s better suited for people focused on curls, not colour—which to me is more important for curly hair anyway, since bleaching and colouring will have some effect on how healthy and shiny your curls look.
Address: 873 Yishun Street 81, Singapore 760873
Opening hours:
- Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturdays: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Sundays: 3 – 6 p.m.
Appointments: Book online. Strictly by appointment only—this is a home-based salon!
Hera Hair Beauty
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There are 2 Hera Hair Beauty outlets in Singapore—one in Tanglin Mall, and one in Sentosa Cove. Based on these locations, you might already be bracing yourself for the prices, but I’m happy to report that their curly haircuts aren’t outrageously priced. They don’t cost much more than a “regular” straight haircut from a “regular” salon:
| Hera Hair Beauty | Price |
| Ladies’ Curly Haircut & Styling | $120 – $140 |
| Ladies’ Curly Haircut & Styling (XL) | $155 – $165 |
| Men’s Curly Haircut & Styling | $80 |
| Ladies’ Curly Haircut + Hydration Treatment | $175 – $195 |
| Ladies’ Curly Hair Hydration Alone Treatment | $155 – $185 |
| Men’s Curly Haircut + Hydration Treatment | $145 |
I visited Hera Hair Beauty’s Tanglin outlet and paid just over $200 (not sponsored) for a curly haircut + hydration treatment in Mar 2024. Since it was a snap decision, I asked for a booking on a Saturday for the following day. To my surprise, I managed to get an appointment despite the fact that it was a weekend.
I let Hera Hair Beauty choose my stylist for me, and I was served by Khetty, a friendly Senior Stylist and Colourist. We spent a relaxed afternoon chatting about curly hair, Sentosa’s beaches, and more. Overall, I have no complaints about my session, from the hair wash to the cut and styling. Just note that they do a wet cut at Hera—if you’re looking for a dry cut, you’re better off with Curly Heaven SG.
Khetty was very patient, communicative, and thorough with my hair. First I explained to her that she was looking at hair that I had been hacking off at home myself since 2020 when COVID-19 sent us all into lockdown. So as you can expect, there were uneven layers all over. I told her I didn’t want to take off too much hair—even if that meant that some of the uneven layers would remain—and she respected that.
The best part about my session was just feeling understood for once at a hair salon as someone with curly hair. No one told me to rebond my hair—in fact, Khetty began smiling as she was styling my hair and told me “now I can see your curls!”. She showed me the products she was using and took the time she needed to style every inch of my hair. And boy, did she style it! I think my curls have never looked as defined as they did that day at Hera. Plus, they lasted for a good 3 days after.
The person I had been communicating with on WhatsApp told me that the session would take 1.5 to 2 hours, but with my thick hair (some friends say it’s a rainforest with its own ecosystem), that quickly turned into an almost 4-hour session. Despite the unexpectedly lengthy amount of time spent at Hera, they didn’t charge me more as part of me feared they might.
Hera Hair Beauty—Tanglin
Address: 163 Tanglin Road, #03-125/126, Singapore 247933
Phone: +65 6732 1206 / +65 9237 1254 (WhatsApp)
Opening hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Sunday and public holidays: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
E-mail: [email protected]
Appointments: Book online or contact them via phone/email.
Hera Hair Beauty—Sentosa Cove
Address: 31 Ocean Way, #01-20 Quayside Isle Singapore 098375
Phone: +65 6268 8949 / +65 9237 1254 (WhatsApp)
Opening hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Sunday and public holidays: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
E-mail: [email protected]
Appointments: Book online or contact them via phone/email.
Immagine Italia
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As you can guess from the name, Immagine Italia is a hair salon run by Italians—Vincenzo Bonaccorso, Creative Director, and Salvatore Cristian, Managing Director. They bring the best hairstyling techniques from Italy and all over the world to their cosy salon in Joo Chiat, where you can also enjoy complimentary coffee or tea with your visit.
| Immagine Italia services | Price |
| Cut & Finish For Woman | $96 |
| Cut & Finish For Man | $57 |
| Blow Dry | $50 |
| Special Occasion Hair Style | $80 |
| Inoa Colour | $159 |
| Colour For Woman | $125 |
| Colour For Man | $75 |
| Lighting Toner | $86 |
| Keratin Control Treatment | $270 |
| Highlights | $265 |
| Half Highlights | $160 |
| Italian Shatush | $260 |
| Perma Wave | $290 |
| Rebonding | $270 |
Unlike say Curl Heaven SG, Immagine Italia doesn’t only specialise in curly hair. In fact, based on a quick look on their Instagram page, they have just as many straight-haired clients as they do curly-haired ones. However, reviews from the curly folks who do visit them have been very positive.
One customer, Valli Pichappan, wrote of hair stylist Gresi: “She also gave really good advice for managing, maintaining and bringing out my natural curls without recommending any specific product like most salons do. 10/10 recommend.”
Another, Shi Wei Kaelyn Tan, penned a review which opening felt very familiar to me: “As an Asian girl with thick and curly (2A curls) hair, my mainstream experience with salons in Singapore is to a) complain about my hair texture, b) convince me to straighten my hair.”
She went on to speak positively about her experience at Immagine Italia: “When I went for my first cut, [Gresi] understood my concerns and after the cut, Vincenzo was also really encouraging and complimented my natural curls (instead of the usual response at local salons). Gresi took some weight off my thickness to allow me to manage it more easily, and I texted her the next day to let her know the difference it made! Immagine encourages customer feedback and has a 10-day option where you can come back for adjustments if necessary!”
Address: 31 Ocean Way, #01-20 Quayside Isle Singapore 098375
Phone: +65 6268 8949 / +65 9237 1254 (WhatsApp)
Opening hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Sunday and public holidays: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
E-mail: [email protected]
Appointments: Book online or contact them via phone/email.
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The Parlour Singapore
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Tucked away in Kovan, The Parlour Singapore is (in their words) a “friendly hair studio” that welcomes “all types of hair (straight, curly, Causcasian, Asian, unicorn; you name it!)”. Like Immagine Italia, they don’t brand themselves as a curly hair salon, but their stylists have the skills and knowledge to shape and bring out the best of curly manes. Prices are competitive, with haircuts starting from $80:
| The Parlour Singapore services | Price |
| Haircut–Director (includes shampoo, blowdry and style) | $100 – $150 |
| Haircut–Stylist (includes shampoo, blowdry and style) | $80 – $100 |
| Wash and Blow Dry | $50 – $80 |
| All Over Color (Roots to Ends) | $185 – $250 |
| Roots Only | $170 – $180 |
| Foil Highlights | $200 – $350 |
| Custom Color/Balayge/Foilyage/ Ombre | $200 – $700 |
| K18 add-on | $40 |
| Toner add-on | $40 |
Though they appear to have more straight-haired folks than curly-haired ones, so does Singapore, right? And more importantly, the few curly-haired customers they’ve served seem very happy with the results.
One, Anita Schwyzer, wrote in her 5-star Google review: “Jessie is the best! Took me years to find a hair stylist that knows how to cut curly hair and does amazing colour. And to top it all off she is fast and we always have a great time.”
Another happy customer, Carol Picon, praised hair stylist Keno and named him the number 1 choice for curly hair: “My very first visit was terrific, and my hair has been super manageable and stylish because Keno knows curly hair! I appreciate the time and attention he took to show me styling tips and tricks for managing my hair in the humidity. And I loved my colour touch up too. Got curls? Keno’s your guy!”
Address: 33 Lowland Rd, 00-H, Singapore, 547429
Opening hours:
- Monday to Saturday : 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Sundays: Closed
Phone: +65 8106 8099
Email: [email protected]
Appointments: Book online.
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About the author
Vanessa Nah is a personal finance content writer who pens articles on the ins and outs of personal loans, the T&Cs of credit cards, and the ups and downs of alternative investments. She’s a researcher at heart and leaves no stone unturned when it comes to breaking down complex finance concepts and making them easy to understand for the everyday Singaporean. When Vanessa’s not debunking finance myths, you’ll find her attending dance classes, fingerpicking a guitar, or (most impawtently) fulfilling her life mission to make her one-eyed cat the most spoiled and loved kitty in the world.
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