Boy, 13, pursues passion with $8 haircuts at Clementi HDB staircase

While most teens his age spend their weekends playing video games, watching TV or playing games, this 13-year-old earns pocket money by cutting hair at the stairwell of a HDB block. 

Speaking to AsiaOne, Keanu Akbar said that he was motivated to take up this job after he had a bad haircut when he was younger.

"I thought to myself that I could do a way better job cutting my own hair," said the New Town Secondary School student. 

The Secondary 2 student then went online to learn how to cut hair and avoid another bad experience. 

By December 2024, he had mastered various hair-cutting skills and techniques, which he practised on his 17-year-old brother and his friends. 

'Earned over $800 since the first haircut'

Due to space limitations, Keanu was only able to set up his make-shift shop on the HDB stairwell at his home in Clementi, where he charges just $8 per haircut. 

He would frequently post videos of his work on Instagram or TikTok, where his content would gain significant traction, amassing thousands of views and likes.

Since uploading videos at the start of 2025, Keanu has posted nine of them, with some surpassing 138,000 views and 2,000 likes.

Keanu's family also played a vital role in helping him gain customers through word of mouth. 

"My family, especially my older brother has done a lot to help me gain more customers. I have earned over $800 since the first haircut I did," said Keanu. 

It has been three months since Keanu first started his side hustle in December 2024, but it wasn't smooth sailing, though. 

He had to spend a lot of time convincing his parents that he was up to the task.

'Didn't have much faith in him'  

Keanu's father, who wanted to be known only as Iyan, told AsiaOne that he was initially doubtful about his son's skills and ambitions.  

"I didn't have much faith in him and was unsure about his skills in the beginning. He is still young and should be focusing on his studies instead," said the 50-year-old who works as admin staff. 

"But after letting him cut my hair once, I was really impressed by his skills. Now, I am saving money by letting him cut my hair." 

But Keanu's parents ensured that his studies were not affected while he pursues his passion project. 

"I will allow him to continue doing whatever he wants on the weekends, as long as his grades are not affected," said Iyan. 

They also supported him by providing additional funds to invest in better hair-cutting equipment. 

Although most of his weekend afternoons is spent cutting hair, Keanu ensures that his evenings are spent studying and catching up on schoolwork. 

Keanu, who will be taking his O-Levels in three years, hopes to pursue a career in hairdressing after his studies and eventually open his own shop. 

"It's not just about cutting hair; it's about making someone feel confident and good about themselves," he added. 

"I enjoy what I'm doing and I want to open my own (barber) shop someday. Now I just have to keep training and learning."

xingying.koh@asiaone.com

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