Perak’s decades-old neighborhood barbershops offer affordable service, vintage charm to outlive evolving modern styling trends.
AMID the hum of air-conditioned salons and the evolving cycle of modern hair trends, time moves to a slower rhythm along the Old Town streets of Perak.
Here, hidden in quiet corners and pre-war shoplots, Ipoh’s decades-old neighborhood barbershops still stand.
They offer something modern establishments cannot replicate: a profound sense of community, decades of familiarity and a safe haven where a haircut always comes with a conversation.
A fading world
Among them is a barbershop located in a row of dilapidated pre-war shophouses in Kampung Kepayang, about 13km south of Ipoh, where time seems to tick extra slowly.
The town is located between Simpang Pulai and Gopeng.
Old walls and worn wooden doors surround a place that is still full of life.
The sound of scissors snipping away fills the air as people chat and share stories.
Even though the buildings around it are showing signs of age, customers from different generations keep coming back.
Inside these worn walls, barber R. Gnasergaran, 75, continues a lifelong legacy.
He has been cutting hair for over six decades, having picked up the trade by just watching his father work since he was five years old.
“I grew up here. This was my father’s shop. I helped him after school by sweeping hair, cleaning mirrors. Slowly, I learned,” he said.
By the age of 14, he had already taken over the shop. That was in 1965.
For Gnasergaran, the building itself carries even older memories.
His father first opened the barbershop in 1950, during an era when Kampung Kepayang was still bustling and full of life as a tin mining area.
A portrait of Malaysia’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, which Gnasergaran’s father placed on the wall in 1957 during Merdeka, still watches over the shop.
Today, the surroundings have changed; many nearby shops now stand empty, yet inside this modest barbershop, the rhythmic snip-snap of scissors and clippers continues.
“Most shops are gone. I sometimes fear the crumbling structure.
“But I am already old, so I will just continue working as long as I can,” said the father of four.
Gnasergaran lives with his wife in a pre-war building opposite the shop.
Despite the changes around him, customers still come, some local, others from places far beyond Kampung Kepayang.
“I have a steady flow of my regulars who don’t mind travelling the distance, as they just like the way I cut their hair.
“For me, speed and familiarity matter more than trends.
“Over the decade, I have watched the trade evolve with new styles, new tools and even videos on mobile phones showing hairstyles from around the world,” he said.
The Kampung Kepayang shophouses, believed to have existed since the 1880s, are noted for their architectural designs and are a historical reminder of a bygone era.
There were initially 75 pre-war houses but over 30 have been demolished.
Currently, about seven units remain occupied while the rest are empty, rundown and overgrown with plants.
Loyal customer A. Ramasamy, 66, travels from Gopeng – a frequent journey he has made for over 30 years.
He first stumbled upon the barbershop by chance while passing through the area, and has never looked elsewhere since.
“I liked his style right from the start. The haircut was good, the price was affordable, so I just keep coming back,” Ramasamy said, noting that even his four children now visit the shop whenever they return from Kuala Lumpur for the holidays.
“I am comfortable here. There are plenty of barbers in Gopeng, but I have never been fully satisfied anywhere else,” he added.
A shop that outlives trends
Inside another modest barbershop in Jalan Tun Abdul Razak in Cherry Park, Ipoh, 66-year-old M. Anbarasu has spent nearly half a century shaping more than just hairstyles; he has cultivated deep roots of trust and community.
“I have been operating here for 43 years, but the shop itself dates back to the 1970s.
“I worked here first under the original owner before buying over the business in the early 1980s,” said Anbarasu.
His journey began far from modern salon chains, starting instead as a young apprentice under a master barber in Johor. It is a lineage that will likely end with him.
“None of my children want to follow in my footsteps. They have no interest,” he says.
Yet, his chairs are rarely empty. Loyal customers travel from as far as Gerik and Kuala Kangsar just for his barbering skill.
“One regular from Gerik has been making the journey monthly for 30 years.
“They have barbers closer to home, but they still prefer it here,” he said.
In an industry now driven by fast-paced social media trends, Anbarasu remains unfazed.
“After so many years, I already know the craft,” he said confidently, though he admitted to occasionally browsing YouTube to keep up with contemporary style trends.
“I can do modern cuts,” he said.
The shop continues to welcome generations of families who come for the nostalgic atmosphere, affordable cuts, and traditional scalp massages.
A tradition beyond haircuts
Chin Hon Cheong, 76, and his wife Chu Lai Fong, 72, continue to keep the tradition of barbering alive at the Moon Moon Barber Shop in Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan in Ipoh Garden.
Chin has been operating at the current premises for more than 10 years.
The shop had belonged to a friend before he took over the ownership.
“Prior to moving to Ipoh Garden, I ran a barber shop in Menglembu, but decided to relocate after the premises was affected by a termite infestation,” he said.
Chin said his journey in barbering began at the age of 15, making him the fourth generation in his family to enter the trade.
“My customers range from senior citizens to young children, many of whom remain loyal to my shop.
“Many of them tell me they prefer coming here because they do not like salons which are more expensive, and they are comfortable with my way of cutting hair,” he said.
Apart from haircuts, Chin also provides ear-cleaning services at his shop, adding to the traditional experience that keeps customers returning over the years.
Regular customer Tan Chee Wah, 78, has been visiting Moon Moon barbershop for the past seven to eight years.
He comes not only for a haircut, but also for ear cleaning, a service he said was becoming increasingly rare today.
“I continue to return mainly because traditional ear cleaning services are now almost extinct, making such barbershop experiences harder to find elsewhere,” he added.
Century-old barbershop
Tucked along a quiet stretch of ageing shophouses where paint peels and time seems to slow down, M. Selvaraj continues to run a barbershop which belonged to his grandfather.
Selvaraj, 39, is the third generation to carry the legacy forward at the shop located behind the Jalan Bijih Timah flats in Ipoh’s Old Town.
“More than 100 years already,” he said, simply, pointing to the modest interior that has served generations of customers.
He learned the trade not from a school or academy, but at home watching his father who once learned from his own father.
“I started around 18 or 19. My father taught me,” Selvaraj recalled.
In a family of six siblings, all of whom are familiar with barbering skills, only Selvaraj chose to pick up the trade.
The others moved on to different careers, leaving him as the sole custodian of the family’s craft.
“I am more interested in this job,” he said without hesitation.
Despite the rise of sleek, modern salons, Selvaraj’s shop has managed to stay relevant in its own quiet way.
“Modern cutting also, I can do,” he said with a smile.
His customers reflect the reach of his reputation, with some even coming from Johor.
“Every two months, they come just to cut hair here,” Selvaraj added.
For regulars like Arjan Singh, 63, the shop is irreplaceable.
A customer since the days of Selvaraj’s father, Arjan recalled being forced to look elsewhere when the younger barber was involved in an accident and the shop temporarily closed.
“I tried another place, but I wasn’t satisfied. I prefer his style,” Arjan added.
That sentiment is echoed by Choong Boon Thiam, 72, who travels from Gunung Rapat not just for a trim, but for a nostalgic perk.
“I usually come for the head massage which is only RM5,” said Choong.
