A f ine cut
A barber aims to empower people with a pair of scissors, writes Oon Yeoh
SOME people call it a mid-life crisis, others might call it burn-out but after 10 years of working in the hairdressing industry, Lex Low found himself feeling unfulfilled and almost quit the profession altogether. But he didn’t. Instead, he doubled down and started his own barbershop which grew to become a platform for him to do social good. He called his shop OTHRS to signify his vision of using his skills and his company’s to help and empower others. “It’s about touching lives, one haircut at a time,” he confides.
OTHRS is a commercial business but there’s also a social enterprise aspect to his business, which includes cutting hair for the underprivileged, teaching barbering skills to the marginalised and creating employment opportunities for those he trains.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO STUDY HAIRDRESSING?
I think it was the influence of my parents. My mother was a make-up artist and my father was a photographer. They were in the wedding industry and through their work I was exposed to hairdressing.
I did learn a bit about make-up and photography but hairdressing naturally appealed to me more than anything else in that line.
AT WHAT AGE DID YOU REALISE YOU WANTED TO BE IN THE HAIRDRESSING INDUSTRY?
Very early on. In fact, I dropped out of school at 16 to pursue a career in hairdressing.
My parents weren’t very happy with that because it meant I wasn’t even going to finish my formal secondary school education.
But when they realised how serious I was about it, they gave me their blessing and I started work in a small salon.
WHAT WAS YOUR AMBITION LIKE THEN?
Oh, back then I had big ambitions. I wanted to become the best hairstylist around. I wanted to become successful and wellknown. Those were my dreams as a kid.
DID THAT CHANGE AND WHY?
It did change. After a decade in the business, I got jaded and almost wanted to quit the business. I just felt it had no more meaning for me. I thought a lot about what I should do and I concluded that I should use my skills to try to make some impact on the communities around me.
The best way for me to do that was through barbering-related activities. You could say I found a new ambition. It’s no longer about wanting to be the best but about how I can use my skills to make the world a better place.
AND YOU DO THAT THROUGH BARBERING?
Yes, I call it “empowering people with a pair of scissors”. We share kindness and love to people we come across every day in our lives.
We give free haircuts to the underprivileged and we train people from marginalised communities how to cut hair so they can have job opportunities.
HAVE YOU FOUND FULFILMENT IN YOUR CAREER BECAUSE OF THIS?
Absolutely. Through these activities, I rediscovered the joy I had for cutting hair when I first started. By cutting hair for the poor and teaching Orang Asli kids how to cut hair, I found new meaning in my career.
WHEN YOU DECIDED TO REACH OUT TO THE UNDERPRIVILEGED AND MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES, HOW DID YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO?
If I want to do something, I’ll just do it. If I don’t know how to do something, I’ll continue to ask around until I can find a way to make it happen.
When you have a strong conviction — and mine is to make the world a better place with a pair of scissors — you’ll find a way. Surrounding yourself with the right people helps a lot too.
WERE ALL THE IDEAS YOUR OWN?
They were my ideas. I came up with them after doing a lot of soul-searching. But of course I couldn’t have done all these things without the help of others. I have a business partner who’s very supportive.
My family have always been there for me. I have great staff of 16 workers who help in this endeavour. So, I owe a lot to all the people who are on this journey with me.
HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT ON SOCIETY DO YOU THINK YOU’VE ACTUALLY MADE?
Of course I realise that I can’t change the world but I can change somebody’s world. When you reach out to someone and show them love, it’s such a powerful force.
I don’t consider myself doing charity; rather, I’m empowering people by showing them love, training them and giving them opportunities to better their lives.
HAS DOING THIS TAUGHT YOU OR GIVEN YOU ANYTHING IN RETURN?
Yes, by working with the Orang Asli for example, I realise how important communication and relationships are.
With our busy lives in the city, many of us have forgotten how to really connect with others. These days people just text each other but with the Orang Asli, I learnt to have a real conversation, just like how they used to do in our parents’ time. You know, sitting around in a kopitiam and talking — really talking.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
We’ve trained a lot of Orang Asli now and we work with ex-convicts too. What I want to do next is to find ways to make the business a proper social enterprise. Perhaps open more branches so we can continue to hire the people we train.
WHEN YOU TRAIN PEOPLE, DO YOU ALSO INFUSE YOUR ETHOS FOR DOING SOCIAL GOOD IN THEM?
Absolutely. Doing community work, cutting hair for the homeless, visiting Orang Asli communities — these are all part of the course.
I want my students to learn sound barbering skills but I also want them to have heart skills. I want them to fully understand the values of this company.
AS A BARBER DO YOU STILL TRY TO UPGRADE YOUR SKILLS?
Not such much in terms of barbering because my aim these days is not to become a better hairstylist. My aim is to become a better businessman, a better leader, a better manager, a better person.
It’s quite different from when I first started.