Miki grew up in Prilep, Macedonia, and was doing his friends’ hair by the age of fourteen — two girls in his neighborhood, almost every day, then schoolmates, then friends of friends, until he started charging. By his last year in Prilep he was working in what he’d call one of the busiest salons in town.
He didn’t leave because he was unhappy. He left because a Macedonian woman with a salon in Malta contacted him with a job, and he said yes without thinking too much about it. Eleven years into a career spent mainly with women, he opened his own hair and beauty salon, Alpha Hair & Beauty in Birkirkara, on 11 May 2024 — with stitches in his hand, having been bitten by a dog days before the opening party.
Ask around for the best hairdresser in Malta and you will get a different name in every town. Alex has been sitting in Miki’s chair for more than three years now, which is long enough to know that the hair is only half of what he is doing. Time at Alpha Hair & Beauty is not just to get your hair done, it comes with nice talk, coffee, a glass of prosecco, something sweet and a good deal of laughing. Martin goes for the facial massage at Alpha, and Zsuzsi never does just the face. There is always a bit extra: the hands, the shoulders. She likes it when people like it.
For Locals Insider, Miki wrote about the hair he loves and the hair he refuses to do, why he thinks the Alpha is female, what eleven years of listening to clients has taught him about people, why success now looks less like five locations and more like freedom — and where he actually goes on this island, from a lagoon you can only reach by boat to the Gozo restaurant he crosses the water for in winter.
I Was Already Doing Hair at Fourteen
I think somehow I always knew hair would be my career, without actually knowing it.
I grew up in Prilep and had a very normal, happy childhood for that time — lots of playing outside, friends, school, different activities. Some of my favorite memories are the summers at my grandmother’s village, playing with the other kids and eating whatever fruit and vegetables were in season.
As I got older I was very social. My circle of friends, going out, partying, traveling around Macedonia. In my last couple of years there, one of my favorite things was actually very simple: getting on bicycles with a friend and riding around the villages.
Hair was already a big part of my life. I was fascinated by it from a young age — especially long hair, and how much you could change it. Straight, curls, waves, volume, blonde, brunette.
By fourteen or fifteen I was doing my friends’ hair. Two girls in my neighborhood, almost every day. Then schoolmates started asking, then friends of friends, and eventually I started charging a little.
“If I enjoy doing this for free, why not make a living from it?”
By my last year in Prilep I was working in one of the busiest salons in town and starting to become known for my work. My boss and I were a really strong team. I loved going to work — it was busy, it was fun, there was a real sense of teamwork.
So I didn’t leave Macedonia because I was unhappy. I was happy while I was there. I just reached a point where I felt it was time to move and experience something more open.
And Then Malta Fell Out of the Sky
Moving here wasn’t part of any plan.
Strangely enough, when I was younger I always imagined myself living somewhere warm, on an island, close to the sea. But I wasn’t doing anything to make it happen. I was almost waiting for something to fall from the sky.
And then it did. A Macedonian lady who had a hair and beauty salon in Malta contacted me with a job opportunity, and I said yes without thinking too much.
“Sometimes with really big decisions, I think you have to trust your instinct. Once I make the decision, I commit to it.”
Of course, as the date got closer, reality hit. I was leaving my family, moving country, and having to live and work in English when I wasn’t fluent yet. I was scared and excited at the same time.
The first year was about discovering whether Malta was really for me or just a chapter. Eventually it became home.
Malta also made me independent. Professionally, I had to start trusting my own decisions. Personally — when I arrived I didn’t even really know how to use a washing machine. So there was a lot to learn.
The Space Created Alpha
Having my own salon was never the ultimate goal. I knew it came with a lot of responsibility, so it wasn’t something I was desperately chasing.
In a way, the space created Alpha.
I’d always worked around Sliema and assumed I’d stay there. Then I was offered a place in Birkirkara, without ever having mentioned that I wanted to open a salon. At first I wasn’t interested. Birkirkara wasn’t Sliema, I didn’t know the area well, and I wasn’t convinced.
Then I went to see it. I opened the door, saw the high ceilings and the space, and thought: okay, that’s it.
I said yes. At that moment I didn’t even have a name or a proper plan. I just knew the space felt right.
The process took around two years — permits, construction, design, redesign, suppliers, everything that comes with building something from scratch. And just before opening, I got bitten by a dog and needed stitches in my hand. Perfect timing.
We had the opening party on 11 May 2024. The following morning we cleaned up the mess from the party and started taking clients.
“I officially started Alpha with stitches still in my hand.”
Why the Alpha Is Female
I wanted something strong. I didn’t want a typical salon name, and I didn’t want to put my own name on the business. My first idea was Alter Ego, but I saw it being used elsewhere, so I dropped it.
Then Alpha came.
You always hear about the alpha male. But after spending my career working mainly with women, I think the Alpha is actually female.
“Our clients have character. They’re Alphas.”
And Alpha is very personal to me. Of course it’s my business, but Alpha is my baby. And I’m Alpha.
Eleven Years of Listening
What have women taught me? That God is a woman.
But they’ve taught me a lot about people too. As a hairdresser you’re in a very interesting position. You see the same people regularly for years. You hear about relationships, weddings, pregnancies, breakups, new jobs, moving countries. You see different personalities and different periods of people’s lives.
Naturally, some clients become friends.
“It’s much easier for a client to become a friend than for a friend to become a client.”
The Client Wears the Blonde
I love hair with presence.
Personally, give me long or medium-long hair, polished, straight, with lots of volume. Professionally, I love blondes — highlights, balayage, natural-looking blondes — but it needs character.
And blonde isn’t just one thing. Platinum, honey, dark blonde, strawberry, coppery. There are so many possibilities.
“The most important thing for me is that the client wears the blonde. The blonde shouldn’t wear the client.”
Not everyone needs to be blonde. I’m not blonde. I’ve been there, and I don’t think I should be blonde.
I follow trends, of course, but trends aren’t for everybody. Hair needs to work with the person, their character, their lifestyle, and how they’re going to maintain it. Sometimes it’s good to try something different — we live once, as long as we can do it without compromising the hair.
Because one thing will always be fashionable: healthy hair.
Get your hair done at probably the best hair and beauty salon in Malta
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Learning How to Say No
One of the biggest things experience has taught me is how to say no.
With a new color client I normally want to know the history of their hair for the previous two or three years. What’s been done? How do they look after it? How do they style it? Do they want something high-maintenance or low-maintenance?
“Online, we constantly see the before and the after. We don’t see what happened in between.”
Some transformations take several appointments. Sometimes they take months. For major changes we can do a strand test and physically show the client what their hair is capable of.
At the end of the day the quality of the hair comes first. You can have the most beautiful color, but if the hair isn’t left in good condition, it’s not a good result.
And “the client is always right”? I don’t completely agree. There needs to be mutual respect — respect for the client, but also respect for the professional, their opinion and their time.
I’ve also learned that not every hairdresser is right for every client, and not every client is right for every hairdresser. And that’s okay.
What Changes When the Hair Changes
Hair can be a complete game changer. It’s not only about appearance. You can see a change in someone’s attitude, in the attention they give themselves, even their self-respect.
“Somebody sits in your chair one way and walks out carrying themselves completely differently.”
That’s why, after eleven years, I still get satisfaction from seeing somebody leave the salon happy. If not every day, then every second day I have a moment where I look at the result and think: wow, I actually did that.
Sometimes I’ll see a client’s Instagram story later and think, nice hair — well done to the hairdresser.
Clean Will Always Be the Best Fashion
Working in beauty hasn’t really changed what I consider beautiful. Some things have always been important to me.
Clean and well-groomed will always be the best fashion. And scent is very important. I love when someone smells clean, but I also think there’s something special about having your own scent — something that becomes part of you, that people remember you by.
You can have expensive clothes, perfect hair and follow every trend, but cleanliness, hygiene and taking care of yourself come first.
Discipline, and Knowing When to Stop
Owning Alpha has taught me that discipline always pays off. If you want your business to grow and you want people to appreciate your work, you have to show up and stay focused. People notice your honesty. They notice your smile. They notice when you’re genuinely concentrated and giving them your full attention.
I’ve also realized how responsible I am, and how much of a perfectionist. Perfectionism can be good, because you always want to give your maximum. But sometimes you’re looking at perfectly good hair thinking: what if I changed this? What if I did that? Could it be even better?
I’ve learned that not everything needs changing. Sometimes something is already good, the client is happy, and you need to know when to say — okay, this is it.
I’m happy and comfortable with what I’ve built, but I never want that comfort to turn into complacency. There always needs to be something keeping you focused and growing.
Success Looks Like Freedom
Having a busy salon and people appreciating your work is success. Being financially comfortable is success. But success is also having the freedom to travel, enjoy my life, buy the things I like, and most importantly still be happy to come to work.
In the beginning of Alpha I didn’t understand that balance. I was scared I wouldn’t be busy, so I accepted everybody. Someone would ask when they could come and I’d say: today, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm.
I basically burned myself out. Eventually I understood.
“If I can’t do your hair today, you can come tomorrow.”
That was an important lesson.
Maybe an Alpha Villa
Right now I’m genuinely happy with where we are. I don’t have this desire for a huge team or five locations. More services and new things, definitely. But bigger simply for the sake of being bigger? No.
I want Alpha to be somewhere people associate with 10/10 service, good hair and a relaxed atmosphere. One of the nicest compliments I can get is when somebody tells me: I normally don’t enjoy hair salons, but here I’m relaxed, I don’t even care if it takes longer. That’s what I want.
The ridiculously big dream would maybe be an Alpha Villa one day. One beautiful place with everything — hair, beauty, aesthetics, wellness, fitness, spa, pool, jacuzzi, easy parking. Almost a little Alpha village. Or Alpha Maldives. Why not?
But I don’t really make five-year plans.
“Some of the biggest opportunities in my life arrived without me planning them. Malta happened. Alpha happened.”
I let life surprise me, and when the right opportunity comes, I grab it and work for it.
Right now, I’m happy. Maybe something bigger is coming, maybe not. Let’s enjoy the moment.
Miki’s Guide to Malta: Sea in Summer, Table in Winter
Miki runs Alpha Hair & Beauty in Birkirkara, and his Malta splits cleanly down the middle of the year: summer is the boat and the quieter bays, winter is long dinners, woodland walks and nights that move from one bar to the next. Twelve places he actually goes, across Malta, Gozo and Comino.
Summer — the sea
West coast of Comino · reachable by boat; no shoreline entry and no facilities
The quieter counterpart to the Blue Lagoon on the far side of the same small island — a sheltered bowl of deep water enclosed by high limestone cliffs, threaded with sea caves and tunnels. There is no sand and no kiosk, which is exactly why the crowds stay on the other side. Deep enough that it suits confident swimmers, snorkelers and people arriving by their own boat.
Imġiebaħ Bay, near Selmun, Mellieħa · narrow approach road, then a walk down · no facilities
A small, half-hidden bay on the northeast coast, reached down a rough track from Selmun or on foot from the Mellieħa boathouses. Sand and rock, clear water, good snorkeling, and no sunbeds or kiosks — bring everything you need. The walk in is what keeps it empty.
Ta’ Ċenċ, Sannat, Gozo · open access, free · roughly a 20-minute walk from the road
Gozo’s southern cliff edge, dropping straight into open sea, with a flat clifftop walk out to the drop and one of the island’s best sunset positions. The shoreline below at Il-Kantra is the swimming end of the same stretch. Nothing here is developed, which is the point.
Winter — walks and long dinners
Miżieb Woodland Public Reserve, near Mellieħa · Buskett Woodlands, below Verdala Palace, Rabat/Siġġiewi
Malta’s two proper stands of trees, and its cold-weather answer to the beach. Buskett is the larger and greener of the pair, laid out below Verdala Palace with picnic ground and orchard paths; Miżieb is rougher, quieter walking country in the north. Both are best after winter rain, when the island is briefly green. Check access before setting out — Miżieb is subject to hunting-season restrictions.
32 Victory Square, Xagħra, Gozo · lunch and dinner, closed Thursdays · booking advised
A seafood kitchen on the village square in Xagħra, known for a multi-course tasting menu with a Maltese wine pairing, salt-crust cooking and fish handled with unusual care for the setting. Tables spill onto the square in warm weather; in winter it is a reason on its own to take the Gozo ferry.
Triq il-Bir, Madliena · dinner only, from 18:30; closed Sundays · booking essential
Up in the hills above Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, and the island’s standing choice for a dinner that is an occasion rather than a meal — Mediterranean cooking, a terrace with a view worth requesting when you book, and a fire-lit room for the months when the terrace is closed.
Triq il-Ħġejjeġ, Buġibba, St Paul’s Bay · open daily from 12:30
Balkan grill cooking in Buġibba, with Macedonian dishes on the menu alongside the usual grilled meats and slow-cooked soups. Generous, unfussy and priced accordingly.
Triq ix-Xatt, Gżira · open daily, 11:00–23:00
A narrow room on the Gżira waterfront doing smash burgers, loaded fries and a short list of tacos, with more vegetarian options than the format usually allows. Counter service and trays rather than table linen.
Ix-Xatt, Ta’ Xbiex · open daily, 11:30–22:30 · small room, book ahead
Fresh pasta made in-house in the Sicilian tradition, on the Ta’ Xbiex waterfront — a short menu of shapes and sauces, gluten-free options, and a pistachio cake that turns up in more or less every account of the place. Family-run and genuinely small.
Nights out
Triq Ball, St Julian’s · daily from 08:00, later Tuesday to Saturday · reserve, it is small
A day-to-night room on Triq Ball that starts as one of the better brunches in St Julian’s and carries on into the evening later in the week. Short, well-judged menu, terrace when the weather allows, dogs welcome. A second location in Naxxar has been announced.
Pjazza Annunzjata, Sliema · daily from 10:00, later on weekends
A craft beer bar on a quiet Sliema square, with an air-conditioned room inside and a decent stretch of outdoor seating. Rotating taps, a DJ on the busier nights, food that goes well beyond the usual bar list. Cheaper than its postcode suggests.
Strait Street and the surrounding lanes · most bars open evenings, busiest Thursday to Saturday
Valletta’s bars are packed into a few narrow streets within a couple of minutes’ walk of each other, which makes the city better suited to moving than to settling.
Addresses and opening hours verified against each venue’s current listings. Al Sale closes on Thursdays and Madliena Lodge on Sundays; both need booking. Crystal Lagoon and Mġiebaħ have no facilities of any kind — bring water and shade. Access to Miżieb is restricted during the hunting season.
My favorite Malta depends a lot on the season. Summer for me is the sea, the boat and finding quieter bays. Winter is more about restaurants, walks, picnics and nights out with friends.
Summer: the sea
Crystal Lagoon, Comino. This summer I’ve been spending much more time on the boat, so Crystal Lagoon has definitely become one of my favorite spots. Beautiful clear water and perfect for a summer boat day.
Mġiebaħ Bay, Selmun. When I want a beach that’s quieter and not too busy, I love Mġiebaħ. It requires a bit of walking to get there, which I actually like — it feels more peaceful and away from everything.
Ta’ Ċenċ and Il-Kantra, Gozo. I really fell in love with this area last summer. Gozo already has a different, slower feeling, and this is one of those places where I can really switch off and enjoy the surroundings.
Winter: walks and long dinners
Miżieb and Buskett. More for winter — I love going for walks or picnics there when the weather is nice. Although if the weather allows, you’ll probably still find me somewhere close to the sea.
Al Sale, Gozo. Probably my favorite restaurant. I visit it more during winter, and it’s one of those places I always enjoy going back to whenever I’m in Gozo.
Madliena Lodge. One of my favorite restaurants in Malta. I like the atmosphere, the setting, and it’s somewhere I enjoy going when I want a proper dinner out.
Gourmet Bar & Grill. This is where I go when I’m craving something traditional and Macedonian. Sometimes you just need food that reminds you of home.
NOVI Burger. When I’m craving a burger, this is my place. For me, one of the best burgers in Malta.
Pasta & Co., Ta’ Xbiex. My go-to when I’m craving pasta. Simple — if I want pasta, this is usually where I want to go.
Nights out
Oh, Honey! Social Club, St Julian’s. One of my favorite places lately. I’m also waiting for the new Naxxar location to open — finally something closer to me.
POPP Social Club, Sliema. Another favorite lately. Nice atmosphere, good for meeting friends and having a drink.
Valletta, for drinks. I don’t really have one favorite bar in Valletta, because it depends on the company and the mood. Lately, with friends, I actually prefer starting somewhere and then moving from one bar to another. It makes the night more spontaneous.
More of our Malta, if you’re staying a while
Casa Bonavita is where to stay if you want the quiet version of the island. Radio Rooftop is the bar that opened twenty floors above Paceville and changed what the St Julian’s skyline looks like at night. And our piece on sharing apartments with strangers is about the groups of young travelers who fill the flats around Sliema and Gżira every summer — the ones you’ll have walked past on the way to Alpha.
