NOTE: I originally had this article on a site that I was toying with that is no longer in existence. However, I thought the tips in the story were valuable so I’m porting it over onto TMA, even though it has nothing to do with music or pop culture really. Hope you enjoy it anyway!
If you’re anything like me, over the years you’ve probably had your fair share of awful haircuts at the hands of stylists who did not know how to cut Asian hair*. One too many traumatic experiences scared me silly from doing anything too adventurous with my hair for quite some time. I basically kept my hair long and straight (with various side bang/straight bang/no bang variations), not necessarily because I preferred that hairstyle, but because I was afraid to try anything else.
Part of that fear was my lack of understanding about Asian hair, caused by a lack of available information on the topic in magazines and the internet. Try Googling “asian hair” and you’ll get some random message board postings and antiquated articles citing no-name stylists on the topic. Sad, right? So I decided to get in contact with the folks at the Sassoon Salon (formerly known as the Vidal Sassoon Salon), world-famous for being the “Harvard of hairdressing,” to get the low-down on Asian hair from a bona fide expert.
Yuka Tsurumi is the Assistant Creative Director at the Sassoon Salon Uptown in New York City, with over 10 years of experience in the industry. While her credentials with the venerable salon are somewhat intimidating, Yuka herself is the antithesis of stodgy. Petite, with short electric pink hair, and a penchant for dressing in a mishmash of bold patterns, Yuka is upbeat and affable–and exactly the kind of woman from whom I would want to take styling advice.
Here’s some valuable info for you Asian-haired ladies out there:
Q: Are there some general characteristics that can be attributed with Asian hair?
A: Many Asians tend to have straighter and courser hair. Many people think that Asian hair is really straight, but not everybody has totally straight hair–they might have a kink to it. Even though Asians may have straighter hair, they often have a stronger, upward hair growth. For example, many Asian clients have strong hair growth in the hairline, so if you’re not careful and you cut too short, the hair might jump out in more of a cowlick.
Continue reading “Asian Hair: Hints, Tips, and What You Need to Know”