To learn all the intricacies of Asian hair care rituals, we didn't have to cross time zones - a creative team from Japan Team Japan: Aveda representative Masa Honda, Kosei Someya from UKA and freelance artist Takayuki Shibata came to Moscow for a large-scale hairdressing show Noise. About why the inhabitants of the land of the rising sun do not use dry shampoos (and in some cases shampoos in general), why they carry hair dryers with them and, in general, what is happening on (and in) their heads, from the first hand.
© bosco.ru
In Japan, the color obsession has been replaced by the hair quality obsession, and very soon this trend will sweep over other continents. If earlier they paid more attention to hairstyle design and all kinds of coloring, today the focus is on care: both for the scalp and for the hair itself. Now it is not so important what shade the hair is cast in, it is much more important how it reflects light and what it feels like. By the way, hair products are also often chosen based on tactile sensations: for us, its aroma and texture are more important, while Europeans and Americans are more concerned with the result they will receive after use.
Masa Honda
© Victor Polyakov
The future is not for hair cosmetics, but for devices. Of course, cares are getting better every year, but revolutions are taking place in the high-tech world. Already, there are hair dryers, thanks to which proteins and water begin to move in the hair fiber, and the curls become more shiny. And this is not an experimental option - there are more and more of them in the salons. Another interesting invention, which in Russia has not even heard of - shower heads that allow you to wash your hair without using shampoo. The unique design allows you to cleanse your hair without additional agents (special nanoparticles are responsible for removing dirt), and such "miracle watering cans" in China are sold in ordinary stores. True, such washing will not add volume, and the texture of the hair will not change - so only people with perfect hair can refuse shampoos and conditioners.
Kosei Somei
© Victor Polyakov
Recently, the attitude towards beauty salons has changed a lot: thanks to modern technologies, you can provide quality care for yourself and at home. Previously, they came to specialists so that they would do “everything beautifully” at once, now they often visit for advice: the Japanese still trust professionals to select individual care products. Shampoos in Asia are increasingly divided not by hair type, but by scalp type, which can be sensitive, dry, and so on. By the way, even the washing technique changes based on this: we teach oily skin to massage more intensively, while the movement on sensitive skin will be much softer.
Takayuki Shibata
© Victor Polyakov
Do not be surprised if you see a master with a straight razor in his hands - he is not going to shave you baldly. It's just that this method of thinning has recently come into fashion: Asians have thick and thick hair, and often, in order to achieve the required shape and texture, you need to "walk" along them with a blade. They won't take extra money for a full-fledged head massage either - here washing your head is always a whole ritual. The European version of "soap-washed" is nonsense for us.
The Japanese are obsessed with the beauty of their hair: many always carry compact hair dryers and curling irons in their bags. It doesn't matter where you go, to work or for a walk, the curls should be perfect, and mini-devices make it possible in any situation to add extra volume to your hair or twist a fluffed curl. The same goes for styling products - rarely anyone leaves the house without a bottle of hair oil.
© uka.co.jp
It is difficult to find dry shampoos here - the worldwide madness has spared the country. No, it's not harmful - it's just somehow not very neat. Talc or starch will not make the curls clean in the original sense of the word, and if we talk about tactile sensations, which are always at the forefront, then this is rather unpleasant. The hair does not feel clean - on the contrary, it has even more texture. It's easier to wash your hair a second time in a day. Moreover, more and more attention is paid to the scalp - special "anti-aging" treatments have become part of the daily routine for the vast majority of Japanese people.
© Tatiana Potapova
Fashion for naturalness is a global trend, but in Asia it is still more pronounced. And it's not just natural shades and natural hairstyles. Choosing between high-tech chemical cosmetics and organic, the Japanese will in most cases choose the latter. What is also noteworthy, the inhabitants of the land of the rising sun stopped doing haircuts like popular actors and singers. They want something of their own - that best suits their facial features and expresses their personality.>