Why Are Hair Salons in London So Different? — Lessons from a Truly Multicultural “Normal”
Today, I want to share a little about the “fundamental differences” I felt in hair salons when I worked in London.
First of all, Japan is a country where more than 90% of the population shares the same cultural background — in other words, an almost homogeneous nation.
London, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Asia, Africa, Europe, South America… everything is mixed together.
People with a purely “100% British” lineage are actually very rare.
So naturally, hair salons come in many different forms.
- • Salons specializing in Japanese and Asian clients
- • Salons specializing in Afro-textured curly hair
- • Salons specializing in fine, soft Caucasian hair
- • And salons dedicated to hair types that don’t fit into any single category — “mixed” hair textures
Hair salons in London are truly a “miniature version of multicultural society.”
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■ People with mixed hair often face the question: “Which salon should I go to?”
For example, someone with 4–5 cultural backgrounds mixed — Asian, African, Caucasian, South American, etc.
Is the hair curly, wavy, straight, thick, fine…? It doesn’t fit neatly into one category.
So it’s common for people to struggle choosing a salon.
“If I go to an Asian salon, they can’t handle my curls.”
“If I go to an African salon, my fine hair isn’t suitable.”
There are genuinely many people with these concerns in London, which is why salons are so finely specialized by expertise.
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■ And here is the decisive difference from Japan:
Straightening (relaxers) and perms are extremely rare.
This is a huge gap.
Of course, there are technical reasons, but the real root is a **“cultural difference.”**
People in London naturally embrace the texture they were born with.
- • Curly hair stays curly
- • Straight hair stays straight
- • If there is volume, they use it as a strength
- • Even if they have gray hair, they don’t obsessively hide it
To put it simply,
“Your natural material = your beauty itself.”
This mindset is completely normal.
So,
- • Forcing hair to become straight
- • Forcing strong perms
— these ideas are much less common.
Of course, some people request these services, but unlike Japan, they aren’t treated as “solutions to personal insecurities.”
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■ Japan is naturally drawn toward “uniformity”
It’s not about good or bad — the environment simply makes that more likely.
- • Same ethnicity
- • Similar hair types
- • Similar facial features
- • Shared cultural norms
Because the “average” is so easy to define, everyone tends to move toward the same direction.
The same goes for hairstyles, makeup, and fashion.
The popularity of Uniqlo’s monotone colors is a perfect example.
It’s not inherently bad.
But from the perspective of “individuality,” it can make people feel slightly constrained.
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■ What I learned in London was
An incredibly strong value: “Never deny the natural material.”
Curly hair is fine.
Straight hair is fine.
Having little hair is fine.
Having gray hair is fine.
Being asymmetrical is fine.
The view is not “How do we hide it?” but
**“How do we use it to your advantage?”**
This mindset was deeply rooted in London’s diversity.
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■ My work is not about “fixing” hair —
It is about designing your identity.
So I don’t make suggestions aimed purely at eliminating your insecurities.
Instead, I focus on:
- • Why does your hair appear the way it does?
- • What adjustments will enhance your attractiveness?
- • How can we maximize your natural material?
We explore these together through detailed consultation.
You don’t need to be dramatic.
You don’t need to be flashy.
“A hairstyle that makes you look like yourself.”
That is the value I learned in London and now treasure in Japan.
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■ Lastly — individuality is not a “flaw,” but an asset.
Your hair texture is one of a kind in the world.
No one else can replicate it.
It is your individuality, your identity, and your beauty.
After working in multicultural salons in London and touching tens of thousands of heads of hair, I can say this with confidence:
There is absolutely no need to deny your natural hair.
My job is to design how that individuality can look beautiful.
That belief is the foundation of my work — whether in Japan or London.
