Don’t All Hair Salons Basically Look the Same?
“They cut your hair, color it, perm it, straighten it,
and then maybe add a treatment or a head spa.”
To be honest,
I think a lot of people feel this way.
And actually,
I’ve felt the same way myself for a long time — even as a hairdresser.
The location is different.
The price is different.
Whether it’s famous or not is different.
Stylish, luxurious, kind of ‘charismatic’…
But when you look only at what’s actually being done,
the differences are hard to see.
This isn’t because clients are insensitive.
I think it’s a very natural feeling.
In a way, it’s natural that everything looks “the same”
Hairdressers, barbers, hair salons, barber shops.
Even though the categories differ, the technical elements they offer are largely the same.
- Haircuts
- Coloring
- Perms
- Straightening
- Head spas
- Treatments
This isn’t about good or bad.
It’s simply the result of an industry that has matured.
Most salons now meet a certain technical standard,
and a basic level of quality is already guaranteed.
That’s why feeling “I can’t really tell the difference”
is completely natural.
So why do prices and reputations differ?
This is where many people start to wonder.
- Is it skill?
- Sense or taste?
- Location?
- Fame?
- Atmosphere?
- Charisma?
All of these play a role, to some extent.
But it’s not something that can be explained so simply.
The biggest difference, in my opinion, is this:
“What is the goal of the work?”
What I value is what comes after technique
Just to be clear,
I’m confident in my technical skills as well.
I’ve worked with clients in Tokyo, London,
and people of many different nationalities and hair types.
Those experiences have become my foundation.
But that’s not where true differentiation lies.
What I spend the most time and energy on is what comes before
“cutting, coloring, or perming.”
Not medical care — but a medical way of thinking
I’m not a doctor.
I can’t perform medical treatment.
However,
I believe the way doctors observe and think about patients
can be applied in hairdressing as well.
For example:
- Checking the scalp with a microscope
- Signs of inflammation
- Blood circulation
- The balance of oil and dryness
Based on that, I ask:
“Why is this concern appearing now?”
“What kind of condition would lead to improvement or prevention?”
And we think about it together.
This, to me, is the major difference
from simply performing a service.
It’s also okay to know options beyond medication
Of course,
- AGA treatment
- Alopecia areata
- Atopic dermatitis
These conditions should always be treated
by medical professionals.
Especially for young people with alopecia,
even if it’s not life-threatening,
it can greatly affect quality of life.
In those cases, medical judgment should always come first.
At the same time,
there are still many other things that can be done.
That’s what I want to talk about.
A holistic perspective that looks at the root
Medication can be effective quickly.
But it can also come with side effects.
That’s why I focus on things like:
- Not letting the body get cold
- Improving sleep quality
- Supporting healthy blood flow
- Creating a condition that reduces inflammation
At first glance,
these may seem unrelated to hair.
But over the long term,
they make a significant difference.
Even if changes aren’t immediate,
over one or two years,
they clearly affect gray hair, thinning hair,
texture issues, and scalp problems.
What I offer isn’t a “temporary answer”
Covering gray hair temporarily.
Adding volume for now.
Straightening hair once.
I don’t deny any of these.
But what matters to me is this:
how life changes beyond that.
- More stable physical condition
- Less fatigue
- Less anxiety
- Not overthinking hair and scalp issues
As a result,
hairstyles naturally start to look better as well.
Hair is part of the body
No matter how good a hairstyle looks,
it won’t last if the body’s foundation is unstable.
On the other hand,
when the body is well balanced,
hair responds accordingly.
What I do is work that helps align your entire lifestyle
through your hair.
It’s not flashy.
But if, one or two years from now,
you can say “I’m glad I came,”
then I believe that quiet consistency
is what truly matters.
