The Placebo Effect of Famous Salons — What You Should Truly Look At Is Not the “Brand” but the “Person” Today, I’d like to talk about the “placebo effect” of famous brand salons. The placebo effect, simply put, is when you feel greater results due to “belief” or “preconceptions.” While it’s a common term in the medical field, I believe it definitely exists in the beauty industry as well. Do you always meet an amazing stylist at a famous salon? I worked for more than 10 years in well-known salons in Tokyo’s Omotesando and in London. I’ve served clients from around the world, with many different hair types and ethnicities. […]

The Importance of Knowing What’s Happening Inside Your Hair A salon service is not just a “task to tidy up the finish.” With cutting, coloring, perming, or straightening, changes are always happening inside the hair. For example―― Color works through “oxidation” to fix pigments into the hair A perm works through “reduction” to rearrange the hair bonds Straightening works through “reduction and heat” to lock in the shape Each style only comes to life as an “expression” through these scientific processes. Knowing Both Benefits and Risks Leads to Prevention Every service brings positive effects, but there are always risks as well. For example, with color, the benefit is “freedom in […]

Cosmetic Surgery and Hair Treatments — Seemingly Different, but What Truly Matters Is “Knowing When to Stop” and “Respecting Individuality” Cosmetic surgery and hair treatments. At first glance, they may seem like completely different worlds, but I feel there are striking similarities between them. The reason is that both begin with the desire to “resolve a complex.” For example, correcting concerns about the nose or facial contours through cosmetic surgery. Or changing the impression of the face and overall aura through hairstyle. That “first step” requires tremendous courage and can even carry life-changing significance. The Importance of “Not Overdoing It” But the real issue begins after that. Once a complex […]

Just as every tree is different, you are beautiful because you are different When you look at the trees around the world, you notice something curious. Even within the same species, no two trees are exactly the same in shape, height, thickness, or the way their branches spread. Yet we never think those differences are “strange” or judge them as “imperfect.” On the contrary, when we look at each tree, don’t we feel a sense of calm? Some trees are tall, some are small. Some are crooked, some are straight. We find comfort in the fact that each one has its own form. People are the same ― Beautiful because […]

The Invisible Risks of Inflation and “Unchanged Prices” Prices are continuing to rise worldwide. Japan is no exception, and the cost of everyday goods and services is gradually increasing. Yet, haven’t you noticed shops or services whose prices haven’t changed for years? At first glance, it may seem “kind and considerate.” But is it really so? The Hidden Side of Keeping Prices the Same When prices remain unchanged, it means profit margins are inevitably shrinking. This always creates “strain” somewhere. The owner’s share decreases Employees’ salaries are suppressed The quality of services or products declines Especially in salons, where “time,” “tools,” and “chemicals” are directly connected to the customer’s body, […]

Circulation Is the Starting Point of It All — An Easier, More Sustainable Alternative to Massage “My hair feels thinner.” “I’m getting more gray hairs.” “I’m worried about hair loss.” Whenever I hear these concerns, the first thing I always tell clients is: “Circulation is the foundation of everything.” In Eastern medicine, hair is said to be “leftover blood.” In other words, hair is formed from the surplus of blood that circulates through the body. From this perspective, if blood doesn’t flow well to the scalp, of course healthy hair won’t grow. Not just the scalp—whole-body circulation matters When people think of circulation, they often think of scalp massage. But […]

Designing the Essence, Not Just the Surface — What Truly Matters in a Hairstyle? The word “quality” isn’t used only for products or services—it’s also used to describe people and ways of thinking. High quality, poor quality, classy, lacking class—quality is always a key element in many contexts. As a hairstylist, I always strive to create hairstyles with high quality. But more than that, what truly matters is whether it’s essential and meaningful. Is dyeing gray hair really the essence? For example, take the action of “dyeing your hair because gray strands are bothering you.” At first glance, it seems simple—but in many cases, it’s not the essence. That’s because, […]

No Two Hairstyles Are the Same — Beauty Lies in the Details of Hair Design Even the same hairstyle can take on a completely different meaning and appearance depending on why it is chosen and who wears it. Clients often request, “Please do it the same as last time,” or “Make it like that person’s hairstyle.” But in reality, it is impossible to reproduce the *exact same hairstyle*. That’s because subtle differences always arise depending on who the stylist is — their sense of touch and perception vary. Even when the same stylist works on the same client, the details inevitably change depending on the condition of the hair and […]

My Role as a Hairdresser in Relieving Stress When it comes to maintaining the health of hair and scalp, special treatments or one-time procedures have their limits. What truly matters are the right daily habits. Sleep, diet, and exercise—these three are considered the foundation of health in medicine, and I believe they are equally essential for the hair and scalp. However, there is an even more fundamental factor that influences the continuation of these three habits. That factor is “stress.” The Vicious Cycle of Stress When you are under stress, Your sleep becomes shallow Your diet becomes unbalanced (craving sweets or junk food) You lose the motivation to exercise This […]

Nobody really cares about your appearance or hairstyle When changing your hairstyle, many people first think, “How will others see me?” Will my friends say something? Will I stand out at work? Will people think I look strange? But let me be honest. Nobody actually cares that much about your appearance or hairstyle. Of course, in the first few seconds people may notice: “Oh, you got a haircut,” or “Your color is brighter.” But after that, they go back to their own lives. Nobody is spending their days constantly thinking about your hair. Japanese people care too much about “what others think” I have worked on countless clients’ hair in […]