Hair and There

I’ve lived in Japan for 6 months now and my hairstyle has changed 4 times.  This is a very big deal for me because, sadly, my hair didn’t change that often in the states.  Living here has forced me out of my comfort zone in so many ways including learning how to maintain and style my own hair.  Although my hair was in protective styles for the first couple of months, my natural hair had been neglected.  I knew that I had a lot of heat damage due to straightening it too often.  I decided to get a DevaCut so that I could nurse my hair back to health.

 

My students were so surprised by the styles that they would give me tests to make sure it was really me. “If you’re the real Ms. Quinn, what’s 100 + 20?” Lol

I did some research before booking an appointment with Kiyoko, owner of Nepenji salon.  Kiyoko was trained at DevaChan in New York and got really great reviews for her work.  A month after booking, I met Kiyoko at another salon, Unsarto, nearby.  Kiyoko and her assistant took excellent care of me and talked me through the entire process.

 

While discussing how I take care of my hair, Kiyoko observed my curl pattern.  She began the initial cut in no time.  I was so nervous because I had a lot of straight ends and I knew she would have to cut a lot.  She noticed that I had about 3 different textures in my hair!  After the cut, her assistant took me to the sink area which was all black and sleek; walls, comfortable chairs, and dividers between each to block out any distractions.  I realized it was a set up to make me fall asleep when she placed a cloth over my eyes as she washed and conditioned my hair.  Kiyoko joined us at the sink and applied other products to my soaking wet hair.  She then guided me back towards her chair, put a towel on the floor, and asked me to bend forward and shake my head.  It was a strange experience but apparently important to define my curls.  Kiyoko dried and defused my hair before trimming it a bit more.

 

I’m not sure how long the whole process lasted.  Most of the time we chatted about fun things to do in New York and Japan.  Since my appointment with Kiyoko in October, I’ve been perfecting styling my own hair.  I would definitely go back to her if I need a cut and would recommend her to other curly girls.