Hair Salon Help/ Lost Cause???

[heifeng]

Are there any females out here in Beijing with non-asian hair (ie. very very soft, fine, and limp) who have found a decent (and hopefully not western-priced) hair salon/stylist. Having gone a very long time without a real hairstyle I feel that I have no place else to turn other than this forum to ask for some recommendations. I have asked some of my Chinese colleagues with nice hairstyles where they go (usually Korean salons) but then they always add on, but you shouldn't go there, your hair is different it's too this or that.....then, I've only heard horror stories from my other female friends about when they try to get their hair cut at random salons. Now I'm not sure what's worse a limp rapunzal look or arbitrarily walking into a salon and keeping my fingers crossed....

On a somewhat related topic, am I the only one that has the urge to duck and hide whenever I pass by a salon before the next explosion goes that fried the "stylists" hair inside....seriously, what's with the 爆炸头....

[nathanuk88]

Have you tried somewhere like Toni&Guy? I know they are probably western priced, but i always think with thinkgs like your hair, you can never pay too much. I dont really know a lot about this subject, so it was jsut a suggestion, sorry if its wrong!

[Lu]

When I was in BJ I used to go to this small local shop & was very satisfied with it then. Not sure if it still exists, but you can try if you're in the neighborhood: from BLCU, go east, after a while there is a small street to the left (I think it was before the subway station, but am not sure). Follow this street all the way, it makes a few turns, after a while you get to a small square, on the other side of the square, on I think the 2nd floor of a building, is the shop.

In Taipei I never found a good place, and ended up wearing a hat most of the time.

[heifeng]

Follow up: So for the few of you interested I somewhat found a solution to my hair salon question.

During a bad hairday and moment of weakness I allowed myself to get dragged into a hair salon in Xiaoxitian.

Although I could tell that they were clearly a bit inexperienced in cutting my type of hair and a bit stunned that hair could be so soft....and limp,.it was an ok experience. (Once I track down the business card, I'll actually write the salon's name and info here. It is very easy to find)

Here are the details

1. Wash, cut, and dry= 15 yuan

2. Polite, friendly, staff. (Eventhough they all wanted to touch the blond hair, they were extremely polite about it, so no big deal)

3) The guy who cut my hair is called 阿旭. He was really patient and I swear spent nearly an hour cutting my hair very slowly and cautiously.

4) It seemed clean and legit enough to me.

Overall, In the end I basically got what I wanted, which was just a trim and something so that my layers were not as flat.

Despite the lack of experience, now I at least know that I won't get my hair completely butchered here

Anyway, if others find some decent stylists in Beijing I encourage you to list salon/stylist details here. Besides the stylists can get better with practice, right.:

[doumeizhen]

I go to Punk in the wudaokou. Number 16, Xiao Long (and only he), has done a great job with both cutting and dying (I was feeling brave that day!) I think a normal cut is 38 kuai, dying 280,380,480 depending on what quality dye/bleach you want. I did 380, very happy with my shinier, yellower locks.

[venture160]

Chaoyang has at least 2 Salons that are run and operated by westerners and cater to the western clientele. Check out the ThatsBJ listings and you should be all set.

[heifeng]

Now I feel dumb because I remembered the salon Punk but I didnt't remember the stylist's name who was recommended above and was in a brave mood. Now the end result is terrible and represents everything I hate about any service related industries in China (Stylist aside the salon service and general attitude was really really bad too. Question: Who on earth first washes your hair without even letting the stylist see it dry and in it's natural state first...that should have been the first sign of terrible things to come.) I really would like to vent more...but I think I need to learn to control my anger...and now find some creative ways to disguise just how terrible this dude at PUNK screwed up my hair. I'm thinking in 2+ months it will look decent...after the Macgyver like top layers grow out....whyyyyyyyyy

Lesson learned: Next time I remember the stylist name, or just go back to my 阿旭 in xiao xitian...(I think the salon's name is something 代名剪。。and it's only 15 yuan) He at least first explained his vision for my hair and at then spent a good hour with me and didn't do massive chopping without consulting me unlike the guy from punk who is now on my hit list...ok anger management anger management......

[magores]

hehe... I've been in China for about 1 year 10 months.

Haven't got my hair cut in 1 year 11 months. I did shave the pointy goatee though.

But... I'm a guy, a "dirty hippie", and my boss/co-workers encouraged me to just let it grow.

My next trip to the US is in 6 weeks. Might get a little trim while I'm there.

[Ari 桑]

I took the easy route, I got my hair cut chinese style. Ah yes, I'm such a pseudo asian hipster.

[johnd]

Heifeng, take a deep breath - that's just the way they do it. I think the variation in hair types is much less here, so normally there'd be no need to inspect your dry hair. But ditto...I'm a guy.

When I first came to China and only knew ni hao, my wife took me for a haircut - she hardly said a word to the hairdresser, and I thought she was being unhelpful (in a bad mood or something). Turns out, as I have discovered, that it's not necessary to communicate at all, unless I want it a bit shorter! And you can do that by pointing.

Anyway, that doesn't help you . Good luck next time.