Asian Hair Facts
- Asian hair genetic variations are from the ectodysplasin A receptor gene.
- Asian hair is mostly straight of dark color, either black or deep dark brown.
- A strand of Asian hair has a somewhat round, even shape.
- Asian hair has the lowest density among the three ethnicities (Caucasian, African and Asian).
- Asian people have between 80,000 and 140,000 scalp hairs but fewer hairs per square centimeter than Caucasians.
- Asian people have less body and facial hair than Caucasians.
- Asian hair sheds fewer hairs per day and experiences less balding.
- Studies show that, on average, for every balding East Asian man, there are three balding Caucasians.
- Greying starts later on Asian hair.
- On average, hair thinning is more likely among Asian women than Caucasians or Afro-Caribbeans.
- Asian countries are the prime human hair source for wigs and extensions.
- On average, Asian hair tends to be long, straight, strong, and rarely chemically treated.
- When tension is applied to the hair shaft, Asian hair cuticles fall as large pieces while keeping their original shape.
- Asian hair cuticles are less fragile than Caucasian hair cuticles.
- The cuticles of Asian hair can be easily peeled off than Caucasian hair cuticles while brushing.
Asian Hair Characteristics
- Asian hair grows perpendicularly to the scalp.
- Asian hair type grows the fastest at approximately 1.4 centimeters per month.
- Asian hair has the longest growth cycle, lasting up to nine years compared to the average of two to seven years.
- Asian hair’s diameter is twice wider and has a thicker cuticle than Caucasian hair.
- Asian hair has nearly ten layers of cuticles, while Caucasian and African hair types have around five layers of cuticles.
- Individual Asian hair shafts are thicker, which gives the impression of greater hair density.
- Asian hair has higher porosity levels, which absorb and retains moisture more quickly.
- Asian hair contains a medulla filled with plenty of dark pigment.
- Asian hair is thicker and sometimes longer than Caucasian hair.
- The distance between cuticle cells is narrower in Asian hair than in Caucasian hair.
- Asian hair tends to lose more moisture, leading to dryness and split ends.
- The shape of the follicle determines how hair grows. East Asian hair follicles are round; they have straight hair. Afro-Caribbean hair follicles are oval, and the hair grows in a spiral shape.
Asian Hairstyles Facts
- Bangs and fringes are the most popular Asian hairstyle.
- The most known historical and the most featured on k-dramas Korean hairstyles are from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
- Meori in Korean means “head,” which is the name of hairstyles from the Joseon Dynasty era. Such hairstyles names are badukpan meori, daenggi meori, kwimit meori, jjokjin meori, eonjeun meori, eoyeon meori, keun meori, and cheopjin meori.
- During the Joseon Dynasty, hairstyles were exclusively worn by single and married women.
- The most known ancient female Chinese hairstyle is the high hair bun at the center of the head, popular during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wei, Jin Dynasty, and the Tang and Song Dynasties.
- During the Zhou Dynasty, Chinese women grew their hair, wore it in a bun, and fixed it with a Ji or ornate pin.
- Women in the imperial court added jewelry and flowers to the bun for elegance.
- Ancient Chinese men’s most known hairstyle is the queue or cue.
36. The queue or cue hairstyle was worn by the Jurchen and Manchu men of Manchuria and was later required to be worn by male subjects of Qing China.
- The queue or cue hairstyle consists of long braided hair with the front portion of the head shaved.
- Nihongami, or Japanese hair, is used for several traditional Japanese hairstyles. These hairstyles were distinctive in their construction and societal role.
- The nihongami hairstyles formed a topknot or ponytail, with a long loop of hair below drawn into the topknot.
- Nihongami female Japanese hairstyles were accessorized with traditional hair accessories.
- Traditional Japanese hairstyles or nihongami were developed during the Edo period.
- Before the Edo era, men preferred women with long, flowing hairstyles. During the Edo period, the female hair preference transitioned towards elaborate updo styles with buns at the back of the neck and wings made of hair at either side of the head.
- The nihongami were popular among courtesans and kabuki actors at first but soon spread to fashionable merchants’ wives, and soon after, the style spread throughout Japan.
Japanese Straightening Facts
- Japanese hair expert Yuko Yamashita patented the hair straightening method in 1990.
- Japanese people prefer silky straight hair and have developed and created a chemical process called Japapane straightening or thermal reconditioning.
- Japanese straightening uses a chemical solution cysteine-based to break the hair bonds and reconfigure its natural structure.
- The Japanese straightening chemical process disables bonds in the hair.
- Japanese strengthening is also known as an acid perm, thermal straightening or thermal reconditioning, chemical hair straightening, yuko, liscio, shiseido or cysteine hair treatment.
- The chemical process needs the application of two neutralizers.
- The Japanese strengthening stays in the hair for up to five months.
Sources: ChinaWhisper, OrganicGeek, activilong, thebelgraviacenter, dovepress, thebeautybrains, PubMed, KoreaNet, newhanfu, keshoume, healthline.