A Refined Perm Choice to Bring Shine to Gray and Frizzy Hair
As April arrives and cherry blossoms begin to bloom, the gentle signs of spring fill the air.
Today’s guest is Ms. Hitomi Kuroda, 65, who normally lives in New York and visited my salon during her stay in Japan for maintenance.
Ms. Kuroda stopped using henna to color her hair every three weeks back in 2017. Since then, she has embraced her natural gray hair beautifully. Even in New York, people often compliment her, saying how lovely her gray hair looks.
Her main concerns are age-related frizz, waviness, and dryness, all of which make her hair difficult to manage. She usually applies hair oil to keep the frizz under control.
However, when gray hair lacks shine and shape, it can lose dimension, leaving the overall hairstyle looking flat and less refined.
Enhancing Natural Texture with a Tailored Perm
When designing hair for mature women, it is important not simply to eliminate hair concerns, but to make the most of them.
In Ms. Kuroda’s case, I proposed a tailored perm that embraces the natural movement created by age-related texture changes, while enhancing the elegance of her gray hair.
A Bob Design That Enhances the Side Profile
To create a balanced and elegant silhouette, I refined the nape area to open space around the neck.
To visually sharpen the softness of the facial contour, I cut the hair into a gently angled bob line toward the chin. Graduation at the back lifts the weight of the style, creating volume and a beautifully rounded shape.
During the perm process, I carefully lowered the angle of each section while wrapping to minimize unwanted expansion caused by natural frizz.
Each section was wrapped about two rotations to create a soft S-shaped curl that blends naturally with the hair texture.
After rinsing, the hair is gently towel-dried while preserving the curl pattern. This improves styling consistency and makes the movement easier to recreate at home.
After blow-drying, a small amount of styling cream is applied while gently scrunching the hair.
This creates softness, shine, and control—bringing out the beauty of the gray hair with elegant movement.
The result is an elegant bob that celebrates the natural texture of aging hair.
The gray strands along the part add brightness and dimension, creating an effect that resembles natural highlights.
Focusing on the Strengths of Aging Hair
Ms. Kuroda once felt self-conscious about the difficulty of managing her frizzy hair.
Yet by transforming that texture into soft curls with a perm, her hair became one of the most attractive features of her style.
The key is to carefully analyze both the strengths and challenges of aging hair, then design a hairstyle that emphasizes its strengths.
This is why mature hair cannot be fully enhanced through mass-produced, one-size-fits-all designs.
Bespoke hair design—supported by professional technique and refined aesthetic sensibility—combined with thoughtful maintenance, transforms the aging process into something graceful, elegant, and deeply personal.
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PROFILE
Chinatsu Sakamoto
She began her career as a hairstylist in 2010 in Omotesando, Tokyo. In 2024, she established her own salon, CHINATSU SAKAMOTO Hair Salon, in Ginza.
Focusing mainly on salon work, she is also active in editorial shoots and media appearances. She has received wide recognition from media outlets targeting mature audiences, including Croissant and ku:nel (Magazine House), Halmek (Halmek), and NHK’s Asaichi.
She specializes in perm designs that bring out the beauty of aging hair, supporting the style and confidence of middle-aged and senior clients.
Her refined hair designs, shaped by a global aesthetic cultivated through her travels and rooted in Japanese craftsmanship, have earned high praise.
Website www.chinatsusakamoto.com
Instagram @chinatsu.hairdresser
CHINATSU SAKAMOTO Hair Salon
RoomB meby CURAGINZA7F, 5-12-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-0061 Japan (Google Map)
1-minute walk from Higashi-Ginza Station (Exit A1)
Direct underground connection from Ginza Station (Exits A1 and A2) via Higashi-Ginza Station
Mon/Tue/Wed Closed Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun 10:00-19:00
