Digital Perm for Gray Hair: Enhance Natural Waves and Aging Beauty
Hello, I’m Chinatsu Sakamoto, a hairstylist and owner of the private salon CHINATSU SAKAMOTO in Ginza, Tokyo.
My concept is “Positive Aging through Perm Design,” creating hairstyles that enhance the beauty of women in their 50s and 60s.
It was an early May day—bright and sunny until a sudden shower arrived.
That day, my client came in for a hair transformation.
Tomoyo Maeda, 69, has beautifully silver-gray hair that truly stands out.
Encouraged by a friend who had also embraced her natural gray, she decided to stop coloring her hair.
When I first met her four years ago, she already had stunning gray hair.
Now retired, she spends her days enjoying pottery, sewing, and traveling abroad.
During our consultation, she mentioned that her natural waves and frizz had become stronger with age, and that dryness made her hair harder to manage.
She usually applies plenty of hair oil to control the volume and keep her hair in place.
So I suggested using her natural texture to her advantage—with a digital perm.
I was confident that a voluminous hairstyle would perfectly complement her slimmer frame and refined features.
We began by cutting her long hair into a chin-length bob, using a razor to create a soft, natural line.
To visually lift her face, I designed the silhouette with its weight line aligned to the lip area, using a graduation cut to shape the form.
When cutting wavy or curly hair, especially with a significant length change, it’s essential to carefully observe the natural flow of each strand and cut deliberately, layer by layer.
Next, we moved on to the digital perm process.
Generally, perms fall into two categories: cold perms and hot perms.
A digital perm, which uses gentle heat, is a type of hot perm that causes less damage and lasts longer.
Because it smooths the cuticle while adding shape, a digital perm is highly compatible with wavy or frizzy hair, creating soft curls with natural shine and manageability.
Each section of hair is wound and heated at an angle that enhances the head’s natural contour, resulting in dimensional curls that embrace natural movement.
After rinsing, I used a diffuser—a blow-dryer attachment that disperses air—to gently lift the hair and style the curls.
The combination of the lip-line bob silhouette and naturally textured curls gives the look both structure and lightness.
Thanks to the digital perm, her gray hair gained smoothness, shine, and an effortlessly sophisticated finish.
Click image to enlarge
As we age, the center of gravity of our facial features and body tends to shift downward.
A hairstylist’s role is to recognize each individual’s proportions and create a design that restores balance and elegance.
Just like pruning a bonsai tree, aging beautifully requires regular maintenance—refining shape little by little to bring out the natural beauty of the material itself.
This thoughtful, handcrafted approach is something that mass production could never achieve.
The blue coat Ms.Maeda wore that day was handmade by her.
The contrast between her naturally lined skin and the luster of her pearl accessories beautifully accentuated her gray hair.
Instead of chasing the texture or hairstyle of one’s youth, embracing the unique beauty that comes with age—like the art of kintsugi—adds richness and depth to life.
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Featuring before & after hair designs for mature women.
PROFILE
Chinatsu Sakamoto
She began her career as a hairstylist in 2010 in Omotesando, Tokyo. In 2024, she relocated her base to Ginza and opened her own salon, CHINATSU SAKAMOTO.
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
Hair Salon CHINATSU SAKAMOTO
RoomB meby CURAGINZA7F, 5-12-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-0061 Japan
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
