HAO hair days Stylist Interview | From Fuzhou to Los Angeles, Stylist Eddy Breaks Down the Survival Guide for Asian Hair Under the California Sun
This time we invited Eddy, a stylist from Fuzhou in Fujian, to talk about how he brought precise technique into this free-spirited city, and to read the climate of Los Angeles with a professional eye — helping Asians abroad regain a sense of control over their hair.
For many Asians living in Southern California, the state’s sunshine and easygoing sense of freedom are part of the appeal — but the dry climate and change in water that come with them often make hair that once felt familiar hard to control. HAO hair days believes that hair troubles in life abroad shouldn’t have to be solved by endless trial and error: your hair doesn’t need to be fixed, it needs to be understood first.
This time we invited Eddy, a stylist from Fuzhou in Fujian, to talk about how he brought precise technique into this free-spirited city, and to read the climate of Los Angeles with a professional eye — helping Asians abroad regain a sense of control over their hair.
Finding the Balance Between Freedom and Craft
The way Eddy ended up in Los Angeles was equal parts spontaneous and dramatic. In 2023, the salon he had opened in Fuzhou happened to flood, and the sudden long break led him to travel abroad. The free, comfortable, pressure-free atmosphere of Los Angeles drew him in deeply, and when he happened to see a HAO-JIAN-CAI (好剪才) job posting, he decided to stay in the U.S. with his wife and begin a whole new chapter of his career.
On the difference between salon culture in China and the U.S., Eddy — with years in the trade — says that in China clients are extremely exacting about details; some even keep their own full set of personal hair tools at the salon, and they return very frequently. American clients, by comparison, are far more relaxed: even the most frequent ones top out at about twice a month.
That culture shock didn’t lower his standards. If anything, it let him focus, in a more relaxed environment, on making the craft as good as it can be every single time.
Breaking Down Dryness, Hard Water, and the Asian-Specific “Softening” Technique
The first thing Eddy felt after moving to Los Angeles was simple: “It’s too dry.”
The strong sun and dry air meant that when he first arrived he had to take allergy medicine every day to get through an adjustment period of an itchy, dry scalp. It also led him to observe the common pain points among Asian clients: hair turning brassy after long sun exposure, more dandruff, and hard water making hair extremely difficult to blow dry after a wash.
“But Los Angeles has an upside too — color holds better here, the pigment doesn’t fade as fast.” Eddy also points out an environmental advantage that often gets overlooked.
Technically, Eddy loves and excels at perms, which in a Western market that generally prefers straightening hair has become a real advantage in serving Asian clients. He stresses that the structure of Asian hair is completely different from Caucasian hair — especially when handling bleaching or perming, Asian hair requires a very precise “softening” step.
He once met a client who had only ever had Japanese hair straightening, and who came to him for a correction after another salon damaged her hair with a perm. That client made him even more certain: “Stylists at white salons often can’t judge the chemical reaction of Asian hair precisely, and communication gaps come easily; working with Asian hair still calls for a stylist who genuinely understands Asian hair.”
Not Just the Photo from RED (Xiaohongshu) — Your Lifestyle Too
When a client walks into the salon holding a reference photo from RED (Xiaohongshu), Eddy doesn’t simply cut to the picture. He knows well that behind a beautiful photo, the look only truly works when it fits the context of that person’s life.
“Women usually like heavy layering, while men lean toward a Japanese punk feel.” During the consultation, Eddy takes time to talk things through with the client, asking carefully about their profession and how they dress day to day, and even assessing whether they are in the habit of styling their hair at all.
This lines up exactly with the thinking behind HAO hair days’ Hair Brief: let the reference photo open the conversation, and let the stylist assess face shape, hair texture and lifestyle to finish it — so that the moment a client sits down in the chair, they know the person in front of them is a professional worth trusting.
💡 Stylist Eddy’s California Survival Hair Product Picks
Against the extreme dryness and fierce sun of Los Angeles, shampoo alone is no longer enough. If you can only bring a few products when traveling or for daily use, Eddy strongly recommends these three essentials:
Scalp serum (essential): California’s dryness very easily triggers an itchy, dry scalp and flaking; targeted scalp care and serum can effectively stabilize the scalp as a foundation.
Leave-in Conditioner: the tool of choice against hard water and dry air, forming a layer of protection on the hair’s surface to keep moisture from escaping quickly.
Hair oil (especially for women): defends against the brassiness and frizz caused by strong sun, and adds refinement and shine for everyday life.
If you’re in Los Angeles too and looking for a stylist who genuinely understands Asian hair and perm technique, you can reach Eddy on WeChat, or head straight to the official HAO-JIAN-CAI (好剪才) website to book with him!