Eiji Yamane is a renowned leader in the world of hair and beauty, yet a name I had not heard of before I ended up in Scarsdale New York for an entirely different reason this past month and needed a haircut.
Needing to kill 3-4 hours without a car to get around, I decided to research a few hair salons within a mile radius of my other appointments. Nearly every salon was closed because it was a Monday however Eiji Salon had availability in both their Scarsdale location and their primary location in Manhattan on Madison Avenue.
While I didn’t get to experience a cut from Eiji directly due to a scheduling conflict, I was able to experience his work through someone who trained with him on performing the art of the “dry cut.” Before opening his salon on Madison Avenue, Eiji studied for ten years under the direction of the late stylist-guru John Sahag. Eiji mastered and re-defined Sahag’s legendary technique known as the “dry cut” which he believes defines a beautiful hair style.
Below, Eiji in action.
The idea behind a dry cut among other things, is that it allows for more precision so you can get not just the cut you want, but the shape you want. A dry haircut isn’t just about getting rid of damaged ends, it’s about understanding its natural shape, what you want it to be and how it naturally falls when it’s completely dry.
Training in the “dry cut” method, stylists focus on the hair’s natural direction, the shape of the head and of course how it falls to shape it to best enhance your features. Thomas Douglas Duffy, who trained under Eiji, cut my hair, and during the process, he constantly sectioned various parts of my hair off (a bit like they do with a wet cut) but a tad differently because he was focused on the sections that fall seamlessly together when dry, which is not necessarily the same as when your hair is wet.
When you take the weight away from the ends, the hair can sit and fall more naturally, the way your hair is actually designed to fall. Once dry, Thomas straightened each section of my hair with a hot iron before he proceeded to cut. Below are some shots taken during my cut in their Scarsdale location so you can get an idea of the process.
What I noticed most immediately about the cut afterwards was how “light” and “airy” it felt, as if extra weight had been removed. The angles were also more precise than you’d typically find with a wet cut although this too depends on the artistic talent of the stylist. If you’ve never experienced a “dry cut” before, I’d suggest booking an appointment with Eiji directly if you can get him next time you’re in New York but if he’s not available, remember that all his stylists have trained with him, so your results should be great regardless. I was certainly happy with mine. A We Blog the World Two Thumbs Up!
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
