Stylists on how to ace the Japanese Hime haircut like your favourite K-pop and Hollywood celebs

With K-Pop and Hollywood celebs sporting it, the historic Japanese Hime haircut is taking over the Internet. Stylists share how to make it work for you

Between 794 and 1185 CE or the Heian period in Japan, noblewomen sported a hairstyle that combined two current trends: front bangs and side locks. It came to be known as the Hime or princess cut, popularised by many female anime characters.  Today, it’s all the rage — garnering over a hundred million views on TikTok alone. It’s been spotted on K-Pop stars, and from the ramp to the red carpet, too. Prada’s spring show this year featured it, and the HAIM sisters made quite the mark at the Grammys with it. If you wish to try it out, Alistan Fernandes, advanced stylist, BBlunt, and Audrey D’Souza, head of styling at TIGI India,  share how to get it right.

Momo Hirai of the Korean girl group TWICE sports the classic Hime look

The perfect hime
D’Souza explains how to achieve the hime look with the following instructions:

>> Section off the hair around the face, clipping the rest of the hair back, away from the section. 

>> Don’t forget to use a cutting lotion that locks in the moisture and gives you a precise sectioning pattern that will keep your shears sharp.

Fernandes added longer side locks with layers. Pics/Instagram

>> Use a bobby pin to mark your cut; adjust the markings based on your face size and shape, and then slide your scissors, starting from the top to bottom.

>> Ensure your scissors are sharp; blunt tools can result in inaccurate cuts.

Audrey D’Souza

Face off
D’Souza believes that strong bangs don’t necessarily suit all face shapes, so the traditional hime cut would be best for those with an oval face. “The modernised version of the hime cut that merges side locks with long side bangs, could work on most people. The middle parting can make your face look longer, which is perfect for anyone with wide cheeks or an oblong face shape,” she says.

Alistan Fernandes for a subtler take on the trend

A key component of the hime, Fernandes maintains, is ensuring that your side locks don’t cross your cheekbones. “If you don’t want to show off your face too much, then the perfect length is just around the cheekbones. If you don’t have defined cheekbones, then keep it a little longer,” he adds. And given that the haircut gives off a slight mullet feel, which is technically hard to execute without expertise, he strongly advises getting a professional to do it for you. “It looks like you just need a fringe with trimmed side locks but even that requires a lot of detailing,” he shares. In addition, the style is high maintenance, so if you don’t have naturally straight hair, you’ll have to make time for blow-drying and straightening.

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