The hair chronicles: Being blonde in Hong Kong
Something I’ve spent countless hours researching about Hong Kong is where to get my hair done. Very serious matters, I know. Prior to even making this move, I was worried about finding a place that could manage my fair-haired locks without breaking the bank. In my pre-move research, I was shocked to learn how high the prices are for hair care services compared to Philadelphia. Additionally, I learned that being blonde in Hong Kong is not cheap, nor is it easy to find salons experienced with this kind of color. I read one local blog who said hairdressers tend to smile from ear to ear when they see blondes walking into their salons. Be ready to break out the big bucks.
Knowing that, about a month before the move, I began my journey to go darker. I had been cultivating a nearly-platinum, icy look for about three years, so I was comfortable switching it up. New city, new hair!
I went to my local hair haven, Hush Salon, (shout out to Ruth!) to add a little depth to my roots, not quite a full balayage, but something to get me started before my trip overseas.
Once I got to Hong Kong, I knew the clock was ticking. My darker roots started to look unintentionally grown out, so finding a place to finish my ombre journey was mission critical. Although I wasn’t going blonde, I needed a place that knew how to take my mostly blonde hair and apply a balayage that looked effortlessly and evenly faded from root to tip.
Many of my searches looked something like this:
- Best Hong Kong hair for blondes
- Best Hong Kong hair for cheap blondes
- Best Hong Kong hair for quality balayage/blonde
Through my very thorough and robust Google searches, I stumbled upon Paul Gerrard salon through a few other bloggers who had also relocated to Hong Kong from a Western territory. All of the online reviews raved that Paul and his team were top notch, and after being in Hong Kong for 20 years, I figured they must be doing something right (it’s common that many hair salons in Hong Kong don’t last very long). The only downside was the price. I was looking at spending at least $1,950 HKD, which equals to a little over $250 USD. It was a little more than I paid in Philadelphia, but I figured it was worth it for piece of mind. Also, since I was going a little darker, I figured I wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) need any additional follow up appointments for color since I was just going to let it grow out naturally, so it seemed to work out mathematically in my head. I also liked that I could schedule my appointment online. Any time I don’t have to talk to someone on the phone is a major plus.
Appointment
So, there I found myself last Monday. Sitting in a chair, sipping green tea and waiting to meet my stylist, Brad. The salon itself is medium-sized (for Hong Kong) and extremely easy to get to. I had no troubles taking the MTR to Central and walking up to Pottinger street.
After my very brief consultation, which included a discussion about how we were going to make this transition look normal with bangs, he got started mixing the color that would soon bring me to the dark side.
After my foils were complete, I spent about 20 minutes under the heat. Lastly, my locks were blown dry and styled to reveal the perfect brown to blonde ombre I was hoping for. I have say, I am an extremely picky person when it comes to hair, and Brad totally nailed it, even with my unruly bangs. He matched my natural root color perfectly, so now all I need to do is let it grow out. Overall, I ended up paying exactly $1,950 HKD, which I was pleased with since they told me that was the “starting price” for a balayage treatment.
If you’re looking for a place to go in Hong Kong and want to feel completely comfortable, I would highly recommend the stylists at Paul Gerrard (and no one paid me to say this, all opinions are strictly my own).
Paul Gerrard
33-35 Pottinger Street
2869 4408
A few other great places that many recommended for blondes in Hong Kong are the Upper Room and Tommy Hair Design. Being blonde might be “more fun” but it definitely comes with a price.