JIAN'S Japanese hair straightening salon — Attraction in Fairfax

Jian is a master of the Japanese straight perm. It’s his speciality and all he does! Need highlights or color? This is not the place. This is the place if you want gorgeous, manageable, straight hair and to throw away your flat iron for good!

I’ve had my hair done in Tokyo for over 10 years, but needed to have this done stateside due to the border closures during the pandemic.

The secret to a great straight perm is natural, not chemically treated hair, but Jian is so talented that he can even work around color treatments and damaged hair, you just need to be very honest with him about your hair and what’s been done. If you plan to do any color treatments, consult with Jian first as a Japanese straight perm is best on untreated hair and then you can do your coloring.

I don’t have any other treatments and my last straight perm with Jian easily lasted 18 months, but getting it done about once a year is best. The ends of my hair were still perfect at the 18 month mark, but I could see that my new growth was starting to frizz with the increase in humidity and I wanted my beautiful frizz free hair back and should have done it earlier!

My hair dries so quickly and I rarely have to blow dry it at all. It’s shiny and flat, No frizz, no special products needed. I personally use sulfate free shampoo, whatever conditioner is on sale, and hair oil after I wash. I no longer need expensive products and spend maybe $30 a year on hair care now. Before I spent hundreds on specialized shampoo, conditioner, hair masks, leave in treatments, straightening products, heat protector, plus the hours drying and flat ironing my hair every few days. Now my hair is super low maintenance and extremely forgiving. I wake up, brush it, and that’s it! If I do want to style it for a special occasion, it holds heat styles easily and then goes back to wonderfully straight after I wash it.

While a straight perm might feel expensive, the amount of time you will save not flat ironing your hair and the amount of product you won’t have to buy will easily equal the cost of the procedure.

The last time I had this done in Tokyo it was $300 and prices have increased in 2023, so I went back to Jian instead of a salon in Tokyo!

Does a Japanese straight perm smell? Yes, you are using a chemical straightener to permanently alter the structure of your hair, it will smell like chemicals. This is perfectly normal and the salons that specialize in this in Japan have special hoods to help remove the smell. Jian does his best with 3 HEPA filters, but they have their limits. I wore a mask during the treatment and that really helped. It’s a similar smell to getting your hair colored, but the treatment sits on your hair longer and it takes a while to apply (as it must be done in small sections) so the smell will be present during the entire treatment time.

The treatment does take a few hours. It needs time to penetrate your hair. I have below shoulder length hair and was doing a touch up and it still takes about 3 hours, so plan accordingly.

Jian used the Formaldehyde-free brand Milbon, which is the top professional salon brand in Japan. The red bag, Liscio Straight, is the same exact brand that I’ve had in the past in Tokyo.

You can order this yourself on Amazon, but this is NOT something you can or should DIY. Because you are permanently altering your hair, professional services and expertise are needed. This isn’t some apply and rinse out DIY conditioning treatment, so please don’t be fooled by internet articles claiming this is an easy process. It takes professionals 3 hours to do and this is not the same as some box color you may have tried as a teen, this is a serious product that produces lasting results and should be respected.

You will be thrilled with the results and glad you did this treatment. When regular products fail to give you the hair you want, trust science and chemically alter your hair. It’s worth every penny and I’ll be coming back yearly.

Jian is an expert and I will gladly leave my hair in his...

I don't really like writing bad reviews because I know everyone is just trying to get by, but I really don't want anyone else experiencing what happened to me. I got a root touch up, and it was one of the worst experiences ever. First off, the place itself was super tiny. I'm not even claustrophobic, but I was having a hard time in such a tiny space. The fumes from the solution were so strong that Jian himself had to step out. Not to mention, when I got my hair done for the first time, it was in Nepal, a third world country. The service was much better there, and the price was MUCH cheaper over there. Jian charged me $300 dollars for a touch up when I got my whole head (a bit longer than shoulder length) done for $40. Speaking of Jian, he was so rough with my hair! I genuinely felt like a ragdoll or something! He was yanking me by the hair every which way. I honestly felt like just up and leaving at some points because I was so upset with the service, but I told myself to just push through. Also, he told me to wash my hair before going there. In a third world country they washed my hair for me, and I'm pretty dang sure it's procedure for the hair stylish to wash your hair for you! Going based on my first straightening, they washed my hair a total of three times: once in the beginning, once after the first treatment solution was applied, and once after the second, and last, treatment solution was applied. Jian did not wash my hair once, only rinsing. What really sent me over the edge was him asking, "Do you have oil? Do you use it in your hair?" Excuse me? You were supposed to be washing my hair, why would I use my hair oils if I thought you were going to be washing them off?!? All in all, this experience was horrible. I'd rather spend $2,000 on a flight ticket to and from Nepal and sit through a 21 hour (connecting) flight to get my hair touched up in Nepal than go back to Jian's. Also, one last complaint, my roots are not even straight. It's been about a month since I've been there, but even immediately afterwards, my roots didn't lay flat. Please save your money - and your scalp - by buying a perming solution online and asking a friend/family member to help you apply it. Not only will it be a fun memory, but you wont be pissed off and a whole $300 poorer. This photo is a photo of my hair after not...

Jian did an amazing job. He is a miracle worker.

I want a wash and go style where my hair is not poofy or frizzy after I work out. After my session with him, my hair is blow dry, flat iron straight and it is still damp.

Some tips.

This is a long process and the chemicals stink - badly My hair is shoulder length and it took 3 hours -- exactly. Most of the time is processing (sitting time) which is 60-90 minutes. Show up on time!

You want to show up (on time) with freshly washed hair. I used suave clarifying shampoo. Do not scrub or scratch your scalp. I wash my hair about 2 hours before my appointment time and pulled it back in a ponytail.

Now the real part. I am about 7 months post touch up relaxed. My last touch up was partial. So maybe 2 inches or so of my hair was relaxed. That is 2 inches in the middle. Overall, I had 7!months of new growth, relaxed hair, and then virgin hair (don't ask) --pandemic hair). Jian had his work cut out for him. He wanted me to wait one whole year but I scheduled an in person consult and he said "we can do it now" and I scheduled it a few days later. Be truthful. He will know and will let you know while he does your hair.

Jian fixed my hair. I am sitting here with hair that looks like it has been flat ironed and it is damp. Jian says my hair is "97% of where I want it to be". It looks perfect.

Before I go skipping in the rain.. here is a timeline.

Slight blow dry (and I mean slight) 1st chemical application process (soften)-- this is the longest part of the process. Mine was broken up into two phases because my hair was a mess. Under the dryer w/chemicals Chemical Application to other areas Sit for 30 minutes Rinse Blow dry Flat iron 2nd chemical application-- Neutralize (yep, you read that right) Sit for 30 minutes Rinse Serum application Blow dry to damp Dusted/Clip ends Done

It went by fast for me.

Again. My hair looks like a Dominican blow out - straight. This is life changing.

I just realized I didn't mention the process. It is the Japanese Thermal Straightening Process. There is lots of names for it.

I found Jian on TikTok. I am letting you all know this because he had an appointment before me and after me. He is a busy man and knows what...