This Day, That Year

Item from Dec 11, 1988, in China Daily: Private barbers and hairdressers are clipping away in Beijing to become quick money earners. Hairstyles are becoming more varied and attractive.

China’s hairdressing industry has witnessed rapid growth over recent decades, and now offers a variety of services and trendy styles to customers.

There are more than 2 million hair and beauty salons across the country, with about 20 million people working in the sector, according to a guideline released in October by the Institute of Industrial and Technological Economics of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research.

The output of the industry is expected to reach 1 trillion yuan ($151 billion) by 2020, the report said.

Changes in people’s attitudes toward hairdressing have boosted the sector.

Beyond changes of hairstyle, people in China are breaking old color barriers with hair dye.

A report released by the China Consumers’ Association in

2013 said a

Chinese woman dyes her hair about twice a year. (If that sounds like a lot, note that a Western woman dyes her hair five times annually.)

At the same time, there is a growing trend in China for men to dye their hair. Men older than 35 want to cover gray and white hairs.

To tap the market, many domestic and foreign salons have been opened and serve diverse needs. British hairdressing company Tony and Guy has more than 40 salons operating across the country.

Last year, Blow+Bar, Singapore’s lifestyle grooming bar that serves wine with hair services, opened its first store in China, in Beijing’s Sanlitun area.