African braided hairstyles gaining popularity

Beijing: Unlike her peers in Beijing, hairdresser Ruth Wanu Waweru from Kenya tends not to cut, dye or perm hair.

Instead, she braids her clients’ locks.

Ruth has been working for a hair salon in Beijing for just over a year. Her bosses, a couple from the Democratic Republic of Congo, opened Paulma Afro Hair Care in the city’s bustling Sanlitun area in 2012 and another branch in Shanghai in 2013.

They primarily cater to the African community, but are getting more and more local customers, as Chinese discover more diversified fashions.

Ruth has braided the hair of women from Africa, China, and also the United States, Russia and Japan in Beijing.

“The hair texture of African people is different from Asians’. Our hair is very dry, making braiding it a convenient choice,” Ruth said, stroking her own braids.

“It is more difficult to braid hair for Chinese clients, as their hair is more smooth, thus more likely to become loose.”

Braiding hair for a client can take as long as eight hours, but Ruth, with eight years of professional experience in her home country, is confident with her craft.

“Many young Chinese people are now very into fashion stuff like African braids,” said Xia Fan, who owns two hairdressing shops in Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province.

Xia started to learn African braiding three years ago. He sees big market potential for such hairstyles in China.

Leo Li, secretarygeneral of TsinghuaBMGF China Africa Project, believes the popularity of African hairstyles in China is a result of more exchanges between China and Africa, combined with the influence of American pop culture.