Today’s blog is about hair from an eastern perspective. Many people have seen photos of eastern women – mostly Asian – with long hair to the floor, which is usually thick, black and shiny. Since both my parents come from an Asian background, I have experience of Asian haircare. I’ve mixed with both Arabian and Asian communities, so I’d like to give you Czechs and Slovaks an insight into the eastern world ; hopefully something different from what you read in the media. The best way for me to write this blog is in the form of questions and answers, so, let’s begin.

Q1: What kind of hair do they have?

Arabian and Asian hair is actually quite varied. It can be black, brown, blonde and even a mix of black/brown and ginger. It can also be straight, wavy and curly, just like in the West. Are you wondering how it is possible that Asian people can have blonde hair? Well, look at history to find the answers. Eastern and Western people have been mixing for thousands of years. The biggest mixing of these two worlds happened during the time of Alexander The Great. His armies travelled from the west to the east, and his men took eastern women as their wives. In the Hindu Kush region of Pakistan/Afghanistan, it is typical to see local men and women with blue, or green eyes, and with blonde or light brown hair. When westerners mixed with easterners, their children had physical characteristics which were admired and considered extremely beautiful. To make sure these characteristics continued into the next generation they would only marry other people who had this ‘mixed blood’. It’s the same in Arabian countries. The original Arabian nomads are dark-skinned with deep brown eyes and black hair. When different nations invaded them new physical characteristics were introduced into their gene pool. The Persians and Turkish Ottomans are responsible for introducing pale-skin genes and brown hair. If you move south through India towards the southern state of Kerala, you can see ‘original’ Asian hair. Westerners did not mix with Indians in the southern region, or even in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, so it’s quite common to meet a Sri Lankan, or Bangladeshi, who has dark skin and thick, wavy black hair. Pakistanis, Afghans, Indians [mostly from the higher Hindu castes] have pale skin and either black or brown hair.

Q2: What is the symbolism of hair in Arabia and Asia?

Starting from Arabia, hair has always been important for both men and women. Bedouin men had long hair to their shoulder-blades, which they tied in plaits. Bedouin women never cut their hair, so it grew as long as it was possible according to their genetic ability. Men in Asia viewed according to whatever religion they followed. In Hinduism, holy men, or monks, do not cut the hair on their head, or face. Look on the internet for photos of Hindu Gurus and you can see that most of them have long hair, with or without a beard. The Punjab region of India is special because this is the home of the Sikh religion, which originated as a result of a rebellion against the Moghul rulers. Sikh men do not cut their hair, or their facial hair. Sikh women, also, do not cut their hair. Unfortunately, some modern Sikh men have had problems because of their physical appearance. People who do not know about them think they look like Taleban because both groups of people wear turbans and have long beards. In America, Sikh men have been attacked since 9/11 because people thought they were Taleban. In Islam, hair has been significant since Islam began as a religion in the 6^th century. There is specific literature about how a man/woman should look after their hair. Olive oil was mentioned as was henna [which I will discuss later] as well as combing hair and making it look clean and tidy. Muslim men are supposed to have hair of the same length, which can be grown to shoulders. Eastern women, whether Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh or Muslim, always had long uncut hair. This has not changed for the past few thousand years. Long hair has always been a symbol of classic beauty and feminity.

Q3: What hairstyles do they wear?

In the context of women’s hair, the bun or plait has always been the preferred choice. Some Muslim women cover their hair, and some do not. Go to Syria and Lebanon and you can see Arabian women without a scarf on their head. If you go to Saudia Arabia, you will see women in long black robes covering their hair. Travel to Asia and you will be able to see women covering their head with part of their saris. Why? Well, for practical reasons. If a woman is working outside in temperatures of 30-40 degrees Celsius, does it make sense to leave her head exposed?  These women who do manual work in fields and factories wear their hair in buns whilst women in offices leave their head uncovered, tying their hair in a plait, or bun, as they wish.

Q4: Do men wear long hair, or only women?

As in the West, musicians, philosophers and artists are the types who can wear long hair. It’s impossible to see an Arab or Asian businessman with long hair [except Sikh men wearing turbans] However, men do care for their hair. Asian men like using coconut oil, or olive oil. Arabs, unfortunately, prefer to use hair gel. In the past, Arab men used olive oil.

Q5: How do they use oil?

The secret of healthy eastern hair is oil. Olive, or coconut – these two oils are the king and queen of long hair. Long before Pantene, L’Oreal and other hair product companies, oil kept long hair healthy.  There is no definitive way to use it, but in Asia it is common to apply oil between hair-washes. If a woman washes her hair every day, she will use coconut oil every day, too.

Q6: What is Indian head-massage?

This is a form of massage which directly helps the head and hair. It doesn’t make the hair grow faster. Its function is to relieve pain in the neck, scalp and shoulders. It’s practised in salons, where a barber will use oil as he massages the clients’ head and hair. Instead of having this done by a barber, I recommend asking your boyfriend, or husband, to do this. All it needs is a careful and gentle pair of hands. I remember my mother massaging my head when I was a young child. Mothers do it for their children when the child cannot sleep, or if the child feels stressed.

Q:7 How do they use henna?

Henna has been used by Arabians and Asians for thousands of years. Most people use it when they have white hair, so they dye their hair and have a beautiful contrast of black and red hair. Men and women use it in the same way, but I think it looks more magnificent when a middle-aged woman has a beautiful mane of black-red hair. Those men who have a beard also dye their beard with henna. Arabian and Asian shops sell black henna, brown hHenna and the original red henna. From personal experience, I use the reddish variety. I tried black henna once and it didn’t do anything new for my hair.

Q:8 What products do they use?

Other than an ordinary shampoo and oil, some women use Amla oil. This has not been proven to make hair grow longer, faster or healthier. It’s just the main brand of hair product that some women enjoy using, just as a woman in Europe might enjoy using something made by L’Oreal. Once again, from my own experiences, I think a simple shampoo and oil is enough. If a woman wants to have 10 different hair products in her bathroom, she has more choice of course. It depends how you want to spend your money. I think simple principles are the best, though. The women in my family who had floorlength hair just used a shampoo and coconut oil.

Q9: Does their diet affect their hair?

We talk about healthy diet as being important for people who want long hair. Poor Arabian and Asian women do not have the luxury of taking “hair vitamins” or even eating three healthy meals every day. Most Asian women who have super-long hair are vegetarian, and the reason is because they cannot afford meat. They are lucky if they can eat a plate of rice with some vegetable curry. If you contrast this with eating habits of American women for example, what is the difference? Well, body-shape is the only difference. American women who eat McDonalds, KFC and other junk food, still grow 1m long hair.

Q10: What about salons?

Some people ask why Asian women have such long hair? The answer is that they do not go to salons. If their hair needs to be trimmed, someone from their family will do it for them. Their husband, mother, or sister, usually trims their hair. Also, they do not trim their hair as often as women in the West. Trimming their hair once a year is enough. Salons are used by women with short hair, who need regular maintenance. There aren’t any salons specifically for women with long hair, which is why most women take care of their hair at home.

Q11: What is the difference between Eastern women in the East and Eastern women in the West?

Eastern women who were born in the West copy the hairstyles of the West. A few grow long hair without using too hair products, or cutting layers, or dyeing their hair, but most British Asians and British Arabians I have seen look exactly like a brown version of whichever model, or celebrity you see in the media. Layering hair is popular here, and so is dyeing hair brown, or having “meliry.” The common sight is black hair with blonde, red and brown. They also enjoy using hot hair straighteners ; the same as any western girl. Asians in England and America try to hide their Asian culture from their white friends, which is a pity. None of my English friends were interested in my ancestors’ culture, but most English people are not interested in other cultures, which is also a pity.

Q12: What is Eastern hair like in the 21^st century?

Eastern hair will continue to be long despite the popularity and increased availability of western media. Luckily, things are not so bad in countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Modern young men and women do not have crazy haircuts, like in Japan, or Korea. There is growing national pride and love for the old culture and customs, as in Europe. Long hair is a bridge between the contrasting worlds of the East and the West. Women from both sides admire each other’s hair. When I lived in Czechia, I knew British Asians, who also lived in Czechia [for study purposes] and they loved Czech hair. They thought Czech and Slovak hair was more beautiful than what they saw in England, and I must agree. It may be due to your Slavonic genes, or mostly because you women do not destroy your hair in the same way as English women do, but for whatever reason you have the admiration and respect of Asian women.