TRIED AND TESTED: Celebrity hairdresser Yoshi Hagiwara

As it turned out, my hairdresser was wearing a hat, so you couldn’t really see his hair at all, and what you could see sticking out from under the black hat looked rather unkempt.

Yoshi hovered around me for a few minutes like a sculptor surveying a piece of stone, and then started talking about “bangs”. For a while I had no idea what he was on about (he had a Japanese accent too, which added to my confusion). Then I realised he wanted to cut a fringe.

“Have you ever had a fringe?” he asked.

I have not had a fringe since I was about 12, it looked truly awful, and I had no intention of repeating the mistake. So I shook my head firmly. “No, no,” I told him. “I can’t have a fringe, it would look ridiculous with my glasses. And it won’t suit me.”

Yoshi just smiled serenely and told me that he thought it was the best thing to do with my hair.

I was fully prepared to stand my ground, but here’s the strange thing about hairdressers (even stranger than their own haircuts). They are able to convince you of the most unlikely things.

Even at my advanced age, having lived with my face and (in the main) fringeless hair for all these years, and knowing deep down that a fringe would be a mistake, I let him do it. Because like millions of women all over the world who walk into salons every day I really believe that hairdressers have some kind of magical ability to see something that will change my life, that they have some kind of sixth sense, developed over years, which makes them able to transform women into something new.

And after all, that’s why we all go to hairdressers; we want to be transformed, we want to come out feeling younger, lighter, happier and different to the woman who walked in.

“Thank you for trusting me,” said Yoshi, and cut off the front of my hair.

The verdict: Actually, Yoshi was right. The fringe looks great. I wasn’t convinced, right up until the moment I got home, but now I love it. I look younger, my hair has more style and I am really happy with it. There are also two majorly positive side effects. It hides my eyebrows, which had been savaged the day before in a threading session, and it hides the sprinkling of grey hairs that have started appearing rather irritatingly right above my forehead. I am very pleased I trusted Yoshi, and would recommend you do the same. But I still don’t know what his hair looks like…

Who is Yoshi Hagiwara? 
Yoshi built his reputation as one of LA’s most sought after beauty experts over nearly 25 years at some of Beverly Hills most renowned salons, Yoshi opened the doors of his very own salon the Yoshi Hair Studio located in the heart of Beverly Hills.

Trained in Tokyo, Yoshi started working at a friend’s hair salon at the age of 16. After relocating to the States, he worked as the training specialist and cutting stylist for Joseph Martin Salon in Beverly Hills. Yoshi then went on to work with Frederic Fekkai for over a decade as Frederic’s head stylist.

Exalted by Los Angeles celebrities and socialites alike, Yoshi is known for his precise short haircuts and face-framing cuts that fit his clients’ lifestyle, face shape and individual personalities. In a quarter of a decade, Yoshi has worked with an extensive list of celebrity clientele including Lindsey Lohan, Pink and Nicolas Cage. His work can be seen on countless television shows such as America’s Next Top Model as well as for some of the most acclaimed fashion shows including American Vogue.

Yoshi Hagiwara top hair-care tips

1.  I recommend getting a trim every six weeks to keep the ends clean.

2. Conditioning is important. Always use the correct products and the right tools. A section-by-section blow dry helps too. Try to work with your hair’s own texture and don’t fight against it. I recommend using Yoshi’s Magic Water, it adds shine and reduces frizz, and it penetrates deep into the hair leaving fabulous results.

3. Precision cutting is all about working with clean, even sections.

4. In the US a long bob is on trend. The ‘Lob’ is between shoulder and chest length with a rough edge, not clean and straight. The beachy look is also out, the catwalk was all about straight and flat hair. Darker colours are also very popular.

5. Always try something new. Clothes, Make up, Art and Seasons all change. Don’t be afraid of your hair, it will always grow back.

To catch Yoshi when he is in Dubai next time please contact JetSet on 050 298 8787 or email