The Japanese are style icons, bringing us so many incredible fashion options and hairstyles over the years. One of our favorite looks is the hime cut, which is a long, sophisticated hairstyle with an incredible history and a special place within Japanese culture.
In this article, we introduce you to the history of this iconic style and explain the key characteristics that define the look. We also introduce you to some styling tips that will enable you to achieve hime cut hair to perfection in 2024.
The history of the hime cut
Hime cut hair is a Japanese hairstyle that originated during the Heian period (794 – 1185 CE). During this period, women of Japanese nobility were thought to grow their hair out for their entire lives, and the hime cut is one of the most popular long styles of the age.
At the time Heian women reached their sixteenth birthdays, it was common for their hair to be cut shorter around the ears, in a ceremony known as “Binsogi.” The rest of their hair was to be grown out for the remainder of their lives in what would become known as the hime cut.
However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that this distinctive style got its contemporary name. Megumi Asaoka, a Japanese pop singer and actress, coined the term “hime cut” to describe this look, and it became her trademark that many Japanese women followed.
Interestingly, “hime” in Japanese means “princess,” indicating what Japanese culture thinks about this iconic look.
What are the characteristics of the hime cut?
Hime cut hair is sensual and seductive while encompassing oriental charm and intrigue. It’s an achievable style for women with long, straight hair, and it often runs down the spine. In many respects, the hime can be characterized as a long, straight cut with bangs at the front of the ears. That said, there are numerous iterations of the hime, but it’s most commonly worn by women with long, straight, and dark hair.
Today, there are two main hime cut hairstyles to go for: the hime cut with bangs, and the hime cut without. Here are some handy pointers if you’re interested in a hime haircut this year:
Length matters
We’ve seen contemporary iterations of the hime on social media where women try to combine the look with short styles like the bob or lob. While layered lobs can be crafted in the hime style, from a purist’s perspective, the hime requires length to stay true to its traditional roots.
After all, the very basis of the hime is long, precision straight hair that runs all the way down the back, so cropping it short goes against the intention of this style. That’s why we say length matters when crafting the hime. If you don’t have naturally long hair, you can add extensions to achieve the required length.
Consider your face shape
As with all contemporary haircuts, your face shape is key to whether you will suit a hime cut. One of the most impressive aspects of the hime is that it can help your face to look smaller and less prominent, which is ideal if you have a long, rectangular face shape.
What’s more, the inclusion or exclusion of bangs can be helpful when considering your face type. Curtain bangs are stunning for hime cuts on women with diamond face shapes, offering a face-framing look that accentuates all of your facial features.
Maintenance is crucial
One of the main drawbacks of the hime cut is that regular maintenance is essential, meaning that this isn’t a hairstyle you can create and leave to its own devices. You will need to comb your hime cut daily to maintain the sharp, clean lines its renowned for.
If you have naturally wavy or textured hair, you will need to continuously reduce its volume, as this can create unwanted bounce. Most women use hair straighteners for the hime, but using them too regularly can cause your hair to dry out. We advise you to apply a heat protectant to prevent your hair from becoming dry and brittle.
As this hairstyle belongs to straight hair, it will be helpful to learn how to keep your straighten hair straight overnight successfully.
We’re happy to introduce our ionic blow dryers to help protect heat damage and brittle hair. Using Laifen SE can help you keep your hair shiny and healthy compared to traditional salon dryer products.
The weather and environment will affect your hime cut
More so than many other long straight haircuts, the hime cut is particularly susceptible to heat and humidity, which can cause it to look unruly. Humidity can affect the shape and straightness of hime hair, and regular maintenance is required when humidity is in the air.
Given the hime’s susceptibility to heat and humidity, many women opt for hair extensions, rather than natural hair, to create this look, which is a viable solution that can save you lots of time and hassle.
Conclusion
The hime cut is an exotic, oriental hairstyle that is perfectly suited to women with long, straight, and dark hair. Though it requires lots of maintenance and is often affected by heat and humidity, it’s a wonderful hairstyle to try if you’re looking for an exciting yet sophisticated way to wear your long hair for an upcoming event.
Still, if you’re keen on the hime cut in 2024, bear in mind our styling tips and remember that regular maintenance is key to keep you looking your brilliant best.
