Kiriko in San Francisco contacted me last year about a DIY hair consultation. We consulted, and kept in touch.

I have had the joy of watching her figure out how to love and care for and cut and color her own hair. Then, she went to beauty school. And now, she is doing what all budding young hairstylists do in school, which is to get crazy on her own hair. Which is how we learn, and also how we re-find ourselves hiding in our hair.

With the help of fellow students and instructors, Kiriko’s hair recently transformed with a huge cut and color overhaul. I watched the process on Instagram. You should follow her, BTW because she will be turning out some incredible hair here pretty soon. She is at @kirikokikuchi. Also, for more on her as a human, I interviewed her last year for HTHG’s #bethefair interviews.

  Here is Kiriko’s Hair Transformation Story

My hair had been the laziest of California girl ‘accidental ombre’ for two years. It fell past my shoulder blades in very messy long layers, and color-wise had about four inches of my natural brown hair fading out into dirty blonde ends. And by dirty I mean dirty – they were practically green from the indigo/henna dye that I had used to color my hair black a few years ago that I could never get out.

When I started my cosmetology studies at the Paul Mitchell school in San Francisco in April, I knew I’d probably make some dramatic changes to my hair. But I certainly didn’t expect to cut half my hair off and lighten it to platinum blonde! Two of the advanced students, Jessica and Jesse, lightened my hair for me… it took 4 hours, what felt like a hundred pounds of foils, and a lot of pain. Like getting my entire scalp tattooed at once. But it was worth it. I’m obsessed with my platinum blonde now and am already getting it re-lightened and toned on Sunday.

Two days after the blonding, my cutting teacher, Macklan Clendenin, took my hair from long round layers to my current style – a very “Harajuku girl” dramatic disconnected triangular cut – short in the back and long in the front – with a blunt fringe. I love it.

I’m very creative, so while everyone else loved my long, thick, “ombre” hair, I was very bored with my hair. For YEARS before beauty school, I worked a series of jobs that encouraged conservative styles, so that dulled my blade to the point where I didn’t even know what I liked. This hair cut and color has sharpened me back up and brought out a side of myself I haven’t seen since I was a rebellious teenager. It feels great to have her back!”