How "Hair Feng Shui" Changed My Life

When it comes to my hair, I stick with what works. I’ve been going to the same hairstylist for nine years, sported a bob for five, and pretty much had bangs for my entire life. I’d rather be in a hair rut than cry over a bad haircut, which, yes, I’ve done.

But when I heard that celebrity stylist Billy Yamaguchi was in town and taking appointments, I decided it was time to try something new. After all, this is the man who has used his feng shui beauty techniques on celebs like Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron, and Lady Gaga. If nothing else, I would like my hair to look a little more like Jen’s.

According to the ancient Chinese philosophical system of feng shui, all energy can be categorized as one of five elements: fire, earth, metal, water, or wood. Yamaguchi claims he can identify a person’s energy and customize a haircut, hair color, and makeup to reflect it.

“When you look good, you feel good and perform differently,” he says. And while he’s not suggesting that current client Phil Jackson won five NBA Championships because of a makeover, it certainly didn’t hurt his case.

“I’m really nervous,” was the first thing I blurted out when I sat down in Yamaguchi’s chair. I had just run in from a rainstorm, frizzy hair and all. Adding to my usual about-to-boil-over anxiety level, my love life as a single 30-something had been getting me down lately. Case in point: The guy I was datinghad gone MIA, and in an attempt to keep myself from checking my phone every 30 seconds, I threw it across the room. Clearly, I could use a little more Zen in my life. Never did the idea of surrender—even just to a new hairstyle—sound more appealing.

My consultation began with four questions about my personality, lifestyle, and the colors I thought represented both. I chose yellow and green. Yamaguchi told me that my elements were earth (“kind and giving, like a mother or a coach”) and wood (“social”). Later, when I did a blind aromatherapy essential oil sniff test, I ended up gravitating toward the wood and earth scents.

As a wood element, he predicted that I’m low-maintenance when it comes to color and cut (ding ding!), and suggested a few subtle tweaks: swingy layers to give my long hair more movement and rich red highlights to add contrast to my dark brown shade.

For each element, Yamaguchi used a specific color technique. As he and his assistant wrapped my highlights in foil, he gave me a prescription of foods to eat to alkalinize my body and suggested jewelry shades to complement my olive skin and meditation tips to shush the nonstop commentary going on in my head.

As the color developed, he began to massage my shoulders. I made a joke about the crazy knots in my back. He shrugged. “That’s from all the internal chatter. You have to learn to relax.” We spoke about vision boards, traveling, and by rinse time, I was markedly at ease.

Feng shui aside, once my hair was dried, I was blown away by the color and how light my hair felt. I would have never gone this red on my own, but I’m glad Yamaguchi coaxed me out of my comfort zone.

Like my hair, my walk home in the rain was decidedly bouncier. The next morning, I woke up to two unexpected writing assignments. And as I went into the subway that night after my feng shui session, I noticed that I turned a few heads. Consider me a haircut convert.