Starting a hair career in a new country can feel intimidating, especially while navigating a new language alongside new techniques. James Hou knows that experience firsthand. Moving to Canada from Taiwan, the Blanche Macdonald Pro Hairstyling graduate built a loyal clientele from scratch, carving out a niche as a Asian Hair Colour Specialist known for his beautiful “milk tea” tones and effortless, low-maintenance styles.
Now working at Salon Trefle and Initial Hair Salon in Richmond, James specializes in Asian hair colouring, modern layered cuts and customized looks inspired by trends from Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Canada. With a deep commitment to client satisfaction, his success comes from a genuine love for the craft and a devotion to perfecting it. In this Q&A, James shares how he built his career in Canada and shares incredible tips and techniques for achieving stellar transformations.
“I naturally developed a strong interest in creating soft, dimensional colour for Asian hair textures.”
Q: What drew you to become a Asian Hair Colour Specialist? How did your career in Hair begin?
James: I started my career in Taiwan, where I trained as an apprentice and worked as a hairstylist. As I worked with more clients and improved my skills, I became fascinated by the combination of technique, creativity, communication, and attention to detail involved in hairstyling. Especially with hair colouring, every client’s hair condition, base colour, and goals are different, which made me become more interested in this area. Over time, I naturally developed a strong interest in creating soft, dimensional colour for Asian hair textures.
Q: Why did you choose to go to Blanche Macdonald’s Professional Hairstyling program? Did you have some favourite lessons/instructors from your time there?
James: I decided to go back to school because I wanted to deepen my knowledge of hair history, theory, and explore different styles and techniques.
Some local friends recommended a few schools to me, but after researching and visiting each one, Blanche’s Pro Hairstyling program felt like the best fit.
As English is not my first language, I really appreciated how patient and supportive the instructors were. The program is especially helpful for those who are still exploring what direction they want to take in their hair career. I also liked how the school continuously updates the program with new information. One of my most memorable experiences was participating in TV and film photoshoots—it was challenging, but very exciting for me.
“Blanche’s Hair program felt like the best fit. As English is not my first language, I really appreciated how patient and supportive the instructors were.”
“The program is especially helpful for those who are still exploring what direction they want to take in their hair career. I also liked how the school continuously updates the program with new information.”
Q: As a newcomer to Canada, how did you overcome any challenges you faced in the Pro Hairstying program and your career?
James: At the beginning, the biggest challenge was definitely the language. I felt confident in my technical skills, but communicating with clients took time to adjust to. I spent a lot of time observing conversations with clients in the salon and practicing hairstyling-related English through client interactions.
I also focused on improving my skills because I believed consistent and technically strong work would naturally build trust over time through the quality of my work.
Q: What differences have you noticed between hairstyling trends in Taiwan and Canada and how has that shaped your work?
The hairstyling industry in Taiwan is very fast-paced and trend-focused, so I learned early on to pay close attention to detail and stay current with evolving styles and techniques. Clients in Taiwan are usually more trend-focused and more open to higher-maintenance styles, and they also visit salons more frequently. In Canada, many clients prefer lower-maintenance styles and want their hair to still look natural and beautiful even if they go longer between salon visits.
I’m very familiar with Asian hair textures and trends from Taiwan, Korea, Japan and China, especially soft muted tones, transparent colours, airy layering, and refined detailing. I think combining those influences with my understanding of Asian hair characteristics allows me to create more personalized looks that better suit each client’s lifestyles in Canada.
“I learned early on to pay close attention to detail and stay current with evolving styles and techniques...combining those influences with my understanding of Asian hair characteristics allows me to create more personalized looks that better suit each client’s lifestyles in Canada.”
Q: What colour services are your clients requesting the most right now and how do you keep those looks low-maintenance?
James: Recently, many of my clients have been asking for softer, lower-maintenance colour that still feels dimensional and modern. Highlights are popular because they have less damage and are easier to grow out.
As an Asian Hair Colour Specialist, if a client specifically tells me they want something lower maintenance and don’t want to come back frequently for touch-ups, I focus on techniques like shadow roots, root melts, soft blending, or popular techniques like AirTouch and balayage. These techniques allow the hair to grow out more naturally and create a softer transition between the natural roots and lighter sections so grow-out looks more seamless.
Another popular trend right now is designs like Peekaboo or Inner Colour. Since these colours are placed underneath or inside the hair, the grow-out is usually much less noticeable as the hair grows, which also makes the style lower maintenance overall.
Q: Milk Tea and Foggy Ash tones are super popular right now. How do you achieve those softer tones on naturally dark hair while keeping the hair looking healthy?
James: Asian hair naturally contains strong red and orange underlying pigments, so the most important thing is maintaining the overall health and integrity of the hair. I always consider the client’s colouring/perming history and hair condition. In many cases, I prefer achieving their ideal light target colour in multiple sessions rather than pushing the hair too far in a single appointment. I prefer creating a long-term colour plan based on the condition of their hair. This approach is much healthier for the hair overall.
Q: Asian hair is often very dense and thick. When you are doing a Hush Cut or Layered Wolf Cut, what is your technique, as an Asian hair colour specialist for removing weight from dense and thick hair, so the style looks light and airy rather than heavy?
James: This issue is not limited to Asian hair. It can also happen with clients who have naturally wavy, very thick, or frizzy hair. If the hair is over-thinned with thinning shears, it can easily become even more frizzy and difficult to manage. Personally, I prefer using slide cutting techniques with scissors instead. This creates softer texture, movement, and a lighter feeling in the hair while still keeping the shape controlled.
“I always consider the client’s colouring/perming history and hair condition. I prefer creating a long-term colour plan based on the condition of their hair. This approach is much healthier for the hair overall.”
Q: Your colour transformations are amazing! How do you create that polished finish while still maintaining movement and texture?
James: To achieve that high-gloss “Glass Hair” look, I think the most important part is actually the foundation of your blow-drying technique. While the hair is still damp, I usually prep the hair with a leave-in conditioner or hair oil to help smooth and protect the hair, then finish with a small amount of lightweight oil to tame flyaways and enhance shine, or use a glass hair spray to create a more reflective finish. These extra steps help the hair look smoother, shinier, and more polished overall.
Inspired by James’ journey? Take the first step toward your own hairstyling career and apply today.
