Hasta La Gadget!

Instead of focusing on hair types, the latest Japanese hair products focus on the needs of a few trendy styles.

This March, Mod’s Hair (Unilever Japan) launched two new hair waxes designed for two unique hair styles—and ones that the company is predicting will be the trendiest looks for the upcoming spring/summer season. The first, for the “airy bob,” promises both a firm hold and lifting at the roots for a full volume look. Meanwhile the second, for “wave memory,” works to preserve waves created in the morning, no matter how many times their owner brushes or runs a hand through them. Both products retail at major drug store chains for about $7.

We’ve spotted a few other style specific hair products on the shelves suggesting that this is becoming a major trend. Sala also has a line-up of hair waxes for different looks, though these are less trend-focused and include products tailored for more general styles: holding an up-do in place, adding volume to your layers, keeping a perm smooth. These products are easily identifiable by the promotional photos that show just what kind of style matches each product.

This trend is not limited to products marketed towards women; men, with their own unique hairstyles, are getting equally suitable products. Gatsby has likewise identified two currently popular hair styles—giving them the names “grunge mat” and spiky edge”— and created hair waxes accordingly. Meanwhile rival Uno, from Shiseido, has a similar line on the shelves, also with photo images to match.

Trend potential
Hair care products are no longer just about responding to the needs of different hair types—instead they can play an active part in current trends, even shaping them. This can result in an increasingly diversified, ever-changing line-up.