Humble hairdresser makes a splash — and some mistakes

A hairdresser who goes by the nickname Xiaohua has become an internet sensation simply because she tries to understand what customers want.

Since videos of her cutting hair went viral on social media platform Douyin, many tourists have come to her livestreaming sessions to learn her techniques or simply to talk. At peak times, more than 100,000 viewers watch her at once online.

Enthusiastic fans are even coming to visit her shop in Huaihua, Hunan province, to get a haircut.

Xiaohua, whose real name is Li Jing, first started to put videos on Douyin in February and has since posted around 400. At first, they didn't attract much attention. But last month, one of her videos suddenly attracted lots of views, as netizens praised her for responding to customers' needs. Many have invited her to open stores in their hometowns or to give lectures to hairdressers across the country.

Her Douyin account now has more than 3.88 million fans and her videos have received more than 11 million likes.

She attributes her popularity to treating her clients as friends and following their instructions when cutting their hair.