Women raise the hairdressing bar

Xiaohua's rise to fame began with a viral video that showed her giving a client a haircut while carefully adhering to every specific request. Dressed simply and professionally, she communicates with her customers with patience, asking them exactly what they want and carefully following their instructions. For example, when a client asked for bangs to sit "just above the eyes, but a little below the eyebrows," she executed the request flawlessly, a testament to her precision.

What truly sets her apart is her ability to handle both very specific and more abstract requests. A client might say, "Don't cut it too short," and Xiaohua knows exactly what that means, without needing further clarification. Her skill in reading and interpreting these nuances has led her to be affectionately dubbed as "The People's Hairstylist" by netizens, with many expressing admiration for her dedication to delivering exactly what the customer asks for, no more and no less.

During peak times, her live broadcasts have 100,000 viewers tuning in. But it isn't just everyday people watching-professional barbers from all over the country started joining her live sessions in groups to "steal skills" and learn from her technique.

Dai Zhaolei traveled to Huaihua to visit Xiaohua last December. Owning a barbershop in Kunming, Yunnan province, 35-year-old Dai let Xiahua give him a haircut, which cost him 30 yuan. He was overwhelmed by the crowds waiting in front of Xiaohua's shop for their turn.

"Compared to bigger cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, the price is very reasonable and just like Xiaohua's humble and down-to-earth style," says Dai, who trained to become a barber in 2007 and later worked in barbershops in Shanghai and Beijing before launching his own barbershop in Kunming in May 2024.