ANAGEN
Make your hair as vibrant as the vibes here at Anagen
By Sara Yeoh
Everyone dreams of a drastic hair change once in a while – go purple, silver, or shave half the head. Why not? After years of staying in my comfort zone of having brunette hair, I wanted something 
lighter and brighter for an exciting change. And what better salon to visit than Anagen in SS2, Petaling Jaya – a salon that embraces K-pop culture,an industry studded with bright-haired and perfectly-maned idols.
Occupying one of the aged terrace houses opposite Poh Kong, the humble white exterior of the salon may be easy to miss at first. But once inside, the energy of the salon uplifts you with its friendly, chatty staff, dynamic K-pop tunes, and a happy stream of customers. A scroll on their Instagram, and you’ll find cheeky ik Tok videos of the clients’ hair makeovers, which may or may not feature the salon’s Tik-Tok famous, reflective vest-wearing traffic coordinator and all-round fun person Kyi Naing (pronounced Chi Nai) in wigs and hair rollers. And it is these fun, positive vibes that make us love Anagen and the family so much.
The owner and head stylist, Derek (who sports pink hair himself), styles countless manes of models and celebrities regularly (he is also the hair stylist for our cover girl Shweta Sekhon this month!). And with his advice, I was going blonde with greyish-tones to it. Admiring a lady with ashy-lavender hair taking her ‘after’ pictures in the salon, I couldn’t wait for my makeover to start. After hours in the salon chair, I looked like a doll with my new blonde locks and bouncy curls that Derek gave me.
For the less adventurous like our features writer Hiran, maintain your locks with the salon’s 4-step treatment and a healthy hair colour. Each step in the 4-step treatment can be interchanged and customised to suit your hair’s needs. So whether you need some light hydration for your oily hair or intensive treatment for extra-dry locks, you’ll be good to go with this treatment. After having this treatment done on my bleached hair, the hair still feels soft after a few washes. Maintenance for the hair is a breeze after that, as I just use a blue toning shampoo from MUK (available at the salon) to preserve the beautiful colour, and condition as usual. If you sport natural hair or a dark hair colour like Hiran, continue to care for your locks with Anagen’s own line of organic herbal hair products at home.
Trust the sense of style of these guys at Anagen to give men’s hair a solid makeover too. Their repertoire of men’s looks has seen male clients from sporting romantic long waves, Korean boy band-hair, to edgy skinheads. Not to mention how good the crazy hair colours look on them too. We would definitely recommend boys to come try out this salon.
FOR THOSE ON THE GO
Like a popular idol on a tight schedule, you can beauty-multitask here at the salon – getting a mani and pedi or eyelash extension while you’re waiting for the hair dyes or treatments to set in. The manicurist Jess, upon seeing a picture of a black and red gown that I was going to wear for an event that weekend, gave me black and white marble nails with pieces of shiny, holographic adornment to match the look. And for the feet, she gave me a classic pedicure of glossy, burgundy toes that were ready to strut into events and parties.
Anagen Hair Salon
Address: 6, Jalan SS 2/55, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 016-8338322