How to Read “First hair, second makeup, third clothing”
Ichikami, ni keshō, san ishō
Meaning of “First hair, second makeup, third clothing”
This proverb means that natural hair quality is the most important element of a woman’s beauty. Makeup and clothing come second and third.
No matter how expensive your kimono is or how carefully you apply makeup, nothing surpasses the beauty of the hair itself. This is the core idea behind the saying.
People use this proverb when discussing the essence of beauty. It appears in conversations about valuing natural qualities over superficial decoration.
Sometimes it serves as a warning against chasing trends and appearances too much.
Even today, this expression guides how we think about beauty priorities. Makeup and fashion matter, but you shouldn’t neglect basic hair care first.
The lesson is clear: take care of your foundation before adding decoration.
Origin and Etymology
No clear historical record shows when this proverb first appeared. However, we can learn much from how the phrase is structured.
The “first, second, third” ranking format has been used in Japan since ancient times. It’s a traditional way to organize importance and value.
Think of “Ichi Fuji, ni taka, san nasubi” (First Fuji, second hawk, third eggplant). Japanese culture has long used this pattern to make wisdom memorable.
This proverb focuses on three elements that create feminine beauty. The priority order is fascinating: hair first, makeup second, clothing third.
Why does hair come first? Because hair is a natural quality you’re born with. It’s difficult to change fundamentally.
In Edo period aesthetics, glossy and abundant black hair symbolized female beauty. You could improve makeup with skill and buy nice clothes with money.
But hair quality itself? That’s something you inherit at birth.
This expression likely emerged between the Edo and Meiji periods. Common people discussed the essence of beauty and created this practical wisdom.
It emphasizes that natural qualities matter more than surface decoration.
Interesting Facts
For Edo period women, hair wasn’t just about beauty. It showed social status, age, and whether you were married or single.
Hairstyles revealed your identity and position at a glance. Hair styling became such an important profession that specialists called kamiyui established themselves as experts.
This made the hair itself crucial as the foundation for any hairstyle.
In old Japan, people washed their hair far less often than today. Maybe just a few times per month.
Yet they maintained beautiful hair through careful care. They used natural oils like camellia oil for conditioning.
This time-consuming maintenance was considered the secret to keeping hair beautiful.
Usage Examples
- They say “First hair, second makeup, third clothing,” and she really does have such beautiful hair that everything looks good on her
- The old saying “First hair, second makeup, third clothing” is so true—if you neglect your hair care, it ruins your whole appearance
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has survived because it captures an essential truth about beauty. Surface decoration matters less than unchangeable natural qualities.
This is the fundamental insight our ancestors understood.
We humans often focus on what’s easy to change. Buying new clothes or improving makeup techniques gives quick, visible results.
But our ancestors saw deeper. True beauty exists at a more fundamental level than surface improvements.
Placing hair—a natural quality—first isn’t just beauty advice. It’s a philosophy that applies to all of life.
No matter how much you decorate the outside, without a solid foundation, that beauty becomes shallow. But with a strong foundation, even simple decoration attracts people.
This priority wisdom also teaches us where to direct our efforts. We have limited time and energy.
Instead of jumping to flashy, easily changed elements, we should first care for our foundation. That’s where lasting value lives.
The ability to see human essence remains timeless wisdom. It still speaks to us today across the centuries.
When AI Hears This
When the human brain recognizes a face, it processes “contour information” in the first 50 milliseconds. Hair lines and facial outlines create shape patterns.
These travel from the occipital lobe to the temporal lobe as priority visual information. Evolution required this because humans needed to instantly judge “friend or foe” from a distance.
Hairstyle determines first impressions because it’s the first element the brain’s information pipeline evaluates.
Next comes surface texture information—the equivalent of makeup. Skin color variations and light reflection patterns are evaluated about 100 milliseconds after contour recognition.
Research shows that human attention is more strongly attracted to “changeable elements.” Makeup has more variation range than hairstyle.
After the contour identifies “who,” makeup becomes important for reading expressions and health status.
Clothing ranks third because it’s integrated as “context information” last. After facial recognition completes, clothing is consciously evaluated to judge social attributes.
The brain allocates limited processing power starting with unchangeable structures. This proverb remarkably accurately describes the “efficient information processing priority” that human neural circuits use.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches you the importance of valuing fundamentals in everything. With social media today, we’re easily dazzled by flashy appearances.
Stylish clothes, perfect makeup, beautiful backgrounds. But what truly matters is your own foundation beneath that surface decoration.
This lesson applies beyond beauty to every area of life. At work, you need solid knowledge and experience before flashy presentations.
In relationships, sincerity as a fundamental quality builds trust more than superficial social skills.
You can start something today. Before chasing trends, why not review your basic care?
For hair, daily brushing. For work, reviewing fundamental knowledge. For relationships, truly listening to others.
These seemingly plain accumulations support your human appeal from the foundation. Flashiness comes later.
First, carefully nurture your foundation.
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