In places where women get married, they pull out their hair.

For Red Dao women in Lai Chau, plucking hair is considered a way to beautify themselves and also to affirm that they have settled down in marriage.

As one of the most remote mountainous communes in Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province, Si Lo Lau has always been a mysterious land for those who visit for the first time.

The road to Sì Lờ Lầu is bordered by deep ravines on both sides; if you start from Lai Châu City, you will have to cross a total of 12 slopes, equivalent to 12 mountain ranges.

In the final days of the year, while the men chop wood to butcher pigs in preparation for the traditional Lunar New Year, the women of the Red Dao ethnic group gather around the fire to pluck each other's hair.

Ms. Ly Ta May (Lao Chai village, Si Lo Lau commune) smiled and told us: "The custom of plucking hair here has existed for many generations. Our generation was taught by our mothers that when we grow up and get married, we must pluck our hair. Even if it hurts, we must pluck it, usually once a month. Around Tet (Lunar New Year), everyone has to pluck their hair to look beautiful, like wearing new clothes."

“The elders say that Red Dao women have to pull out their hair to avoid scattering it in the kitchen. According to oral tradition, in one family, during a meal, the father-in-law saw a long strand of the woman's hair in the rice, so he scolded his daughter-in-law and threatened to kick her out of the house. Since then, Red Dao women, whenever they get married, must pull out their hair and only leave a tuft of hair on the top of their head,” Mrs. May explained.

After getting married, Red Dao women must pluck out their hair, then use beeswax to style the topknot into a pointed crown. Photo: An Nhien

Ms. Tan U May (Gia Khau village, Si Lo Lau commune) recounted that while Red Dao women in other localities have the custom of painting their heads to signify reaching adulthood, for Red Dao women in Phong Tho, the custom of plucking out their hair to shave their heads bald signifies settling down and starting a family.

As a tradition, after getting married, every woman must pluck out her hair, then use beeswax to style it into a cone shape on top of her head, then plant a red flag and cover it with a red scarf. This is done to distinguish the Red Dao people from other ethnic groups.

According to our observations, the way the women here pluck their hair is quite unique. They use two threads twisted together around the hair follicle, then pull it off at the root. They have to use their hands to pluck the hair instead of shaving it because shaving would look very unsightly. Afterwards, they melt beeswax and apply it to the top of their head to create a hair pin.

To perform this task, the Red Dao women must prepare a set of tools including boiled beeswax, special thread for plucking hair, a stiff, dried porcupine quill, a frame, and a red scarf and red flag to wear on their heads.

Next, they take a piece of beeswax, put it in a bowl, and heat it over a flame until it melts. Then, they dip a comb into the melted beeswax and apply it to the hair in small sections from the top of the head downwards. The hair sticks together and hardens, then it is coiled into a neat, even bun from top to bottom. The entire hair-painting process takes several hours; the longer it takes, the shinier and more beautiful the hair becomes.

The lives of the Red Dao ethnic people in Si Lo Lau have changed considerably, but many customs are still preserved. Photo: An Nhien

After nearly two days, when the honey had dried and the hair was matted, the hair painting process was considered complete. From then on, they rarely washed their hair. If their hair got dirty from work, they would rub it with juicy lemons or grapefruits to clean it. Only during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) would they take their hair out and use a special fragrant herbal water to brush off the old wax, starting over from scratch.

According to the leaders of Sì Lờ Lầu commune, the entire commune has 629 households with over 3600 people, 100% of whom are Red Dao ethnic people. In the past, most women here would pluck their hair and place a red flag on top of their heads. However, nowadays only middle-aged women still pluck their hair according to custom.

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