Hair artist and educator Eray Yurga began his career in Turkey and now continues his work in the United States, bringing 25 years of experience in haircutting, color, and education.
His background includes a range of fashion projects and backstage work at New York Fashion Week. After working in New York, Yurga is now based in Fairfax, Virginia.
In this interview, Yurga discusses how he plans a hair transformation, how teaching has shaped his practice, and the perspective he brings from fashion projects to the salon.
Q: 1. After 25 years in the industry, how do you approach hair design today?
Early in your career, you tend to focus on technique. You want to execute a haircut correctly, achieve the color you envisioned, and master the application. Those skills remain fundamental. But with experience, you realize that many of the most important decisions happen before the hands-on work begins. You can produce technically accomplished work without fully understanding the person in your chair, but creating a result that truly fits their life requires more attention.
Today, I consider haircutting, color, and consultation together. I care about how the hair looks in a photograph, but I am equally interested in how the client will manage it the next morning. How much styling can they realistically do? How often can they visit the salon? What do they want from the change? Those answers shape the design.
My definition of success has evolved over the years, too. It matters that a client likes what they see in the mirror, but I also want them to be happy with their hair several weeks later. When that satisfaction lasts, it tells me the work suits the person.
Q: 2. When a client sits in your chair, what do you try to understand before touching their hair?
First, I want to understand why they want a change. Sometimes they simply want to refresh their color. Other times, they want to move away from a look that has not felt like them for a long time. Two people can bring in the same photograph and have completely different expectations. That is why asking, “What exactly do you like about this hair?” can make such a difference. One person may love the brightness, another the volume, and another the styling in the photograph.
Then we discuss their hair history. Previous color, lightening services, at-home treatments, and daily care habits all affect the plan. I also assess the hair’s density, natural movement, and current condition. With a major color change in particular, we need to talk openly about the desired result and what we can safely achieve that day.
By the end of the consultation, I want to be sure we understand each other. Words like “natural,” “cool,” or “a little shorter” can mean different things to different people. Clarifying those terms at the beginning helps prevent disappointment later.
Q: 3. Do you ever choose not to perform a service a client requests?
Yes. If the hair’s condition cannot support the requested service, I say so clearly. My professional responsibility is to listen to what the client wants while also assessing the consequences of the process. Someone may want a very light blonde that day, but their hair’s chemical history may make that unsuitable. In that situation, discussing the achievable color alone is not enough. We also need to consider what the process could mean for the hair’s texture, strength, and ongoing care.
I try to explain this in straightforward terms. I walk the client through why we cannot achieve everything in one appointment, what stages I recommend, and what their hair can look like along the way. The alternative should still feel aesthetically satisfying. Simply telling someone to wait is not enough.
I believe trust develops when you can stand behind what you promise. Being realistic from the beginning protects both the client’s hair and our relationship. Sometimes, approaching a transformation in stages is the best way to achieve a better result.
Q: 4. What difference does it make to plan the haircut and color together?
The haircut creates the shape, while color influences how that shape is perceived. The placement of light and dark areas can change how visible the layers are, how the hair’s movement reads, and how it frames the face. That is why I want the haircut and color plans to support each other.
For example, poorly placed highlights in a layered haircut can obscure the movement you intended to emphasize. Similarly, beautiful color may only look its best with a particular blowout if the hair’s natural fall has not been considered. Whether the client wears their hair straight, wavy, or in its natural texture matters.
Not every look requires extensive work. Sometimes a small adjustment around the face, removing weight in the right area, or repositioning a few highlights is enough. Experience helps you identify which changes are actually needed.
Q: 5. Balayage is a widely offered service. What makes it truly personalized?
“I want balayage” does not fully describe the desired result. There are many decisions involved: where the lightness should begin, how bright the face-framing sections should be, how much of the natural base to preserve, and how much contrast to create through the ends. When you make those decisions the same way for everyone, the results begin to look alike.
I pay particular attention to the relationship between the natural base and the level of lightness we want to achieve. The client’s complexion, existing haircut, hair density, and maintenance expectations also matter. A strong face frame may create exactly the right effect on one person, while another may benefit from softer transitions. Placement, tone, and the amount of lightness need to be considered together.
I also think about how the color will develop over time. What will happen as the roots grow in? What maintenance will the tone require? I want the client to understand that process. Well-planned color should account for more than the day they leave the salon.
Q: 6. How does your background as an educator influence your salon work?
Teaching has made me examine the reasoning behind each application more carefully. Performing a technique yourself and explaining it so another professional can understand and reproduce it are different skills. When you teach, you have to make your decisions clear: Why did you choose that sectioning pattern? Why did you preserve weight in that area? Why did you select that tone?
That habit also influences how I communicate with clients. They do not need every technical detail, but it is important that they understand the decisions being made for their hair. I take the same approach to home care. Along with recommending a product, I explain how much to use and what need it addresses.
When working with other professionals, my goal goes beyond teaching them to reproduce a single look. I want them to be able to assess the hair, choose between different options, and adapt their plan when something unexpected happens. A strong technical foundation allows you to use your creativity with greater intention.
Q: 7. How have your experiences across fashion projects, including backstage work at New York Fashion Week, influenced your approach to hair design?
Fashion projects and backstage work make the role of hair within the overall look very clear. The clothing, makeup, model’s movement, and creative team’s vision are all part of the same work. Your decisions about the hair need to fit that whole. Sometimes a strong texture completes the look; at other times, a more understated hairstyle allows the clothing and the face to stand out.
New York Fashion Week was one of the experiences within my broader fashion work that reinforced this perspective. Backstage, you have to listen carefully, understand the direction, and manage your time well. You focus on your own contribution while remaining aware of the overall preparation. Everyone’s work needs to come together in the final result.
What I bring back to the salon is the habit of considering the complete look. I assess the client’s hair in relation to their face, personal style, and everyday life. Runway hair and everyday hair have different requirements, but both benefit from a clear purpose and a coherent design.
Q: 8. How has moving from Turkey to the United States affected you as an experienced professional?
Moving to a new country with many years of experience is an interesting process. Your professional knowledge comes with you, but you have to learn about the working environment, communication styles, and client expectations again. You discover that familiar expressions and methods do not always translate in exactly the same way.
Beginning work in Fairfax after my time in New York introduced me to another community. It made listening to each client in the context of their own habits even more important. The time they devote to their hair, how often they visit the salon, and the extent of the change they want all become part of the design. The attention you give to understanding a client can be just as influential as your technical ability.
Throughout this process, I try to balance confidence in my experience with a willingness to learn. Having worked for 25 years does not mean sitting down with a new client and already knowing every answer. My experience helps me ask the right questions and better interpret the answers.
Q: 9. What would you like to develop in the next stage of your career?
In the salon, I want to continue developing my approach to personalized haircutting and color. An important part of that is following the client’s experience over time. Which haircut was easier for them to manage? How did the color evolve? Was the home-care routine practical? Using that information to plan the next appointment helps me achieve better results.
In education, I want to organize the knowledge I have accumulated over the years so it can be communicated more effectively. I value explaining how an entire service is thought through, from consultation and haircutting to color planning and the final presentation. Alongside the techniques, I want to share the decision-making process. Adapting the same technique to different heads of hair requires an understanding of why it works.
I also value collaborating with other professionals on creative projects. Encountering a different perspective encourages you to reconsider your own habits. As I move forward, I want to continue creating and teaching while remaining open to learning.
