- 9 hours ago
Eric Nam invites you into a playful, whisper-filled ASMR hair routine, where he breaks down how he makes his “impossible” hair look so effortlessly good. With soft-spoken humor and plenty of satisfying sounds, Eric walks through his step-by-step process—from soft spritzes of water to setting the part and drying it into the perfect shape. Along the way, he shares the “magic” techniques he picked up in Korea and how years of trial and error (and some questionable past looks–“please don’t look them up”) taught him to take matters into his own hands. As he styles, Eric whispers through his usual GRWM routine—listening to Olivia Dean, podcasts, or whatever he’s currently working on, which lately includes his new album on repeat. He teases tracks like his single “How the Fire Started,” “Make Me Cry,” and “Psycho,” while reaching for his go-to products, like American Crew Forming Cream (applied generously—“don’t be afraid”) and a hairdryer stolen from his brother.
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00:08This video is gonna get me canceled.
00:10Hey, all you hotties.
00:13My name is Eric Nam, and I'm here to tickle your ear holes, you little freaks.
00:18In the most respectful way possible.
00:20I realize a lot of people have been asking me, how do I do my hair?
00:25I've done skincare before.
00:27So I was like, okay, we're gonna spill some secrets on how to do hair.
00:32I think there's a misconception that my hair is easy.
00:35Let me be very clear.
00:37My hair is impossible.
00:39So if I can do it, anybody can.
00:43Well, actually they can, but you can do your own hair.
00:46So my hair is really difficult because it is very thick, straight, coarse.
00:52When I get a haircut and I have a piece of hair stuck in a piece of clothing.
00:57Or I get an eyelash that goes into my eye.
01:00It's literally like being stabbed by needles and it physically hurts.
01:05That's how strong my hair is.
01:08Growing up in Atlanta.
01:09I was always wanting to go to like the neighborhood haircut place.
01:14The non-Asian haircut place.
01:16And literally my hair broke clippers.
01:20Literally super cuts.
01:22She pulled out a chunk of my hair and she got mad at me because my hair broke her clippers.
01:29That's how thick my hair is.
01:32So Asian men understand the hardship we go through.
01:37And growing up, everybody has the same hair because it's impossible to style.
01:41So it's just plus cuts.
01:44And it just grows out.
01:45And then you just have gel.
01:48And everybody at church looks the same.
01:51Everybody at the community center looks the same.
01:54And then I moved to Korea.
01:56And I was like, why is your hair relaxed?
01:59Why does your hair swoop?
02:01Why is your hair quaffed?
02:03And it's because they have magic.
02:06And I'm going to reveal some of that magic for you today.
02:09I should charge you for this.
02:11You're welcome.
02:13Masterclass, call me.
02:14I'm going to take my hat off.
02:16I don't want you to be shocked.
02:18I'm nervous.
02:24Gosh.
02:25I'm so sorry you have to see this.
02:27So as you can tell, my hair has gone through some pain and torture.
02:33Because it's been bleached and dyed and colored for multiple reasons.
02:37For my new album, we wanted to do some new things.
02:41So we did it.
02:42And now it's this color.
02:44In Korea, we are very liberal with our usage of coloring.
02:50Perms.
02:52Down perms.
02:53Which prevent your hair from going like this.
02:56And all these magical things.
02:58But if you're not an Asian man, it may not apply to you.
03:00But anyways, I'm just letting you know.
03:02Okay.
03:03So what do I do?
03:04How do I do my hair?
03:05I take a shower.
03:06I shampoo it.
03:09And then I condition it.
03:12And then I dry it.
03:14But it's already dry.
03:16So maybe I'll wet it a little bit.
03:19And then I'll dry it for you.
03:21Okay.
03:25Did you like that?
03:32Y'all are weird.
03:36So I have this magical thing that we start with.
03:39It's called water.
03:45That's such an aggressive spray.
03:48Very healthy streams.
03:51Wow.
03:52Okay.
03:53So.
03:54Just gonna wet my hair for you.
03:57It's so strong.
03:59This is better.
04:00Oh, missed.
04:02Oh.
04:12This video's gonna get me canceled.
04:17Somebody put in some rainforest sounds.
04:19I want frogs and crickets.
04:26When you dry your hair, you have to get the semblance of the shape that you want.
04:32So.
04:33Do you want a middle part?
04:36Do you want to pull a Titanic DiCaprio middle part?
04:40It was Titanic 96.
04:41I have no idea.
04:43I'm sorry, DiCaprio.
04:44I know.
04:44I know.
04:45You're much cooler than this.
04:46I look like a wet dog.
04:47Do you want a side part?
04:51Do you want to go all back?
04:58What should we do?
04:59My go-to is usually a side part.
05:05I'm dripping.
05:06Now, we're gonna dry my hair.
05:09And as we dry it, we're gonna make sure that we try to create a part.
05:16And usually, I'll try to keep this part, give it a little volume.
05:21So when you dry, don't dry it flat.
05:23Dry it up.
05:25Okay.
05:26Because you can always kill it later with product like this.
05:30You can't take it up with product as well.
05:33You're welcome.
05:34You don't need to do this.
05:36I usually don't do this, but because y'all are weird.
05:40I'm gonna brush my hair real quick.
05:43Now, this is a nice little brush.
05:46From Mooji.
05:49M-U-J-I.
05:51It's probably like eight bucks.
05:52And it's great because it's light.
05:54It travels well.
05:57And it does the job, kind of.
05:58My hair is a mess.
06:00Here's the thing.
06:01When you, when you bleach your hair and things, the condition of your hair is bad.
06:08Mine is kind of, it's like a broomstick right now.
06:12It's, it's like a mop.
06:14I love listening to music and podcasts.
06:16And then that's why it probably takes me so long to get ready.
06:20Cause I'm listening to news.
06:25And it's really bleak out there.
06:27So everybody be kind to one another.
06:30Please.
06:32Be nice.
06:33My get ready with me playlist is a lot of Olivia Dean.
06:38And I've been mixing my new album.
06:41So I have that on repeat on like five different speakers and headphones.
06:49It's a lot.
06:50There's a song called How the Fire Started.
06:53Which is about betrayal and being stabbed in the back by people you thought were your friends and loved ones.
07:00And then there's another one called Make Me Cry.
07:04Not that that has a direct connection.
07:08But it's there.
07:09I have a song coming.
07:11That's called Psycho.
07:12And it has a lot of interesting sound sources in it.
07:15A lot of like booms and duck and crack.
07:18Am I a beatboxer?
07:20That was amazing.
07:21So I'm going to dry my hair.
07:22This is called Kung Fu.
07:27I don't know where it's from.
07:28I think this is actually my brother's.
07:31And I stole it from him.
07:33Because he steals everything of mine.
07:35And he doesn't even pay rent.
07:37So I just took it.
07:39You have to have a hair dryer.
07:40That you can control the heat and the strength of the wind.
07:44So you can dial it up and down.
07:47And you have three different heat levels.
07:49And it travels well.
07:51And I literally live on the road.
07:53So that's why I brought this today.
07:59You're so weird.
08:04It's kind of nice.
08:14You see how I start from the part.
08:18And I go like this.
08:20Do I sound like a horror movie character?
08:24I feel like I'm going to be in like conjuring or something.
08:42I'm going to be in like a mushroom head.
08:51I'm going to be in like a mushroom head.
08:51And if you're into it, great.
08:52I'm not into a mushroom head for myself.
08:54But that's just me.
08:55I'm just letting you know.
08:59And then I give this part a little volume.
09:02Right?
09:02Because I don't want it to go flat.
09:03So I just grab it.
09:06And then you poof it.
09:12And then it's kind of up to you on if you want it to look wet or matte.
09:16But these days I've been going for a more wet look.
09:19So I'm just going to leave it here.
09:20So it doesn't have to be completely dry.
09:23Matte just takes so much more time.
09:26So if I go for matte, it means I'm really care that day.
09:30But most days I'm too tired.
09:32And I'm always running short on time.
09:34So I just leave.
09:36So a lot of people have asked me on Traders.
09:41How is my hair always staying very, very, like, stay put?
09:46It's because I used a lot of product, my guys.
09:49And we don't have clam teams.
09:51So every day I have to get up early and do my own hair makeup.
09:56We all did.
09:57My go-to product for the past few years has been American Crew Forming Cream.
10:06Does it do it for you?
10:10It's brand new.
10:22Look at that.
10:24It makes no noise.
10:26I'll make one for you.
10:29So I'll just take like a scoop.
10:32I don't know.
10:33It makes no noise.
10:34And then depending on the day, if I have Girl Cream, I'll mix it in.
10:38But today, we're just gonna go straight for this.
10:40Here's the trick. You have to be very liberal with your application. Don't be afraid. Pull up your sleeves and
10:49go.
10:57And then I go from here and I just run it through my hair.
11:06Is this okay for my image? I need my team to talk to your team because I don't know if
11:11I can recover from this.
11:13This, in retrospect, is a horrible idea. We just go in, get it in there, okay?
11:20Again, I focus on the sides so that it stays down the best that we can.
11:27And you just start to roughly put it into the form that you want it.
11:31Again, don't kill this part. Keep it alive.
11:38I've been doing my own clam for the past five years because I travel so much.
11:44And I'm always touring. People outside of Asia don't really know how to do Asian men's grooming.
11:52So I forced myself to learn the hard way.
11:55I've had some really bad moments.
11:58Please don't look them up.
12:00Thank you very much.
12:01With this, usually I start to get a sense of where do I want it to go.
12:08Do we want this down?
12:10Do we want it up?
12:11The options are endless.
12:14I feel like Dora asking questions.
12:17Have you seen my dog?
12:19Have you seen Diego?
12:21If I could choose any other reality TV show to be in.
12:25American reality TV show.
12:28Jersey Shore.
12:30Conceptually would be great.
12:33But I think I would die.
12:35Like I would love to do, this is not reality, but like competition.
12:39Like the voice as a mentor or America's Got Talent or the Masked Singer.
12:47Like music stuff.
12:49And then one day maybe Survivor or like Dancing with the Stars.
12:57I don't know.
12:57I'm down for everything.
12:59I'm always down for a side quest.
13:01People are always like, why do you do what you do?
13:03I was like, bro, YOLO, just do it.
13:05I'm always down for a good story.
13:07I think I look amazing.
13:09Here's the thing.
13:10I tend to mimic a lot of people.
13:12It's not intentional.
13:13When I'm in a new place, I pick up a new accent.
13:16And sometimes it gets me in trouble.
13:18Sometimes I should just shut up.
13:20It's not intentional.
13:21It is because I am a musician and I learn by mimicking sounds.
13:25I love conversation.
13:27And a lot of my career has been built off interviewing people.
13:30I always try to make people feel comfortable.
13:33And in doing so, I unintentionally will start singing their songs or mimicking their voice.
13:39And then I have to apologize.
13:41I'm so sorry.
13:43This is so awkward.
13:44So next step, it's about controlling the sides, right?
13:48Because if we leave it here, it's going to just stay like this.
13:53We're going to put the sides down.
13:54This is usually the most annoying part.
13:56So this is where I use my brush again.
14:01And then go like this to the sides.
14:06Just get it down.
14:11And now it's just a theme of volume.
14:14Do you want big volume?
14:16Do you want small volume?
14:17What do we want?
14:18It's actually perfect.
14:20It's like not bad right now.
14:23It's usually not this easy.
14:25Okay.
14:26So let's say that we're happy with this.
14:27Okay.
14:28Then it's like we're going to play with the front.
14:30Do we want to bring this down?
14:32Right?
14:32Do we want to bring this part down?
14:35And give it like double horns?
14:39Or do we just keep it up?
14:40Do we go one side or two sides?
14:43Class, what should we do?
14:45Let's go one side, right?
14:47Once you start doing it, it gets a lot easier.
14:49But then you get to play with it.
14:51Do you want to look like really dramatic and like that?
14:57Or do you want to be super clean cut and just kind of like, you know?
15:01There's a guy who tried it.
15:03It's a meme.
15:03Where Zane has one piece that goes down and it looks cool.
15:06There's another guy hit it and just looks like a rat tail down his face.
15:09You know what I'm talking about?
15:10We don't want that situation.
15:11When you do it, you have to be very tasteful.
15:14But I can't teach taste.
15:16You can't buy taste.
15:18People don't understand.
15:20I have worked my ass off, fought tooth and nail to get to where I am.
15:27I moved to Korea on a TV show and I didn't speak the language.
15:33I was learning a new song every week in a language that I didn't know what I was singing.
15:39Imagine being given a foreign language song right now and you have five days to memorize it and learn it.
15:46Nine months of that.
15:47It was really hard.
15:48And then I got out of it and they're like, now it's real.
15:52And we're going to make you do songs that you don't know and that you don't like.
15:59And you have no idea what you're singing about but just mimic the sounds.
16:04And then interview people and talk on live national TV in Korean every week when I don't know what's happening.
16:13Every week for years.
16:15And then somehow half those few English interviews go so well that people really, really like, we like this guy.
16:24So it was really hard.
16:27Traders was crazy because they're like, hey, we want to put you in a house or a castle with 23
16:36celebrities.
16:37All of whom are very big personalities.
16:42From housewives to survivor big brother people to others who shall not be named because there's too many of them.
16:52Who are all fighting for airtime and you don't know anyone.
16:56And you walk in and I'm like, hey, please don't kill me.
17:03Please don't kill me.
17:05I am so nice and easy to deal with.
17:09I will shoot.
17:10I will do whatever you want.
17:11I just want to make it to the end.
17:14That's the only way you win.
17:15And so then I was like, just shut up and play the games.
17:20And then somehow I became a traitor.
17:24And then I didn't win.
17:27Because I got stabbed in the back multiple times.
17:31But it's okay.
17:34It's a game.
17:35I could potentially come back for another season.
17:38The prize would have to be right.
17:40I think I would go back for a second season.
17:44Because I think I would play a better game.
17:47And I think I would be able to be ruthless and savage.
17:53Because I didn't want my introduction to America to be a backstabbing, deceiving person.
18:04Now, I have this wax here.
18:06It's called Goldwell Style Sign Lagoon Jam Styling Gel.
18:11Hole 10U 5 out of 5.
18:13If you want it to look wet, wet.
18:15I use this old curly shell.
18:19Natural wet finish.
18:20And this will give it like a shine.
18:23And it makes it look a little moist.
18:25And damp.
18:26So, we're gonna go with the lagoon.
18:30I wonder if this makes noise.
18:34It makes noise.
18:38It's like goop on TikTok.
18:41Again, remember when you do this one.
18:46This one will make it look very wet.
18:50And it will harden.
18:52So, it depends on if you want it to look hard on the sides of the front.
18:57So, I take it.
18:58And then I curl it back up.
19:06I actually deleted all my YouTube covers.
19:09There's better things out there.
19:12That's...
19:12We don't need it in the world anymore.
19:15Just go watch my latest music videos so much better.
19:18Fun fact.
19:20Justin Bieber used to comment on my videos.
19:23So, he was like 12.
19:25Feeling great voice, Eric.
19:28And I was like, who's Kate Rao?
19:32It's Justin Bieber.
19:33It was through those videos that Korean labels reached out.
19:37And it was through those videos that I got onto this competition show.
19:41Good job, Eric.
19:43Even though...
19:43And I'm sorry to my parents and my roommates who had to listen to me sing.
19:47But look where I am now.
19:50Doing hair.
19:51On InStyle.
19:53Killed it.
19:54My life.
19:55Guys, I promise you, it doesn't take this long.
19:57It's because she keeps harassing me with these questions about my life.
20:02Just these really intrusive questions.
20:05So, here's the thing.
20:06This is now...
20:08I will liberally use hairspray.
20:10Okay?
20:11You asked earlier, how does my hair stay intact through traitors and the challenges?
20:16It's called hairspray.
20:19Don't be afraid.
20:20There's nothing wrong with hairspray.
20:22I'm going to make sure that you spray down the sides.
20:25Okay?
20:26And also, you kind of lift them up.
20:29And you hold it down and you apply heat.
20:32It's a lot.
20:33So, I'm not going to try to talk you through this as I do it.
20:37Just let me work in peace.
20:38Okay?
20:41This is Amos Professional Pro Style Design Spray Setting Gloss.
20:51I read real good.
20:52Do you see how, like, it clumps and starts to stand up.
20:56So...
20:56Get it down.
21:11Don't be afraid to run your fingers through your hair.
21:14Okay, guys?
21:15It's your hair.
21:16It's fine.
21:17Don't be scared.
21:26And then if you see parts that aren't working with you, just go back with a little more of this.
21:36Just pop it all in.
21:38Now, we're going to play with the front here.
21:43Okay.
21:44I think I can live with this.
21:46I can live with this today.
21:47Something like here.
21:49Maybe pull, like, a little piece of it down.
21:51I have another brush that my hairstylist was like, you should use this.
21:55Hold on.
21:56It's the Mason Pearson from London, England.
22:00Nylon and Bristol.
22:08If it's clumped up too much, then it kind of helps separate it into smaller pieces to finish the styling.
22:15All of this, I can live with this.
22:17I'm just going to glue it in.
22:29I think we've got the form.
22:31We've got the shape.
22:32We've got some of the hairspray.
22:33And, you know, here's the real magic.
22:35You want it to stick.
22:36You want it to stay.
22:37Guys, we're going to use this thing called the Magic Cherry Spray.
22:42The English title is Global Miracle Finish Super Hard Spray.
22:51Literally, in Korean, it says Global Cherry Miracle Finish.
22:58I don't know why it's called cherry.
23:00It doesn't smell like cherry.
23:04Alcohol.
23:05It's really strong.
23:07So, once it's locked in, once you're like, I'm good.
23:10I feel good.
23:11I don't want it to move.
23:13You finish with this, you apply heat, and it's not going to move.
23:16Are you locking in?
23:18Are you locking in?
23:26It's in the front.
23:27And then in the front, and I try not to get it on my face, so...
23:39i did it we did it guys congratulations on reaching the oregon trail you have lost 19 oxen
23:45your brother died of dysentery and you have sepsis but you made it a piece of hair care
23:52advice that i would give to you is don't be scared to experiment with your hair and also
24:03men it's okay to take care of yourself you should look good and put in half the amount of effort
24:13the
24:13women put in okay i just encourage it because you're gonna look great no more of you just walking
24:20out the house with your hair wet drying it with water dripping on your shoulders getting your
24:25bagel on the subway stop it get out dry your hair put a little effort into it it's gonna go
24:33a long
24:33way i promise you every day you can have a little bit of a glow up if you if you
24:39have fun with your
24:39hair you're welcome well all you freaks out there thank you for watching this video i hope you
24:50enjoyed me doing my hair thank you for watching i hope this inspires you to take care of yourself
24:57just a little bit more and thank you for watching and i love you guys i'll see you on tour
25:04goodbye
25:04bye
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