[SBS Star] "It Was Painful, But…" DARA Explains Why She Wore Extreme Hairstyles as 2NE1

DARA talked about the unconventional hairstyles she did a lot when she was a member of disbanded K-pop girl group 2NE1.

On July 19, YouTuber/hairstylist Lee Sung-kyu posted a video of himself styling DARA's hair on his YouTube channel.

The hairstylist said that he was at a loss on which look he would have to try on DARA; since she had done so many styles.

The singer agreed, saying, "That's been one of my recent concerns, too. I have no idea which hairstyle to try anymore."

"Except for a full head shave, I've pretty much done every style. At one point, I even shaved half of my head.", she said.
Lee Sung-kyu said, "When I think of you, the first thing that comes to mind is your unique hairstyles.", with one specific style in mind.

In 2009, when 2NE1 made its debut, DARA appeared with her hair tightly tied at the top of her head.

It became her signature style, often called the palm tree hair.

The stylist went on, "I remember seeing you in the palm tree hairstyle when 2NE1 debuted, and I was curious about how you achieved that look. You once showed it on your YouTube channel, right?"

DARA once made a tutorial on the hairstyle; according to her, the key to getting palm tree hair is to tie the hair up with elastic bands until the hair stands erect, looking like a palm tree stem.
"Yes, many people assumed that there was something inside the 'stem' part of the hair, but it was just my hair, all tied up.", DARA explained.

Then she added, "My scalp hurt a lot; it was so painful. I was crying a lot while doing it."

After hearing her answer, Lee Sung-kyu wondered whether the singer wanted to do her iconic yet painful hair.

"I've heard that it can be difficult for rookie K-pop stars to speak their mind. Did you want to do the palm tree hair?", he asked.

"Well, it wasn't my idea. I was worried when my stylist said she was going to try out this stick-like hairstyle on me. But when I saw the finished work, I fell in love."
DARA stated that she was not crazy about the bold hairstyles before she tried them on, but eventually grew to like and even want them.

"I was the least charismatic member of 2NE1. We needed to give a sense of uniqueness to the audience when we took the stage, and I was unable to do so. But when I tried on a fierce hairstyle, it worked perfectly with our music and made me look more charismatic.", she said.

"And then I came to rely on it. I believed that the bold hairstyles put me in the right mood for the style of our songs. I felt more confident looking in the mirror."
(Credit= 'DARA TV' 'kiu기우쌤' YouTube, Online Community)

(SBS Star)