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For Zhang Junhao, the disappointment that was writ large on his father's face after each post-dye haircut is still fresh in his memory.

"He would spend 400 yuan ($55.6) at the salon, only for the gray to show afresh at the roots within weeks of a trim," he recalled.

Like other middle-aged men who sought to look young and energetic for as long as possible, this was a luxury his father indulged in, albeit tinged with frustration each time.