Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pianowill]

I need a haircut, but I'd like to be able to tell the person cutting my hair how much to cut, etc. Anyone know of a good place? I live in Bundang in the Gyeonggi-do province.

[Johnysuth]

same question, but I'm in Seoul.

And directions would be great

[pianowill]

I'm willing to go to Seoul. Anybody?

[curiousaboutkorea]

[pianowill]

Good idea. I'll resort to that if I don't get a response within a few days.

[eIn07912]

Wow. You fella's just stumbled upon my worst headache in Korea. Not the food. Not the job. Not the women. Not the drunken old salary men. But the haircuts.

I've gone through dozens of places. Some with favorably outcomes. Some with terrible. I'm very particular about my hair. Worse than a girl some say. Plus, I'm fighting a receding hairline, so if it gets too short or cut wrong, I look like I'm 40 for a few weeks. But here's what I've learned.

Hair stylists in Korea don't go to school a lot. Most finish high school, do a few months at a beauty college, and that's it. Meaning to say, unless they've had a foreign boy friend or lived abroad, most don't speak enough English for you to tell them in detail what you like. However, in Itaewon, outside the station, on the corner above Coffee Bean, there's the place called The Green Turtle. There is one guy there, Sheldon I think, who speaks English rather well. But it's hit or miss with him. Sometimes he gets it just right, other times it's way off. Plus, he's the only one there, so he stays booked all the time, you may have to make an appointment weeks in advance.

Here's the big problem you'll face. Korean hair is dramatically different than caucasian hair. Korean hair is thicker, more corse, and they cut it differently too. Stylists are used to using a lot of force when cutting hair, if you're not careful, they'll cut most of that soft caucasian hair off in a few snips. Then you have to shave your head like I did because it was such a disaster. So whatever you do, Don't Fall Asleep in the chair. At home I like to relax and just let her do her thing, but if you're not watching them carefully here, it can get real bad, real fast.

With language being an issue, here's a few other ways to communicate what you want. Bring in a picture of your hair the way you want it cut. Don't rely on the "book" of hair styles they salon has. Those are going to be all Asian hairstyles and Asian hairstyles on white people look strange. I've found its best to use hand gestures. I'll show them how much I want off the sides or the top by physically holding the hair at that length and make scissor fingers and cutting sounds. Big thing to watch out for, especially if your balding a little early like myself, is to make sure they get the top front correct. Korean guys can have nice looking hair, but it's common and fashionable now to cut the front really short or even shave it, and the top middle will still have some length. It looks stupid on us, but it just works for Korean guys.

Try a few places over the months till you find one you like. Stay Away from Blue Club! That's like the Quick Cuts at home. If you're near a university area, look around for a place where you see the students go. They usually have a younger staff that stay up to date with current styles, foreign or domestic. I usually go with the "Beckham Style" because it's really well known here, even if it's a little out dated (just a slightly elongated faux hawk.) Once you find a place and girl/guy you like. Stick with them! They will remember you and your hair and it will be easier to make any adjustments each time. Still, don't just trust them when you go in. I say a guy for 6 months. He knew how I liked mine, but one day, he all but shaved my head and left me this Alfalfa thing sticking up in the back. It was horrible. I ended up just getting a military cut to even it out and had to let it grow back for a few months. Keep an eye on what they're doing, and if it looks like she's going to take too much off, just say "whoa whoa whoa" they'll understand.

Get the best cut you can, but remember: it's not going to be like home. It's just impossible. Our hair is so different and very few stylists have had experience with soft brown or blonde hair. But if it goes wrong, just keep telling yourself "It's just hair. It always grows back." It helps to take some Vitamin B daily, as that accelerates hair and nail growth. And brush it each night after you shower for 5 or 10 minutes with a brush (not a comb) because it stimulates the hair follicle to grow.

I know this was probably way too long for a guy to talk about his hair, but my mom has always been a hair stylists since before I was born. She was a single mom and we were too poor to afford day care or a babysitter, so my brother and I were raised at a beauty salon. It has it's down sides, sure. But I also learned more about how women think than anyone else I know to this day, and I've never had a problem with getting girlfriends, so suck on that. Ha!

[Rusty Shackleford]

Just get a photo of what you want. They are usually pretty good at that.

[aussieb]

Easy .... No 1 blade!

[seonsengnimble]

The best haircut I got in Korea was from Juno hair, I think. It may be a different name, but there's a chain of them that cost a bit more than the standard place, but they give you tea or coffee when you wait, do a scalp massage, and are really professional all around. You'll be more likely to find a stylist who speaks English at one of these places since the staff are more thoroughly trained.

The worst haircut was in haebangchon. I went in, said "Ee Centi" and she smiled and nodded. Then she took out the clippers and began buzzing down the center of my head. She took out a fairly good chunk in the middle of my head, so I couldn't stop her. I just had to continue getting the crew cut. I guess she just assumed I was army and wanted an army haircut.

[ytuque]

It took me a long time before I felt comfortable getting my hair cut in Korea since Korean males having some really unusual and sometimes effeminate hairstyles. To avoid any problems, I get a crew-cut.

My least favorite K-male haircuts:

1. The Klingon
2. The Romulan
3. The Bowl
4. The Elf (long pointed side burns and bangs)
5. The K-mullet

[Patong Dong]

After years of getting my hair cut at Blue Clubs and the like I just resigned myself to the fact that my I wasn't going to like the cut until about 2 weeks later. Then when I was back in Toronto last year I just happened to get a hair cut from a Korean/Canadian. She had married an English teacher a few years back. She gave me a good cut and I asked her if she would write down the instructions in Korean for when I returned. A constant problem solved I thought. When I came back I thrice tried my written instuction only to encounter confusion. I guess they understood the words but not how to carry it out. I could read instructions on how to fly a plane but not know how to do it. The style she was writing about (which as she said is avoiding the mushroom cut that is so common here) was just alien to them. The first cut was kind of like a mon chi chi, and the rest was just on instinct the mushroom. I gave up.

Then a friend directed me to a small place opposite and just up a bit on from What the Book. This guy speaks English, and when I went in, there was a western family getting their hair cut. Looked promising. The guy understood that if I had side burns it meant that I didn't want to get shaved around the ears only, but to keep it a uniform length around the sides and back. I'm not even sure he was Korean and not Philipino in fact. And it was 5000 won. That's my guy from here on out.

[Lynns]

To the OP, in Bundang try the Juno Hair outside of Sunae station. They usually have someone who speaks English.

[4seasons]

Come to Itaewon. Ask directions to McDonalds. With Mc Donalds at your back, if you look across the street, slightly to your left up a little slope, you will see a 2 storey building with sign that say's Family Hair Care. They Speak English and can handle most kinds of hair.

[skdragon]

Juno is the only place I go now. Lots of the staff do their training overseas, and have actually worked cutting "foreigners" hair out of country. They also tend to speak English, and if not at least make a great effort to communicate with you - scalp massage, drink and snack is also nice too! The Juno card gets stamped each visit and tenth haircut is free.

[Julius]

Buy a pair of clippers. Problem solved.