Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Reggie]

[Reggie]

Here's an anecdote about my experience since I arrived back in Korea.

I arrived in August and my apartment didn't have A/C, which is crucial when you wear a toupee. If you're head is sweating, you can't glue it on properly. Shame on my school for being dishonest by mentioning A/C in the contract.

I wore the toupee for the first two days of work then decided I would shave my head. I knew my Korean girlfriend wouldn't care one way or the other, so it really didn't matter.

I showed up to work with a shaved head on my third day. One female Korean teacher, the best looking one, liked it. Another one hated it. My female boss looked bewildered, asking me why I shaved it. A balding male foreign coworker said, "You take your locks for granted."

A few nights later when we were having a goodbye dinner for the departing teacher, the Korean teacher who really hated my shaved head told me that her female Korean female friend had been fawning over me, saying I was so handsome when she saw me with hair (a toupee), but now she thought I looked like...and she made a farting sound with her mouth.

It has taken a while for the sides and back to grow back out to be long enough for the hairpiece.

I've tried a shaved head and a hairpiece both in two different countries (the USA and Korea) and a hairpiece has worked better for me in both countries. If a shaved head works better for you, that's great. My cousins, military veterans, do the shaved look. My uncle, an Airborne veteran, has old school hair plugs that look like crap. My brother does the look where he's half bald but doesn't shave it off. He's married and old fashioned though. With the exception of my uncle, I think we're all happy with our choices. It basically comes down to personal preference and our goals.

[declan74]

[declan74]

[Reggie]

[Reggie]

[The Floating World]

[radcon]

Its great that you baldies have convinced yourself that it doesn't matter but we live in a superficial world. Women care (the younger the more they care), and employers care.

[The Floating World]

[Weigookin74]

Be careful where you go. Some of the smaller towns and metro cities will charge less but use outdated methods. Hair will not take well or will fall out some. I would say apgujung area of Seoul is the only place to go. Rates will not be much different from Thailand for a good job. Knew people who looked into Thailand. Remember cheaper is not better if you can't reference the quality of the work, after surgery follow up, modernitity of the methods. Different people like different things as far as baldness goes. This is a clinic with experience in dealing with foriegners.

http://www.hairdoc.co.kr/

Click the English link and call the number. Don't email; won't get back to you.

[Weigookin74]

Some women may accept it and some may not. I use to be bald. The attraction was all over the map. But I was in the countryside at the time. Maybe the place was too traditional. People thought I was older than I was and as an early 30's guy then, I thought I could do better than attracting late 40's women. Younger women were non existent. Though it came and went in phases for me, even when I went to Seoul. Add in boubts of xenophobia that flare up from time to time and viola. Thing is Ive always been told I have a younger looking face and am a nice looking guy. But the baldness really screwed me up at times. That said, there was the odd woman who did seem to like it when I shaved it completely bald. But the mindset was more asian. Think over the past few years more Korean women might be forgiving of it on a western guy. Especially in Seoul. That said, my small city, I did heard negative feedback on the lack of hair. But then there was the occasional 20's and 30's woman who didn't mind.

It really is my belief that there has been sime kind of a quiet revolution in this country during 2009 and 2010ish. Where there seems to have been a flushing out of some the old fashioned ignorant thinking. Sure it still exists but there seems to be coming of age a group with more Westernized thinking. I have recently on a visit to Seoul seen an attractive Korean woman with a balding white guy. I wouldn't have seen that 2008ish. I only saw bald or balding guys walking around by themselves at that time.

I think in the country what I probably saw the most were tall blond guys with average looking or even slightly below average looking faces or overweight ending up with the most women. BUt in Soeul, more often good looking white guys ending up with good looking korean girls. Others can chime in on that.

Anyways, things were not what they were here. But baldness will make you look older. There can still be looks discrimination though not as much as before. Other Asian countries may still discriminate. Looking younger for future job interviews in other countries or even in the west can't hurt. It's really up to you.

[Weigookin74]

I did get two surgeries at this clinic over the past couple of years. The debt can be stiffling more than I thought. But some of the people who saw pictures of me from before versus now all praise my looks now. Lots of shallow people here and maybe everywhere. My hair won't look like a 22 year olds, but it won't look like a 58 year old's like it did before. There was a period of 6 months after each surgery, I looked frankensteinish. It takes about a year to grow in. First was front top and then a year later front back. No more kids screaming buck buck gee at me. In Seoul, I think people will be more polite and less abusive about it. Older people may still have some predjudice against it. In the countryside, you'll get constant questioning about it. That said, I could still date occasionally. Think some women liked it that I was a comedian and good with kids. But definately many who were turned off by it.

I don't mind having a shaved head and would like to have the option, in the future of shaving my head for a while and then growing my hair in for a while too. Nice to have the option. You're looking at about 5 to 6 million won per surgery. With exchange rate, it will be a little cheaper than back home. Thailand for quality work isn't much different, plus the cost of the flight.

You might have a nicer looking appearance for job interviews and get more respect from some of the population for it. People can be shallow here. I imagine China is probably really bad like this.

As you know Asian men don't start thinning until their 50's and don't go bald until their 60's. I remembered renewing my contract my first year and kept getting asked by immigration officers why I lost my hair so young? Some of teh most ignorant behaviour I've ever seen. But I think Korean's have learned to shut up about these things more recently. In Seoul for sure.

All I can say is gauge your reaction when you had hair versus not having hair. If women weren't swooning over you with hair before, they probably won't if you get it back. Still confidence, being interesting, being funny, all these things can make up for a lot. Being attractive too can put you over the top.

[jimmyjames1982]

[Jimskins]

Best test case: watch Wayne Rooney over the next year or so. He had implants done a couple of months ago. If someone on a salary of $400,000 a week has it done and can't make it look good, what hope for the rest of us?

[Michael_75]