Wednesday April 11th was a holiday here in Korea. Everything was closed so that people could go out and vote!
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| What is this mess?? |
After I was finished she started braiding my hair. She had a stinky face the whole time. She started talking to her sister is an African dialect and then she came over to look at my hair.
When she was finished sewing in the weave she flat ironed the front left side and right side twice and that was it. I looked in the mirror up at her and asked her if she was going to curl it. You know like the style that I came in to get and showed you in the picture??
She looked back at me through the mirror and said curl it how? I took a deep breath and channeled the Buddhist monks that I did a temple stay with in January. I’m not gonna be rude I told myself. My friend that suggested this place did tell me that I can have a Korean hair salon curl and cut my hair afterwards. So I just thought about that and proceeded to ask her the damage.
This lady whispered 140,000 won. I rubbed my temples and then looked at my weave again. I looked at the invisible part she made and pointed out the exposed tracks. She came over to me and used a comb to swoop the front of my hair. She then told me I could part it in different directions.
Hmmm OK…but the style I showed you had a middle part which is why you put this “invisible part” in my hair in the first place.
I looked at myself in the mirror with a blank stare – _-
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| Yup I know…I looked a hot mess. |
I just said OK and reached for my hair pins and pinned my hair up into a bun. I paid her and left the shop. Of course I laughed at myself as I walked down the street to find a taxi back to the train station. By the time I got in the taxi my hair pins had slide done my neck. This hair was so cheap and silky that it could not be held up.
I laughed at myself again and thought “yea this is what I get for frivolously spending” .
On the train ride back to Ulsan I had a major headache. Actually that headache continued for 3 days. When I got to Ulsan and I found the Korean salon my friend suggested and went to curl my hair. Yes! I left the African hair salon with a weave just to go get it curled at a Korean hair salon…smh
She did a good job though. But it was so humid that night that by the time I got home all the curls were gone.
Thursday morning for work I wore a hat. And I took 3 pain killers throughout the day for my head ache. It was a combination of burning and throbbing.
Friday morning I decided to wear “it” out. I made Goddess braids on the sides and curled the back. I left later than usual because I was doing my hair. I haven’t experience this in years since becoming natural ha ha. Everyone at school had something to say about my new hair style. Again I took some pain killers for the ache.
Saturday during the day I wore “it” in a fringe braid. I thought OK maybe I can keep it in until the end of the month. The pain will go away once the cornrows grow out and loosen up. And I look forward to the new growth! Still trying to be positive.
Right now I’ve just been wearing a head scarf. Any manipulation of my hair makes my scalp scream. So I’m just letting it breathe and heal.
But now because some of the ignorant people here can’t stop gawking at a brown girl in a head scarf, I think I will wear my knit caps for the rest of the week.
Woe is me.
Nooo don’t feel sorry for me. It’s my own fault. I’m a traveling natural, what was I thinking getting a weave!!!!
The ironic thing is that Koreans dominate when it comes to the black hair care industry and I can’t really go anywhere hair to get my natural hair done. Its best just to stick to my regimen and take care of my hair myself.
A lesson learned!
Thanks for sharing the details. Your expression in the pictures above said it all. Oh, yeah I forgot about her kids… They were all over the place when I was there. I’m like, “Somebody take these kids to the park or something.” I also had to wait over an hour before they started my hair. So many other Black women here have gone to Choices (including me). Keep sharing your story.
Thanks Ana for commenting! I def wrote in my gratitude journal about this one! Ha ha if its not broken don’t fix it. I love learning lessons 🙂
Wow Girl,
sorry you had such a bad experience.
I hate that happened to you girly. That was a red flag from the start, she was not professional at all, and that clearly shows from beginning to end.
Haha you don’t look happy at all in your pics, it will get better. Koreans and staring goes hand and hand, ne? ^^
It happens haha 🙂 Send me your cell so I can call you!!!
Ha ha you will learn all the things that go hand in hand with Koreans when you arrive.
I should have went to Seoul to get my hair done >.< *doh!
But that experience turned out to be a blessing in disguise!
I walked into choices once and walked right out. The atmosphere in there is not one where I can leave my money. I had a similar experience across the street at another salon. I feel like seoul or anywhere eles the “stylists” that are here in Korea just don’t cut it.
https://ugaliandkimchi.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/118/
I’m not alone!!! I’m trying to go natural and just had a similar experience. At least you have a lovely shaped face so that you can wear a scarf. The same thing happened to me only I went to VC by Camp Walker, Dageu. I ended up at the doctor’s due to allergies to the hair/dye and too tight braiding. Like your situation, it didn’t feel too tight when I left, the appointment was two hours delayed, kids running around etc., This humidity is murder on natural hair and the doc said that I can’t do anything with it for a month. Please let us all know if you find someone who can correctly do a weave or natural haircare. I have a square shaped face so plain braids look terrible on me. I can do my hair “ok”, but am no professional! Hang in there.
Hey Smash the Tiny Black Box! I don’t think I will EVER step foot in a salon again. You should check out “Shirley B Eniang” on YouTube. She just posted a video of how she does clip ins though her hair is relaxed her method is really simple. Also check out “AbbysWorld”blog. She had natural hair and videos showing how she does her weaves and wigs. For natural hair care I say try to master your hair yourself. We def can’t rely on and stylist in Korea >.< I've been rocking a bun this week and usually just wear 2 strand twists 🙂
This is my second deployment to korea(pohang) and I’ve been trying to find a place to get my hair done I’m natural but did another big chop and rocking a 2 month old weave from the states I’m scared to take my hair down because if the water but I’m scared my hair will get matted under the cap I usually depend on my aunt/stylist to do my hair but now I’m stuck and scared after reading your blog
Nothing to be scared about:) My only problem was relying on someone else to style my hair when I know better. There are tons of natural hair HOW TO style videos on YouTube. Maybe being natural isn’t the right decision for you? You can ask around one you get to base for a reliable stylist. Good luck!
Oh man yall are scaring me. I PCS out there in a few months and I an also natural. Please let me know if you find a stylist who can trim natural hair. And yes girl you should definitely take your weave down. Natural hair needs constant moisture and nourishment and you should try and clean your scalp at least every 2 weeks.
Hi! I am no longer in Korea. But maybe joining the “Brothas and Sistas of Korea” group on Facebook would be helpful to you.