After a little over a month here in Korea, the time had come. My hair needed a cut. And not just a simple trim either, no, that would be far too easy. It would require the skills of a true professional to tame what my friends have endearingly come to call the ‘Floof.’

But of course, nothing is simple when you live in a foreign country, and finding the right salon? Well, that can be a challenge at the best of times. Fortunately, back in Canada I had found my go-to place, where satisfaction was guaranteed. But here, in Korea, I had yet to be so lucky.

Mostly because there are not all that many options when you live in the middle of nowhere. Which meant expanding outwards to good ol’ trusty Seoul. The city of convenience. But convenience does not necessarily mean good, and being able to speak English does not necessarily a good hair stylist make. So to the foreigner blogs, and review sites I went, scavenging the net for any morsel of information I could find. Not knowing who to trust, or what to believe.

Until I found ‘The Days.’

Now ‘The Days’ is a brother run salon located in Hongdae, just off of exit 9, and though it is not widely known, it’s reputation is (so far) positive. Of course, individual experiences may vary. But as far as my personal account goes…I would say they fell just shy of expectations.

See, as friendly as they were when I first arrived, the main stylist I was booked with had only to take one look at the style I wanted to say ‘No’. Which was not entirely surprising, because the style I had originally wanted was very short, and quite extreme by Korean standards, and I had been steered away from similar looks by Western salons in the past. Still, it was the firmness of the ‘no’ that bothered me, especially because it wasn’t coming from a place of ‘I think this will look bad on you,’ but from a place of ‘this is far too short for a woman.’

Also, I am 90% sure that I heard the stylist use the word 이상해 when discussing my haircut with another stylist, which means ‘strange.’ But of course, he translated it as something else.

In the end though, I did get close to what I wanted. My hair is exceptionally short, with closely buzzed sides and back. Which the stylist did with absolutely no hesitation. I mean, he literally just came in with the razor and bye bye my hair went. It was quick, but not careless work.

That much I will give them.

They do seem to genuinely care about the work that they do. And from the glimpses I caught of the other clients in the room, they are quite good at it. For instance, there was an African American woman getting her hair dyed in the chair behind me, while to my right a man with a beard was getting his look cleaned up. He actually asked about whether the salon did beard trimmings are not, and instead of simply saying ‘no’ the stylist offered to provide recommendations of barbershops in the area.

So it could be that I am the exception and not the rule.

Or likelier still…that what I was asking was a bit too much. After all it’s not everyday that you have a woman, with already short hair, come in and say: Hey, I am thinking of buzzing it off. Thoughts?

Photo Credit: Richard Glen Lett