Grown-out hippie perm straightened, Geomdan salon: Lee Kyung Min Foret

Why I chose a magic straight perm over another hippie perm at Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan

I said goodbye to my 4-month-old hippie perm and got a magic straight perm (a heat-and-solution straightening treatment) for autumn at Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch. I had errands in Geomdan and wanted a little refresh after a long while, so I stopped by this salon!

It had been about four months since my hippie perm, and in summer it was so easy to manage, since I only had to dry my scalp. But lately every time I looked in the mirror I hit a slump with my hair I just didn't like, so I decided to change it up..! I wavered between dyeing and straightening, and in the end I let the hippie perm I'd kept for so long go and chose to smooth my hair down calmly for autumn.

Lee Kyung Min Foret is famous in Geomdan for its skill, and it's right in Geomdan, so I booked. After reading reviews saying the manager is meticulous and careful, I made my reservation with the manager and went in.

On the day you get your hair done, your hair styling turning out well is the golden rule, right?

Atmosphere and visitor info for Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch

Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch is a salon with sunlight pouring in through big windows and a clean, trendy interior. It's open Tue–Sun 10:00–19:30, closed every Monday, and parking is available in the building.

The shampoo room is neat too, and from the moment you walk in the place feels pleasant and upscale!

My hippie perm left for 4 months: what did it look like before?

Before the treatment, my hair was a hippie perm that had grown out messily and gone frizzy, because I hadn't been to a salon for four months and just kept growing it. After being shown to my seat, the real prep began! *Before*

This is the before photo the manager took for me. Messy, frizzy perm...

How did the magic straight perm go, step by step?

One-on-one consultation and applying the solution

At Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch, after a one-on-one consultation, we decided to cut off only the damaged ends after the treatment was finished..!

To give me soft, silky hair without damage, she applied the solution with great care.

After applying it thoroughly, it was time to wait calmly for a set while so the solution could soak into the hair.

Snacks and an iced Americano while waiting

So I wouldn't get bored while waiting after the solution went on, they brought me tasty snacks and an iced Americano too!

Shampoo time

Off to the shampoo room to rinse out my hair. This is the highlight of any salon visit, the shampoo. The manager asked whether the water temperature was okay and rinsed every nook and cranny thoroughly, so even my scalp felt really fresh and refreshed.

Straightening the frizz with a flat iron

After tidying and lightly drying my hair, it was finally time to tame that frizzy curl and become truly straight...! I had plans afterward and asked them to go quickly, so another stylist came over to help.

She ironed my hair straight, strand by strand, without missing a single one, carefully and attentively... ☆ After going through every step and trimming off a little of the damaged hair at the end, my hair was finally done! *After*

Straightening after a hippie perm: was there any damage?

After the magic straight perm at Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch, I felt none of the hair damage I'd worried about, and my hair was even shinier than before. Oh my god... no way, it came out this straight...?

Honestly, I was worried about damage since I'd left my hair alone for four months after the hippie perm, but the moment I looked in the mirror I covered my mouth in shock...... There was not one bit of the damage I'd feared; if anything my hair was far shinier, smoother and swishier than before the treatment.

Even my postpartum baby hairs look natural

The tangled, frizzy curls, and even the baby hairs that were my biggest stress after giving birth, now look natural without a trace!!!!!!!

Far from being damaged, my hair felt full of nourishment and soft as silk.

This swishiness... what is this... Manager... this is real magic.... When I run my hand through, nothing snags and it just slides right down!!! How long has it been!!!!

Does straightening make your hair stick flat to your scalp?

The hair quality is just unreal. Honestly, I was secretly worried that a straight perm could go wrong and plaster my hair to my scalp so I'd look like a webbed little octopus (jjukkumi), but that was needless worry.

A photo can't capture how swishy it is...

It's Elastine-commercial hair, literally. I even filmed a video at home, can you feel the swish..... I liked my hair so much that this mom took 2,394 selfies for the first time in ages.

Two days later, does it hold up when dried at home?

The day after tomorrow, I washed my hair, applied only an essence and blow-dried it, and the flawless hair and styling were exactly the same as the day I left the salon! No styling needed, I just tossed it dry.

With the styling worries gone too, I'm really, truly satisfied... This hair makeover has it all, convenience included, and it's just perfect. Thanks to the manager, who consulted with me kindly from start to finish and worked carefully to suit my hair's condition, I came away feeling great about the change!

If you have hair worries, do visit Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch. Huge recommendation!