Dog-friendly Bucheon hair salon for gray coverage color: Levia Hair

It had been a while since I went in for a dye job. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but I was a little tense — and oddly excited — from the morning. Haha. I genuinely love dyeing my hair. There's something about changing just one thing, your hair color, and having your whole face look brighter and your whole vibe shift. I love that moment.

But after skipping dyeing for a while, my overall color started looking uneven and my hair looked dry and frizzy, which kept bothering me. More than anything, my hormones have apparently been shifting lately, because I suddenly got a lot of gray hair. At first it was just a strand or two, which I'd pluck out or quietly hide. But recently even I could tell it had gotten bad. When I pushed my bangs back or tied my hair up, gray hairs showed up in spots I'd never noticed before, and I finally thought — okay, I really need to dye my hair now.

Where is Levia Hair? 3rd floor near Bucheon City Hall Station

This time I visited Levia Hair Bucheon Branch, a hair salon near Bucheon City Hall Station. The address is 3F City Office, 221 Gilju-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. Finding the entrance of a salon you've never been to is always a little nerve-wracking, right? Luckily, once I checked the building location, it wasn't hard to find at all.

Taking the elevator up to the 3rd floor, the entrance of Levia Hair came into view. Even before opening the door, I was thinking, "What will I look like after today?" — excited but also a bit tense. Haha. Since it had been so long since my last dye job, and I really wanted the gray hair covered naturally, I was more curious than usual about the result.

Can you bring your dog? Levia Hair is pet-friendly

One of the things I was happiest to find out while researching Levia Hair was that dogs are allowed. Since I live with a dog myself, whenever I'm looking into visiting somewhere, one of the first things I check is whether I can bring her along.

On dye days, you end up staying at the salon for quite a long time. Leaving my dog alone at home for that stretch always nags at me a little. So being able to bring her along was way more welcome than I expected, for someone who lives with a dog like me. That said, since it depends on the salon's situation and other customers, it's a good idea to call ahead to confirm before bringing your dog.

A drink menu at Levia Hair that reads like a café's

Once I sat down inside, they showed me the drink menu. And the moment I saw it, I thought, "Wait, a hair salon has this many drinks?" Haha. Usually at a salon you get instant coffee or maybe a tea or two. That's what I expected too, but Levia Hair had so many drink options to choose from that it felt almost like a proper café. Even though I was there to get my hair done, it felt a bit like I'd come to relax for a while, which I liked.

After some deliberation, I picked a drink I liked. Dyeing takes a while, so having something to sip on in between makes the waiting time feel much more comfortable. Once I had the drink in hand and took a sip, the tension I'd been feeling eased up a bit.

Hair before the color: the photos showed more gray than expected

Before the real consultation started, they took photos of my hair's condition beforehand. I usually only glance at myself from the front, so I didn't realize, but looking closely at the photos, there was way more gray hair than I thought. Especially in the back and the inner layers, spots I can't really see myself, there was quite a lot of gray.

The overall color was uneven too, and the ends looked dry and frizzy, giving off a slightly tired impression. "Ah, I'm so glad I came in for this dye job." That was the first thing I thought when I saw the before photos.

Consulting Head Stylist Sora on how to cover the gray

My hair that day was handled by Head Sora at Levia Hair. Instead of jumping straight to picking a color, she first looked closely at my current hair condition, traces of previous dye jobs, and the areas with the most visible gray.

I told her honestly that I wanted the gray covered naturally, but without the overall color looking too heavy or dull. As you get older, when dyeing your hair, trendy colors matter, but what matters more is whether your face ends up looking dull. Chatting back and forth with Head Sora and settling on a direction that would suit me naturally, most of my initial tension melted away.

Even the familiar sour smell of hair dye felt welcome

Finally, the dye application started. And that distinctive, slightly sour, familiar dye smell drifted up. It's usually a smell people dislike, but I was so weirdly happy to smell it. Haha. The moment that smell spread, I felt almost healed all over. "Have I really missed dyeing my hair this much?" I actually thought that to myself. Lol.

I'd been doing volume magic for decades, but lately I've only been doing setting perms, and I'd taken a break from dyeing for years. So the moment I smelled that dye, I thought, "Ah, I'm really dyeing my hair right now," and excitement outweighed the nerves. It felt like a small ritual you only get to experience right before your hair color changes.

After the dye was carefully applied, I waited while sipping the drink they'd prepared. Normally I'm always busy doing something, but sitting still at the salon felt like I was finally resting, just for myself, for the first time in a while. Coming in to get your hair done isn't just about changing your appearance. While someone is carefully tending to your hair, you get to step away from daily life for a bit and take a slow look at yourself, something you don't usually get to do.

After the color: gray covered, the overall tone calmer

After dyeing, they shampooed my hair and started drying it. While wet, I couldn't quite tell the exact color, but as the drying went on and my hair dried, the changed color gradually became visible.

The first thing I checked, of course, was the gray hair. The gray that kept catching my eye and bothering me now blended naturally with the overall hair color, and my whole face looked noticeably cleaner. Before, my color looked patchy in spots and overall tired; after, the color felt tidy and put-together, and the whole vibe felt calmer.

The back view especially, which I can't easily see myself, showed the difference much more clearly when compared in photos. The color looked much more even, and the overall shine made even my hair texture look better. Looking clean from the front, sides, and back all at once, I found myself wondering why I'd put off dyeing my hair for so long. Haha.

Verdict on the first color in years at Levia Hair

Since it had been so long since my last dye job, I had high expectations but also some worries. With gray hair suddenly increasing and my ends looking frizzy, I wasn't sure it would all come together cleanly. But the consultation and the service both went smoothly, and seeing the change afterward genuinely lifted my mood. Just changing my hair color made me want to check the mirror one more time, and I kept touching my hair on the way home. Haha.

Being able to bring my dog was a welcome bonus, and the varied drink menu made the long service time feel much more comfortable. If you'd like a dye consultation somewhere near Bucheon City Hall Station, or if you're dealing with suddenly increased gray hair like I was, this place might be worth checking out. That said, since everyone's starting hair color and condition differs, it's best to bring reference photos but consult thoroughly on what's actually achievable with your current hair before deciding.

For me, from that sour dye smell at the start to seeing my changed back view at the end, it was a welcome and exciting experience from start to finish.

A salon space that considers wheelchair access

There was something else that made me feel this salon pays close attention to customers. Beyond being pet-friendly, the entrance and restroom are also designed with wheelchair access in mind, which was impressive. They also have a head spa, adding to the sense that this is a place that cares about the details.

It's a space you visit to look good, but it felt like they've also thought about making it more comfortable for a range of different visitors, which I really appreciated. If you need to bring a dog or need wheelchair access, it's a good idea to check with the salon in advance before visiting. :)

Levia Hair Bucheon Branch: address, hours and closing days

• Name: Levia Hair Bucheon Branch
• Stylist in charge: Head Sora
• Address: 3F City Office, 221 Gilju-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Closed: Sundays and Mondays
• ※ Business hours and closed days may vary depending on the salon's circumstances, so please check before booking.