Hapjeong hair salon build perm that keeps long hair: Pieum Hair

Fall is slowly creeping in and the mornings and evenings are getting breezy, so I wanted a change from the hair I'd had tied up all summer. It was so hot this summer... when it's hot, a hair tie is all you need, so I didn't think much of it, but once I actually went to let it down, the volume was totally flat T_T and the ends were pretty damaged too. But cutting off hair I'd worked hard to grow out felt like such a waste... My hair is right between long and mid-length, and since I'd only been growing it out, it had basically no layers or volume.

So this time I decided to barely touch the length and just add natural big curls. I went to Pieum Hair, a Hapjeong hair salon known for great women's hair, and got a big-curl build perm from stylist Jihyeok. Bottom line up front! I kept my length while getting volume flowing from the sides of my face — perfect for a fall mood switch :)

Where is Pieum Hair Hapjeong Main Branch? 30 seconds from Hapjeong Station exit 7

Pieum Hair was so close — about 30 seconds from Hapjeong Station exit 7. I go to the Hapjeong area often, especially on weekends, for meetups or dates, so having the salon this close to the station was great! This day I had plans with a friend too, so I booked an appointment before meeting up.

Perms aren't a quick service like a haircut — you need to block out several hours — so being able to hop straight on the subway right after was perfect. Even on a first visit, there's no way you'd get lost finding this place! If you're looking for a salon near Hapjeong Station that's great at women's perms and also care about accessibility, this one's worth checking out!!!

Inside Pieum Hair Hapjeong on a weekday afternoon

When I visited it was a weekday afternoon, but the director and staff were all busy with clients. I thought it might be a bit quiet since it wasn't the weekend, but as one group left, another set of customers came in — a constant flow. There were plenty of male customers too, not just women.

There was also a cute dog right by the entrance, so I got to pet it here and there during my service~ Most of all, the staff were quick to take care of whatever was needed at each step of the process.

A perm involves quite a long process — applying solution, rolling rods, neutralizing, shampooing, then restyling — but the staff who helped along the way were so friendly that the 3+ hours went by comfortably. In the middle of it all... I actually dozed off a little without realizing haha.

Build perm consultation: checking hair type and damage

This service was done by stylist Jihyeok. Instead of jumping straight into the perm, he first carefully checked my current hair length, hair type, and level of damage.

My hair looks straight on the outside but actually has some waviness underneath. The damage wasn't as bad as I thought, so we went with the normal-hair treatment process. One thing I really care about at a salon is how they check my hair condition at the start~

I think it's important that they explain what kind of look is realistic for my current hair. This time I said I wanted big, natural-falling waves rather than tight little ones, and he adjusted the curl thickness to fit my hair type and length.

After confirming that my slight waviness meant curls would hold well, he went ahead with the service — which put me much more at ease the whole time.

The result: same length, big curls added

I'm still growing my hair out, so I didn't want to cut much length. Cutting even a few centimeters off hair you've worked hard to grow — those who know, know haha.

So we only trimmed the damaged ends slightly and kept the overall length as close to the same as possible. I also asked for big curls from the start.

Hippie perms are trending these days too, but instead of a tightly-waved style, I wanted more of a build perm feel — natural flow starting from the sides of the face and continuing down.

Especially with long hair, if the curl is too strong it doesn't really match the clothes or vibe I usually go for haha. The whole process took just over 3 hours. It went step by step, from rolling rods and applying the solution, through neutralizing, shampooing, and drying. If you're planning a perm on long or mid-length hair, I'd suggest not packing your schedule too tight for the rest of the day.

When it was done and I looked in the mirror, it was exactly the big build-perm look I wanted. My hair had volume throughout.

Before the perm, my hair was flat and the length made it look heavier, but with the curls in, the whole silhouette feels much lighter. It's great to just wear it down normally, and even tied up in a ponytail, the curled ends still look nice. It hasn't been long since the perm so I'm not tying it up yet, but afterward they also carefully showed me how to dry it at home.

How to blow-dry the build perm curls at home

He showed me how to dry my hair by twisting sections with my hand in the direction of the curl, and I tried it myself over the next few days — it wasn't as hard as I expected. Sometimes hair looks great at the salon but you can't recreate it at home, so it was really helpful that they included styling tips along with the service~ Letting my hair down again after a whole summer of tying it up was such a good mood reset!

What to ask for in a big-curl build perm consultation

If you're like me and want to keep your long or mid-length hair but still switch up the mood, consider a big-curl build perm! When you go in for a consultation, bring a photo or two of the style you want, but also talk through the curl thickness and where you want the volume to sit near your face.

Even with the same build perm, the result can vary a lot depending on your hair type and length. If fall is coming and you don't want to cut your hair but still want a change, just one big curl can give you a pretty noticeable mood switch :)