Gangneung hair salon for natural volume rebonding: Eco Revi

The hair situation that kept bothering me after a thermal perm

I’d been quietly stressed about my hair for days. Three days before visiting the salon, I’d gotten a thermal perm somewhere else, but it was a little different from the style I had imagined. At first, I thought, “It’ll probably settle down with time.” But every morning when I dried it, the directions went every which way, so styling kept taking longer. It just felt so heavy.

I considered going back to the same place and asking for a correction. But I wasn’t sure I could get across what I wanted, so I couldn’t quite bring myself to go. At the same time, having another treatment less than a week later made me worry that my hair would get even more damaged. After thinking it over for several days, I visited Eco Revi Hair & Spa Gangneung Branch (에코레비헤어앤스파 강릉점). I wanted to make the awkward parts look more natural, even if only a little, with my hair in its current state.

Eco Revi Hair & Spa Gangneung Branch: the space and parking

Eco Revi Hair & Spa Gangneung Branch offers not only hair services, but also scalp and hair care, head spa treatments, and esthetic care.

It was my first time at a combined hair-care space, so I found it really fascinating~! The salon was more spacious than I expected.

Because the treatment took a long time, I had to sit for quite a while, but the space didn’t feel cramped, which was nice.

Since this place also does hair spas, it even has a separate changing room for gowns. I changed into a gown and put my valuables in a locker, haha.

How much free parking time is there?

The free time at the designated parking lot varied by service. Cuts, blow-dries, and scaling came with 1 hour free, while perms, coloring, skin, scalp, and hair care came with 2 hours free. I used the free parking lot, so it didn’t affect me, but if you’re planning a long treatment, you could go over the free time~ So I think it’s best to check parking before you visit!

My hair condition and consultation before treatment

Before my visit, I had gotten a thermal perm at another salon three days earlier. Would another treatment damage my hair even more? Would I need a restorative perm? Would I have to cut more off? Honestly, I thought that if it would damage my hair further, I might have no choice but to cut it short ㅠㅠ That’s how much I kept worrying about its condition.

After I arrived, I first had a consultation with Designer Seol. She started by checking my scalp with a scalp-analysis device. It was a process of looking at things like the scalp environment and signs of hair loss.

What reassured me most was that she didn’t decide on a treatment right away. Since I’d had a thermal perm just days before, I was worried about damage, but she first explained what directions were possible with my hair as it was. More than wanting it to look pretty at all costs, I really wanted to tidy up the awkward parts without causing further damage. That made the process of checking my hair condition first feel necessary.

How the chemical-free pre-care was done

For this treatment, I also received chemical-free pre-care. I was told it is a process that clears away residual ingredients that may remain on the scalp and hair after treatments such as perms or coloring, while caring for dried-out hair.

• Scalp-scaling shampoo: They first cleared away oil, sebum, dead skin, and buildup from the scalp.
• Removing residual chemicals: They worked on lifting any remaining perm solution from the scalp.
• Letting the shampoo sit, then rinsing: Rather than rinsing immediately, they let it sit briefly before rinsing.
• Hair care: They applied a moisture-and-protein treatment to my dried-out hair.
• Finishing care: They left it on for a set time, then finished the care.

Honestly, at first I wondered a little, “Do I really need the care too?” But since it hadn’t been long since my thermal perm, my scalp and hair were bound to be sensitive. During the treatment, it felt less like simply shaping my hair and more like gently putting its current condition in order.

The volume rebonding process right after a thermal perm

After the consultation, we decided to go with volume rebonding. I was initially told it might take around 3 hours, but it actually took about 4 hours. Since it hadn’t been long since the thermal perm, they checked my hair very carefully while applying the softening solution. That was the part of the treatment that stayed with me most.

• Reviewed my previous thermal-perm history before proceeding
• Left out my bangs because the existing perm there was fine
• Checked my hair condition while the softening solution was on
• Adjusted according to my hair condition rather than the clock
• Added texturizing so the overall line would look natural
• Adjusted the design to suit my face shape and head shape

The designer especially told me that she had done a lot of texturizing.

Maybe because of that, after the treatment the ends felt less abruptly cut off and flowed together more naturally.

The changed line and how it felt to style afterward

Before the visit, the line at the ends of my hair felt awkward. Afterward, perhaps thanks to the texturizing, the ends seemed to connect more naturally. Before visiting, I was worried another treatment would damage my hair more. Afterward, I felt much more at ease because they proceeded while watching my hair’s condition.

It didn’t feel like I had completely different hair; it was more that the awkward parts had been refined, making it easier to style. I actually liked that better. Since my hair had been treated so recently, it was important not to force a big change, but to minimize damage and make it look natural in its current state. By that standard, I was quite satisfied with this treatment.

What was morning styling like a week later?

It’s been about a week since I went to the salon. Now, after washing my hair, I give it a quick rough dry and use a round brush or Dyson for just a little shaping, and it falls into place naturally. The biggest stress was how long my hair made my mornings take, so the fact that has improved is what I notice most.

Of course, results can vary depending on your hair condition and treatment history. I too had just gotten a thermal perm at another salon. So rather than expecting a huge difference just from before-and-after photos, I think it makes more sense to look at the ease of styling and how much the line was refined. If, like me, you’re worried because a perm didn’t turn out in the style you wanted, it may be worth getting a consultation before cutting it right away.

A visit for natural refinement rather than a drastic change

This was a salon I found while urgently worrying because I didn’t like my perm. Since it had only been three days since I’d had the other treatment, I wasn’t expecting a dramatic transformation from the start.

For me, it was more important to refine the awkward parts without causing more damage to my hair.

After the consultation, scalp check, volume rebonding, and chemical-free pre-care, I felt much more at ease. Perhaps because they did so much texturizing, the awkward line seemed to flow more naturally than before. Just a few days earlier, I’d been constantly wondering whether I should cut it.

Now I can style it with a light dry and just a little work with a round brush or Dyson, so mornings feel less burdensome. What I like most is spending less time in front of the mirror because of my hair. For now, I’m going to try to maintain it well. If I get color next time, I think I’ll consult about my hair condition first and decide from there.