Hongdae hair salon: mint dye to tone down orange-faded hair, Juno Hair

Why mint dye for hair faded to orange?

This is my story of getting a tone-down with mint dye from designer Lee Heon at Juno Hair Hongdae Entrance Branch. Every time I looked in the mirror lately, the ends of my hair had faded to a bright red and orange, and it was bothering me.

I went looking for a Hongdae salon to tone it down to black and ended up at Juno Hair Hongdae Entrance Branch. I was treated by designer Lee Heon, who is known for great skills, and I liked the mint dye so much that I wanted to write a review.

Juno Hair Hongdae Entrance Branch: location and hours

The salon is on the 2nd floor of Magellan 21 Officetel, 175 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Come out of Exit 2 of Hongik Univ. Station (Line 2, Airport Railroad and Gyeongui-Jungang Line) and go straight; it's about a 2-minute walk. It's so close to the station that I found it easily even on my first visit.

It's open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and closed only on Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (Korean harvest festival) days, so keep that in mind. I was happy with the facilities too: parking, Wi-Fi and pets are all allowed.

Salon atmosphere and shampoo area

Inside, big picture windows let in lots of light, and the interior is modern. There's a stylish herringbone-pattern wall and displays of high-end hair products.

The staff kindly kept my belongings and brought fragrant iced herbal tea and sweet cookies, which put me in a good mood.

They even set up a phone charger at each seat during the whole service, so I felt really looked after. The shampoo area has soft lighting and comfortable electric recliner chairs, so I could rest with a full-body massage while lying back.

How much does dyeing cost at Juno Hair Hongdae Entrance Branch?

The basic dye menu is ₩150,000–₩250,000 for a full dye and ₩100,000 for a root dye (under 2 cm). They showed me the price list before starting, which made me trust them. Prices can vary a little depending on hair length, condition and the designer.

• Full dye ₩150,000–₩250,000
• Root dye (under 2 cm) ₩100,000
• Partial dye / toning ₩80,000
• Men's full dye ₩130,000
• Full bleach ₩180,000–₩280,000

First-time customers get a 20% off coupon on perm or color services, so you can try a premium service at a reasonable price.

One-on-one consultation with designer Lee Heon and the mint dye recommendation

Designer Lee Heon, who looked after me this time, has a rare eye that misses no detail, just like the title "a hair's breadth of difference" (한 끗 차이) suggests. Since she studied chemistry, she explained the chemistry of the dye and checked how damaged my hair was before giving me a personal consultation.

I had planned a tone-down to a dark color, but she said hair with strong red and orange tones like mine fades back to red quickly if you just put regular brown on it.

If I wanted to keep a lighter tone, ash brown would be the way to go, but she recommended mint dye as a trendy, effortlessly-good-looking color. Mint's complementary-color effect cancels the muddy red and orange in the hair and creates a subtle, classy black tone-down, she said.

The mint dye process

The actual service was careful too. First she applied a scalp protector to minimize irritation before the dye touched my head. Then she checked the damage and fading at the ends in detail and applied a custom dye evenly, with no patchiness.

After the processing time, I moved to the shampoo area where the dye was rinsed out refreshingly, and she finished with a treatment that left my hair much softer.

Tips for keeping mint dye longer

She also gave me tips for caring for it at home. Because of how mint dye works, a faint bluish tint may show right after the service, and the color may bleed for about a week, so be careful with light-colored clothes and towels.

• Wash your hair with lukewarm water instead of hot water
• Use a mildly acidic shampoo instead of a strongly cleansing regular shampoo
• Don't leave hair wet after shampooing; blow-dry it right away

Leaving hair wet for a long time after shampooing also causes damage and color fading, so she said it's best to blow-dry right away.

Mint dye before and after

Hair before dyeing

In the photos I took before the service, my hair looks dry and frizzy overall. Whenever light hits it, the orange and red tones stand out, and it looked damaged.

Hair after dyeing

After the black tone-down with mint dye, it was like I'd transformed into someone with different hair. The calm, deep dark color with the red tones gone even made my complexion look neater.

Even though I'd just dyed it, my hair felt softer than before the service and had a healthy shine, and I kept marveling every time I looked in the mirror.

I'm happy that the faded orange hair could be toned down so elegantly and naturally. 👍 Thanks to designer Lee Heon, who diagnosed my hair using her chemistry knowledge and fixed it with a trendy mint color, I feel like I found the hair of my life.

If you're near Hongdae and thinking about a red-free, toned-down mint dye or a color that suits your personal color, I recommend designer Lee Heon at Juno Hair Hongdae Entrance Branch.