Not-too-curly hippie perm for awkward bob length: Yangju hair salon

My hair lately has been sitting there like a limp piece of seaweed at this really awkward length.. It's not quite a short bob, but it's not long enough to tie up either — just right in that in-between zone. Leaving it alone feels kind of boring, but cutting it shorter again felt like a waste. So this time I decided to change things up with a bob-length hippie perm.

I wanted a hippie perm that wasn't too much

But there was one important thing here. What I wanted wasn't a fully curly, super voluminous, over-the-top hippie perm. I wanted a style where my bob still falls a bit neatly while the curl looks naturally alive. Like, "there's a hippie perm vibe, but it's still fine to wear to work" haha

When I explained this during the consultation, they really went into detail with me! This time I visited Hair Design Whur Ok-jeong branch. I worked out the design together with the designer!

The location is

3rd floor of a commercial building behind the public restroom at Okjeong Lake Park

An awkward bob length and the honest talk during consultation

Instead of just glancing at a photo of the style I wanted and saying "sure, we can do that," they carefully checked my current hair length and condition first. They were honest that my hair length wasn't the easiest for a hippie perm. At this length, they explained, adding curl could make it look shorter than expected, and if the volume came out too strong, it could flare out to the sides.

I actually liked this kind of explanation. Rather than just promising a great result no matter what, telling me the realistic range of what's possible with my current hair let me set my expectations properly.

And when I said "I'd prefer a neat feel over an overdone hippie perm," they agreed to design it in that direction. They made sure the curls around my face wouldn't puff out too much, and shaped it so the current bob length would get natural movement. Honestly though, I was a little worried this length with a perm might turn into a rice-ball shape haha

The clinic treatment done alongside the perm, and the price

They kept checking my hair condition throughout the treatment, and I also got a clinic treatment done this time. Since a perm can be rough on your hair, I wanted to take care of it at the same time if possible.

The weekday price I was told was ₩150,000 including the clinic, and considering everything included, I personally felt that was quite reasonable.

The finished bob-length hippie perm

And finally, it's done.

The first thing I thought seeing the result was, "oh, it's not as puffy as I expected" haha. Just like I wanted, the curl was alive, but the overall silhouette didn't spread out too much, and it still kept some of that clean bob-specific feel.

I especially loved the side line. The curls fell naturally around my face, and the ends flicked slightly outward, so even though it's a bob, it didn't look stuffy. Looking at the photos, it's less like a fully curly hippie perm and more like a neat hippie perm with natural waves. Exactly the direction I wanted.

The back of my hair also didn't get overly voluminous and flowed naturally overall. My hair length was awkward so I was a little worried about how it would turn out, but I think they matched it well to what this length could deliver.

What stuck with me most was the honest suggestion

And what stuck with me most about this visit, as much as the result itself, was the designer's honest opinions and suggestions.

Rather than just saying "it'll come out pretty" no matter what, they honestly told me first what might be difficult at my length, then adjusted as much as possible within that to match what I wanted. That's what I liked best.

I originally wanted a calmer, neater style rather than a full-on strong hippie perm. I said that clearly from the start, and the result came out exactly the way I imagined. There's definitely curl, but it doesn't puff out too much, and it's tidy overall, so I think I can wear it without any worry in daily life.

Wrap-up

In conclusion, what stuck with me most about this Okjeong hair salon visit was the thorough consultation, the honest upfront explanation about my current hair condition, and the fact that they matched the result to the "not-too-much, neat hippie perm" I wanted. I was worried because of the awkward bob length, but it actually came out naturally suited to this length, and I'm quite happy with it. I think I'll be keeping this curl alive for a while haha

• Business name: Hair Design Whur Ok-jeong branch
• Address: 177 Okjeong-dong-ro, 3rd floor, unit 304, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Service used: Bob-length hippie perm + clinic treatment
• Weekday price: ₩150,000 including clinic