Mid-length C-curl perm at 30 weeks pregnant: Ava Hair Dongtan

Why I needed to get my hair done before giving birth

So today I finally went to get a perm after a really long time, haha! I went to Ava Hair Dongtan Yeongcheon, a salon in 2 Dongtan.

Before I moved, I used to go to the salons around the 11-ja shopping strip all the time~~ I still come by for dinner sometimes, but I haven't been able to visit the salon as often as I used to, haha. This time though, I felt like I really needed to get my hair done before giving birth, so I hurried over!

I'm currently 30 weeks pregnant. After I give birth I'll basically be attached to the newborn, and honestly the smell of perm chemicals in my hair was something that worried me, T_T

So with my first child, Zento, I remember only getting a cut before and after giving birth, no perm, lol. I did get my hair dyed while pregnant though... lol. This time too my doctor said salon visits were fine, so I quickly got my hair sorted while I'm in the stable period of pregnancy!

And honestly... I'm someone who really hates fussing with my hair, lol. I do have a Dyson at home, but I only use it for drying — I've never once used the curling attachment... lol. So for me, getting a perm to set the style is basically essential, T_T

C-curl or S-curl? After much debate, C-curl perm it is

Time for a hair transformation after ages! My previous style was a tassel cut with a tassel perm using a straightener. This time I went back and forth for a while between a C-curl and an S-curl... An S-curl seemed like it'd be a bit more of a hassle to style, lol, and honestly, would I even style it every day? 🤣 So in the end I decided on a C-curl perm, which adds a natural curl only at the ends!

I took a half-day off in the morning and went right at opening time, and surprisingly there were already people getting cuts that early.

Consulting on the short perm style with a tablet

To really understand what I wanted, designer Haneul showed me a bunch of short perm styles on a tablet! I pointed at a couple of photos like 'this one and this one~~' and she immediately caught the vibe I was going for, haha.

Photos really are the most accurate way to show what you want! It's already been over a year since I got the tassel cut. My hair had grown out so much in that time, lol. Now, let's get this transformation started properly!!

From consultation to shampoo to cut

After the consultation, she shampooed my hair first and then did the cut. There was a bit of damage at the ends, and more importantly, I figured I wouldn't be able to properly deal with my hair for almost the next half year, lol, so I asked her to trim the length a bit more this time. Since going to the salon won't be easy once I'm caring for a newborn, I trimmed it to a length that would be as low-maintenance as possible.

And finally, the perm solution went on~~ Apparently Ava Hair Dongtan Yeongcheon uses Ahyunchae products for their solutions. Since I'm pregnant, I was a bit worried about the smell of the chemicals, but honestly it wasn't overwhelming at all. So getting a perm while pregnant didn't feel like too much of a burden for me. Of course, cosmetic procedures during pregnancy can vary by individual situation, so I only went after my doctor confirmed it was fine!

Coffee and snacks made the wait relaxing~

While the solution set in, they brought me coffee and snacks, so I got to enjoy them while I waited, haha. Honestly... I couldn't even remember the last time I'd sat alone at a salon after dropping my kid off, lol.

Actually my husband said he needed a perm too and suggested we go together... but that day I just felt like being alone, somehow 🤣🤣 Just sitting there doing nothing, letting them handle my hair, sipping coffee — why did that feel so good, lol. I think parents out there probably know this feeling... alone time is that precious, T_T lol.

What the salon itself was like

Once the morning cut customers had cleared out, I snapped a few photos of the salon. There were a ton of seats and the whole place felt spacious and comfortable — a solid option for anyone looking for a hair salon in Dongtan.

The C-curl perm begins!

After the solution work was done, she shampooed again and then started rolling in the perm rods. Since I was going for a C-curl, the curled section was mostly at the ends, so the solution never really got close to my scalp — I think that's part of why I felt a bit less anxious about getting a perm while pregnant. That said, this is just my personal impression, and procedures during pregnancy can vary a lot by individual, so please just take it as reference!

After each rod section was finished, she'd use a flat iron to smooth out the kinks where the rods had bent the hair. And honestly, lol, my hair looked so cute all bouncy and smoothed out at that stage 🤣 I think that mid-process look might actually be the cutest part. I was curious about the final result, but watching this process was pretty fun too, haha.

An easy neutralizing process~

After all the rod work was done, I moved back to the shampoo room for the neutralizing step. They sprayed the solution on as a foam, and getting it done lying down was so relaxing, lol. They even put a thick blanket over me, so with the warmth I nearly dozed off without realizing it 🤣

At 30 weeks pregnant, sitting for long stretches has gotten a bit harder, so being able to lie down comfortably for this part was really nice. And then, finally!!!!

The finished mid-length C-curl perm ♥

Ta-da~~ It's finally done!! It came out exactly the way I wanted, and I was so happy with it ><

Above all, I wanted hair that would hold its style with just a simple hand-dry at home. Not the kind of look that screams 'carefully styled,' but naturally pretty even when dried carelessly! That was exactly the vibe I was going for, haha.

I especially loved how the bangs length was styled to naturally cover my cheekbones. Thinking about how I won't be able to visit a salon often for a while after giving birth, I'm really glad I went with this low-maintenance mid-length C-curl perm.

I have zero confidence I'd curl my hair with a flat iron every morning, lol, but leaving it totally untouched felt like a waste too... For people like me who hate dealing with their hair, this kind of natural C-curl perm seems like a great fit!

If you're like me — someone who can't spend much time on their hair every day because of childcare, or someone thinking about a hairstyle before giving birth — I'd really recommend consulting on a low-maintenance style. I got my C-curl perm done by designer Haneul at Ava Hair Dongtan Yeongcheon in 2 Dongtan, and it felt so good to properly transform my hair after such a long time ♡

Now I just need to power through the rest of my pregnancy with this hairstyle, lol. Since I really won't have time to go to the salon for a while after giving birth... pre-birth perm: success! 🤭 If you're looking for a low-maintenance short perm, hope this helps~~