My hair color choice went wrong and now my scalp is a mess

That sudden urge to change everything

I don’t know why I get these impulses, but last Tuesday I just couldn’t stand the way my hair looked. It had been months since I last stepped into a salon, and the dark roots were really starting to annoy me. I found myself looking at photos of celebrities on Instagram—specifically that recent look with the super bright blonde hair—and convinced myself that I needed a major change immediately. I ended up booking an appointment at a salon in Cheolsan because it was close to where I had some errands to run. The place looked decent enough from the street, and I didn’t want to spend time traveling all the way into central Seoul for a haircut I was already regretting booking in my head.

The process was longer than I thought

When I got to the chair, the stylist kept asking if I was sure about the level of lift I wanted. I just nodded, wanting it over with. We spent almost four hours sitting there. The smell of the chemicals was so strong it actually gave me a bit of a headache halfway through. It cost me around 180,000 won in total, which felt a bit steep for the results I got, but I was too tired to argue or even look closely in the mirror until I got home. Looking back, I should have just asked for a simple trim or a darker tone, but the idea of ‘transforming’ felt more important than the actual health of my hair at that moment.

Dealing with the aftermath

By the time I got home, my scalp felt really tight and slightly irritated. I had heard about using D-Panthenol cream to soothe sensitive skin, so I dug through my bathroom drawer to find some. It wasn’t specifically for hair, but I figured if it works for general skin irritation, maybe it would calm down the redness near my hairline. It helped a little, I guess, but it left my hair looking kind of greasy, which wasn’t ideal. I spent the next two days obsessively checking the Hwahae app to see if any of my current shampoos were too harsh for my sensitized scalp. It’s funny how I never looked at those ingredient labels before, but now I’m reading them like I’m some kind of chemistry major.

Comparing to other options nearby

I later talked to a friend who lives in Gwangmyeong, and she mentioned she usually goes to a different spot closer to the station that does a lot of color correction. She told me the prices there are about 30,000 won cheaper for the same service. I felt like such an amateur. I just walked into the first place I found on the map without comparing prices or checking reviews thoroughly. It’s not that the hair is ruined, but the color is definitely not the cool blonde I saw in those photos. It has this weird brassy undertone that I hate seeing every time I wash my face.

Still waiting for it to calm down

It’s been about a week since the visit, and I’m still not entirely happy with the color or the way my hair feels. I’m currently avoiding any heat tools and just trying to let my scalp recover. I keep looking at my makeup pouch and wondering if my current lipstick colors even work with this new, weird blonde, or if I have to buy entirely new shades to compensate for how washed out I look now. I feel like I made a mistake, but I’m not even sure if I want to go back to fix it or just wait for it to grow out. It’s this weird state of limbo where I spent a decent amount of money to be slightly more uncomfortable than I was before.