spa and salon services

If you are looking for professional Thai massage, check out Healing Hands: Massage for the Soul in Itaewon. From the Seoul subway (Line 6), take Exit 2 and walk for a few blocks and look for a sign that says “Clinic Ever”. Inside that doorway is the staircase that will take you to Healing Hands; it’s on the 3rd floor.

Upon entering the establishment, it is a sensory experience with all the soothing sounds and aromas you’d expect. The owner/masseuse speaks English fluently and his masseuse partner has very good English comprehension, and they are very accommodating with your schedule as well as your personal needs. Making an appointment is advisable, but I have ‘walked in’ many times. They are open daily from 12:30pm to 9:00pm.

A one hour full body massage currently costs 60 000 won and they offer a variety of other services including hot stone and foot treatments. A nice option is the couples massage; it makes a great date, and you get a slight discount. Another added bonus is their stand up tanning bed, but don’t expect bulbs as strong as back home.

Has anyone else been to Healing Hands? Any suggestions for good massage places in Seoul?

Getting your manicures and pedicures in Seoul will be almost as expensive if not more than in North America. I have been satisfied with Tiffany Nail in Itaewon (Exit 2 across the street from the Dunkin Donuts). I’ve had manicures ranging from about 15 000-35 000 won and pedicure prices start at about 30 000 won.

The services I’ve had at Tiffany Nail were relatively thorough; I had a lot of choices for polish colour, and during one pedicure, my feet were simultaneously worked on by 2 ladies! It was a bit of a novelty, but I ended up feeling like I was getting rushed out a bit. They are not the best manicures/pedicures  in the world, but they do cater to a lot of foreigners. They speak some English, and they have pretty good hours (Mon-Sun 11am-10pm)

They also have a stand up tanning bed for about 12 000 per 10-15 minute session and they have package deals, but don’t expect strong bulbs like back home. They provide tanning lotion for free.

I’ve also tried The Green Turtle in Itaewon (Exit 3, right above ‘The Coffee Bean’). The prices were comparable, but I preferred Tiffany Nail.

Why go to Zen?

Where to get your hair done in South Korea is a common topic amongst expat women in Korea. I have been very happy with Zen Salon in Seoul near Ewha Woman’s University. The stylists have been trained in London at Vidal Sassoon and they all speak English. Service is very professional, you will be given tea to drink and English magazines to read while you are being pampered. I have very long, dark curly hair, and they cut it well, and do great colour and highlights in reasonable amount of time (sometimes with 2 people working on me at a time!) They have also straightened my hair straighter than it has ever been! Prices are similar to what I’m used to back home, but they vary from stylist to stylist. I made a video with directions and footage of Zen Salon, check it out at the end of this post.

Where to find Zen

It’s easy to find Zen Salon from subway line 2, Ewha Woman’s University stop, exit 1. When you leave the subway station, take your first right and it’s on your left.

A word of warning!

There is an out-of-date thread on Dave’s ESL cafe about Zen Salon which led me to some confusion with phone numbers, bookings and stylists. As of the date of this post, call 02 362 4125, for general booking information, and if you want to see the freelance stylist I saw, (which I HIGHLY recommend) Pete Kang, call 010 3596 2869. He is quite flexible with appointment times and has several different locations in Seoul and will even go to your house.

If you know of any better places to get your hair done in South Korea, whether it be Seoul or anywhere else, let me know in the comments!