Korean cold perm or digital perm: which a hairdresser should learn

"Korean cold perm" is one of the most frequent searches about the Korean technique, and people mean different things by it: some are looking for the classic cold perm, what Russian salons call "cold chemistry", others for the new Korean procedure from social media. For a client it is a question of the result. For a hairdresser it is a question of investment, the price of the service and which technique to put on the price list first. I am Oksana Prisyazhnaya, and I learned both in Seoul, at MASSTIGE HAIR Academy: digital perm in March 2026, cold and root perm in August. Here is the difference as it looks from a hairdresser's chair.

What they have in common

Both techniques are Korean: Korean solutions, Korean logic of diagnosis and a mandatory test strand. Both give a soft wave, not tight curls. There is one difference, but it is fundamental: whether the hair is heated or not.

Korean cold perm

The hair is wound and treated with a Korean solution without a machine. The solution does the work, and the hairdresser watches the time and the strand. The wave comes out soft and loose. It is most pronounced on wet hair, calmer on dry hair, and fades sooner than a digital perm.

For a hairdresser the main point is the entry cost. No machine is needed; you can start with solutions and perm rods. That is exactly why the cold technique is often sold on courses as "Korean bio perm". The name is arbitrary: nobody says that in Korea, where there is cold perm, digital perm and root perm.

The classic cold perm from a regular salon is a different procedure. Its basics are useful to any hairdresser, but it should not be confused with the Korean cold technique: the solutions and the approach to the hair are different.

Korean digital perm

A machine is added to the solution: the curls are wound on heated rods and heated. The temperature on the hair stays within 60-120 °C; the setting is chosen for the hair and changes during the procedure. How exactly to choose it is the content of the course; this article will not cover it.

The result shows on dry hair: the wave opens up as the hair dries and lasts 4-6 months. The client sees it every day without styling and comes back for a touch-up on her own.

Comparison for a hairdresser

• What you need to buy. Cold - solutions and perm rods. Digital - the machine, solutions and heated rods.
• Heat. Cold - no heat. Digital - 60-120 °C on the hair.
• Where the result shows. Cold - more pronounced on wet hair. Digital - on dry hair.
• How long it lasts. Cold - less than digital. Digital - 4-6 months.
• Entry cost. Cold - cheaper. Digital - the machine is a separate investment.

Where to start

If you have no machine and a limited budget, Korean cold perm is a sensible first step: you can put it on the price list sooner. If you already work with perms and want a service with a high price, the next step is the digital technique. At Versiya Lab studio it costs from 18,000 ₽ for a bob to 39,000 ₽ for hair below the waist, 30,000 ₽ on average. The machine and solutions are a separate investment, and I will not pretend otherwise: we work out the break-even point at a consultation, before you pay.

It is worth learning both, one after the other, and from someone who does them. Cold perm teaches you to feel the solution and the time. Digital perm adds heat and decisions made during the procedure.

Where to see the digital technique live

On 25 November 2026 in Moscow, one day is led by two teachers. Hong Jihoon, Creative Technical Director of MASSTIGE HAIR Academy, demonstrates Korean digital perm on a live model, with interpreting. I explain what changes in it on Slavic hair. Every participant has their own mannequin and repeats the winding straight away. You do the whole procedure on your own model on a separate day, one-to-one with me, in the studio, or online if you already have the machine. A kit of Beati solutions for practice is included in the price.

The schedule is in the programme of the day; the price and deposit are in the terms of participation. How a perm on Korean solutions differs from what Moscow salons call "bio perm" is covered in Bio perm or Korean digital perm.