How to do a Korean perm: the technique for a hairdresser
The stages of the Korean digital perm, the solutions and machine you need, how it differs from a chemical perm, and where the technique is taught. A breakdown for hairdressers.
Author: Oksana Prisyazhnaya. Korean digital perm teacher, founder of the Versiya Lab studio
In short. The Korean digital perm is Korean solutions with a neutral pH plus controlled heat: the curls are heated on heated rods, the temperature on the hair stays in the 60-120 °C range, and the setting is chosen for the hair and changes as the procedure goes on. The procedure runs in stages: diagnosis and a test strand, choosing the solution, winding, heating, neutralising, aftercare and assessing the result. To work you need a machine, rods and a kit of solutions. The technique is taught in person: on 25 November 2026 in Moscow it is demonstrated by Hong Jihoon, Creative Technical Director of MASSTIGE HAIR Academy in Seoul.
In this article:
- What the Korean perm is, from a hairdresser's point of view
- How to do a Korean perm: the stages
- What you need to work: machine, rods, solutions
- How it differs from a chemical perm and a bio perm
- Why the technique cannot be taught by video
- Where to learn the Korean perm
- How Korean hairdressers work
- Questions and answers
What the Korean perm is, from a hairdresser's point of view
"Korean perm" is not one procedure but several techniques that use Korean solutions. In practice it helps to tell them apart by three things: whether there is heat, what the hair is wound onto and when the technique is chosen.
Type | Heat | Wound onto | When it is chosen |
|---|---|---|---|
Digital | yes, 60-120 °C on the hair | heated rods | the result has to show on dry hair |
Cold | no | perm rods | there is no machine, or heat would be excessive |
Root | yes | heated rods | volume is needed at the roots |
The digital technique is the main one: it gives the soft wave the client sees every day. The cold technique uses the same Korean solutions but without a machine, and it costs less to start with. A detailed comparison in terms of investment and price is in Korean cold perm or digital perm.
How to do a Korean perm: the stages
The procedure is divided into steps, and each one depends on the decision made at the step before. Below is the order the course day follows.
1. Hair diagnosis and the test strand. The hairdresser looks at what has been done to the hair before, how it behaves wet and dry, and where it is porous. Then one strand is wound to see how the hair takes the solution and responds to heat. These signs decide the solution and the timing.
2. Choosing the solution. The kit is matched to the condition of the hair: the versions for healthy and for damaged hair are different. The course works with Beati solutions.
3. Winding. The hair is parted into strands and wound onto the rods. The winding pattern, the tension and the diameter of the rod decide the pattern of the wave.
4. Heating with the machine. The curls are heated, and the temperature on the hair stays in the 60-120 °C range. The setting is chosen for the hair and changes as the procedure goes on, and the hairdresser checks the result on the curl.
5. Neutralising. The second solution fixes the shape. With Korean solutions the neutralising step is done with collagen. Without this step there is no perm: the hair simply stays softened.
6. Aftercare and the result. Aftercare is part of the procedure, not an extra sold afterwards. At the end the hairdresser assesses the result and explains to the client how the wave will change over the first few days.
Exactly how to choose the solution, the temperature and the timing, by which signs and in which order, is the content of the course and is not published on the website. The hour-by-hour schedule is on the Programme page.
What you need to work: machine, rods, solutions
The machine. It heats the rods and holds the set temperature throughout the procedure. Whether the curl comes out even and springy depends on it. The machine is Korean, made in the Republic of Korea. What to look for when choosing one is covered in the studio's article How to choose a machine for the Korean digital perm (in Russian), and the machine itself is on the equipment page.
The rods. These are the heated rods the strand is wound onto. They are not the rollers from a hairdressing shop: they work together with the machine.
The solutions. The working unit is a kit of two bottles: the first solution and the neutraliser. The first solution comes in two versions: neutral for healthy hair, slightly acidic for coloured and weakened hair. The neutraliser comes with the kit and does not need to be bought separately. Which kit suits which hair is covered in the studio's article Which solutions you need for the Korean digital perm (in Russian). After the course, solutions and the machine are available through the Versiya Lab studio: catalogue of solutions and machines. The studio sells the machine only to those who have completed the course.
How the Korean perm differs from a chemical perm and a bio perm
For the client the difference is in how the result looks. For the hairdresser it is in four things: whether the hair is heated, what is done before the procedure, which solutions are used and what has to be in the salon.
Korean digital | Classic chemical perm | Gentle perm without a machine | |
|---|---|---|---|
Heat | 60-120 °C on the hair | no | no |
Diagnosis | a test strand for every client | as the case may be | as the case may be |
Solutions | Korean, two versions by hair condition | alkaline | gentle |
Tools | machine, rods, solutions | perm rods, solutions | perm rods, solutions |
Where the result shows | on dry hair | on wet hair | on wet hair |
As for the word "bio perm": in Moscow it is used both for a gentle perm without a machine and for a perm with Korean solutions. The breakdown for hairdressers is in Bio perm or Korean digital perm and Perm training: where a hairdresser should start.
Why the technique cannot be taught by video
We have no online course in the Korean digital perm, and there will be no recording of the course. A machine technique cannot be taught by video: a screen does not carry the tension, the diameter of the rod, the winding pattern or the way the hairdresser makes decisions as the procedure goes on.
That is why the course is in person, and practice follows it: you carry out the whole procedure on your own model on a separate day, one-to-one with Oksana Prisyazhnaya, in the studio or online if you already have a machine. The solutions kit for practice is included in the price of the course, and for a month afterwards your work is reviewed from photos and videos.
Where to learn the Korean perm
The academy currently has three perm programmes.
- The course on 25 November 2026 in Moscow. One day, 10 places, 150,000 ₽. A 60,000 ₽ deposit holds a place and is accepted until 25 October. Two teachers lead it: Hong Jihoon demonstrates the technique on a live model, and Oksana Prisyazhnaya leads the adaptation to Slavic hair. The day before, on 24 November, there is a separate Korean haircut course: these are different courses, and you can take one day or both.
- One-to-one training in Seoul in January 2027. Two days with Hong Jihoon at MASSTIGE HAIR Academy, 350,000 ₽ per participant, flights and accommodation extra. Oksana Prisyazhnaya travels with the participant, interpreting into Russian and accompanying them on both days. Read more.
- The second group in Moscow in spring 2027. Taught by Hong Jihoon; the date will be set once the group is full. Read more.
What to check when choosing training, who should not start yet and how a trip differs from a course in Moscow are covered in Where to learn Korean perm and How they teach perm in Seoul. Why I chose MASSTIGE out of the Seoul academies is explained in Why I studied at MASSTIGE HAIR Academy and not at Juno Academy.
How Korean hairdressers work
In Korea the perm is a core service rather than an extra, and everything else follows from that. Diagnosis takes as long as a whole consultation does elsewhere. A test strand is done for everyone, not as a precaution. The machine stands in the salon as an everyday tool. Saying no when the hair will not cope is a normal part of the work, and clients accept it.
More on what a Korean hairdresser does differently is in How a Korean hairdresser works differently.
Questions and answers
How long does Korean perm training take? The course in Moscow is one day, from 10:00 to 18:00. Practice on your own model takes place on a separate day, one-to-one with Oksana Prisyazhnaya. For a month after the course your work is reviewed from photos and videos.
Can I learn the Korean perm online? No. We have no online course and there will be no recording: a machine technique cannot be taught by video. Only the practice after the course can be done online, and only if you already have a machine.
What machine do I need for the Korean perm? A Korean digital perm machine made in the Republic of Korea: it heats the rods and holds the set temperature throughout the procedure. A machine is provided at the course. Afterwards the machine is available through the Versiya Lab studio; the studio sells it only to those who have completed the course.
Which solutions do I need for the Korean perm? A kit of two bottles: the first solution and the neutraliser. The first solution comes in a version for healthy hair and a version for coloured and weakened hair. The course works with Beati solutions, and the kit for practice is included in the price.
How does the Korean perm differ from a bio perm? In Moscow "bio perm" is used both for a gentle perm without a machine and for a perm with Korean solutions. The Korean digital perm is Korean solutions plus heat at 60-120 °C on the hair, and the result shows on dry hair.
How much does Korean perm training cost? The course on 25 November 2026 in Moscow is 150,000 ₽, with a 60,000 ₽ deposit by 25 October. One-to-one training in Seoul in January 2027 is 350,000 ₽ per participant, with flights and accommodation extra. The price of the second Moscow group is available on request.
Is a certificate issued? After the course in Moscow you receive a Versiya Lab certificate of participation naming the technique and the teachers. The masterclass is not an educational programme, and no educational qualification document is issued.