Zinc Korean Hair Salon has just reopened in its new location in Millenia Walk a few months ago!
To prepare herself for the upcoming festive season (and check out the new outlet), Agent G made an appointment for a perm at Zinc in October 2015!
Read on to find out what she thought of the new location and stylist!
October 2015
I know it hasn’t been that long ago since I last permed (about 4 months ago to be exact).
While the curls were still there, my hair was getting a little long and unruly!
As I used my SHA hair treatment religiously, the hair ends weren’t THAT dry although some of the hair ends were still a little damaged!
Given the continuously hot weather in Singapore (that doesn’t seem to let up!), I was hoping to go shorter this time!
Not pixie short though… my face has grown bigger the past few months and I still need the hair to cover the areas I’m most sensitive about!
(For ideas on what type of short hairstyles suit you, read our article here!)
Every time I think of getting a perm, Zinc Korean Hair Salon will pop into my mind as one of the first few salons to think about.
Since they have just moved over to their new and classy salon in Millenia Walk, I was hoping to pay them a visit to see how things have changed!
New Outlet at Millenia Walk
I took the Circle Line Promenade MRT went to Exit B (Millenia Walk), got up the second floor and soon found Zinc.
Although not as accessible as its previous location Centrepoint, I took an instant liking to their new salon at Millenia Walk; the entire place was more spacious, decor was beautiful and seats were located in both a private area or a more open section.
Trying out a new stylist
Although Nicky is the usual stylist I go for in Zinc, he advised me to try out Justin this time.
I was a little apprehensive as Nicky has always known what I was looking for. However, Nicky’s constant praises of Justin made me really curious about Justin.
I had a great impression the first time I met Justin.
Other than the fact that he’s really good-looking (in my opinion), his command of English is really good! This made it so much easier for me to communicate with him, whether it is about my hairstyle preferences or even on topics other than hair!
Like other stylists, he checked my hair texture and condition during the consultation and asked me various questions to understand what I was looking for.
He also showed me a collection of hair photos to see what type of curls I preferred.
Other than perming my hair, he also asked if I would like to have a colour.
Instead of pushing for me to get one (like what other stylists may do), he suggested that I could actually leave the hair colour as it is as the previous hair colour has now faded onto a natural ombre. It would also be less damaging for my hair.
I was secretly happy to hear this suggestion of his as I wasn’t really keen on staying another 1-2 hours for another hair colour. Lazy me was actually planning to get another hair colour in December / January for Chinese New Year!
Just glad that he could read my mind without me spelling things out so clearly 
Next, he began the haircutting process. Frankly, I was a little shocked to see so much of my hair snipped!
However I was a lot more reassured when Justin shared that he used to teach students in haircutting skills in an Academy back in Korea!
Other than trimming my hair, Justin mentioned that he has also added some inner layers within the hair to the overall perm appear lighter and more “airy” for a more bouncy curl.
He may look a little serious and stern while haircutting but he is really easy to talk to. I asked him about his experiences before coming to Singapore. Justin shared enthusiastically about his time training under a Haircut and Perm master back in Korea. He also shared how difficult it was for him in Australia when he did not know how to speak English at first. His fluent command of the language today shows a perseverance and persistence that is really admirable!
I am not sure if this is usually done at Zinc (as I had hair assistants helping me with hair wash previously) but I was lucky enough to have Justin do everything from haircut to hair wash and perm on that day.
He was very attentive, checking the temperature at the beginning and ensuring that I was comfortable the whole time. The hair wash was also very thorough. Justin mentioned that he actually washed my hair three times to ensure that it is thoroughly clean because I won’t be washing my hair for the next two days (to make sure that the perm last longer!)
After the nice long hair wash and massage, it was great to have some snacks back at the seat!
Once I was done with my snacks, Justin went ahead with pre-treatment for my hair. He emphasized that it is very important to apply pre-treatment as it keeps the hair healthy and helps to make the perm more bouncy and more long lasting! Of course, the pre-treatment is sourced directly from Korea as well.
To accelerate absorption, my hair is connected to this steam machine. The steam produced from the machine will open the cuticles to allow for easier absorption.
It is not hot in any way but it does look pretty comical with steam coming out from various parts of my head!
I’m back at the washing area after about 15-20 minutes to wash off the pre-treatment.
The next step is therefore the application of the perming cream! This perming cream is once again sourced from Korea so you probably won’t see it elsewhere in Singapore salons!
The design that Justin had in mind was for the curls to start a little away from the top. Therefore Justin and his assistant did not apply the perm lotion very close to the scalp.
As the perm lotion does not touch the scalp, this perm design is also safer for pregnant women or ladies with sensitive scalp!
The perm lotion is left for 20 minutes before I’m off for the third wash of the day!
Yay it was finally time to curl the hair after hair wash and blowdry.
Skillfully, Justin curled my hair with medium sized curls. Not too big, not too small because he knows that I love my curls a little stronger.
He connected my hair to the digital perm machine and voila!
Here’s how it looks like after 15-20 minutes!
Don’t the curls look ABSOLUTELY gorgeous?
They look like small rosebuds on my hair!
I almost felt a little sad when the curls are re-curled.
I wonder if this is the step that allowed Justin to incorporate both a C and an S Curl?
It’s now time for the neutralizer to fix the curls!
During the hair wash, Justin asked about my hair care routine. As I usually use a shampoo and treatment, he shared that I should still include a conditioner as the effects of a treatment is different from that of a conditioner! He also reminded me to use a heat protector before blowdrying to ensure that the hair is well protected.
After Justin washed off the neutralizer, he applied the all-important post-treatment onto my hair to make sure that the hair remains healthy!
15 minutes of blowdrying later…
TA DAHH!
It is more obvious when the hair is wet but this hairstyle actually incorporates an S and then a C. This creates more movement within the perm while ensuring that the ends still look relatively “neat” and easy to manage.
Compare this to just 3 hours before:
My hair feels lighter now and frankly, I think I probably look a little younger now than 3 hours ago.
Overall Conclusions
It’s been more than 2 weeks after the perm and I must say that I’m loving the short sassy perm!
I have since received many compliments about how the perm looked good on me… stylists from other salons have also commented on how technically well done the perm is: bouncy, natural and no kinks. The curls also fall at just the right places to cover the areas I wish to cover 
This perm experience cemented my faith in Zinc as one of the best salons I would go personally for perms. Although there appears to be some negative experiences with specific stylists published on Beauty Undercover previously, I’m glad that Zinc is continually improving by bringing in highly skilled and experienced stylists to ensure a high service standard. (We also hear that a stylist is leaving Zinc!)
Having tried Justin for myself, I am also really impressed by his level of service and skill! Maybe its because he has a good command of English or maybe its his gentlemanly manner that always makes me feel well-taken care of, I felt comfortable throughout the whole process.
I’m also really happy with the perm he gave me. Justin got a good grasp of what I was looking for during the consultation and exceeded my expectations with the perm that resulted!
I hear that he is also great with hair colours but I’ll probably try that out for myself another day.
Overall, I had a great time with Justin at Zinc Korean Hair Salon in their new and more exclusive Millenia Walk location and would readily recommend them to anyone looking for a quality perm experience.
Agent G Signing off with a G Spot from Patisserie G just below Zinc!
