Would you try this controversial Korean hair styling technique?
Korean women have an undeniable part to play in the beauty community.
For years, Korean beauty trends have reigned supreme, with cutting edge skin care formulas, as well as innovative makeup and cosmetic procedures becoming regular exports of the country.
So naturally, Korean women have been under the cultural influence of the beauty ideals that go hand-in-hand with the polished standards of Korean society.
Until recently, that is. It seems there is a silent revolt happening against the manicured image synonymous with K-Beauty.
Korean women have started wearing their hair curlers in public.
Now this may seem like an odd hair accessory, but the reasoning behind it is in fact quite sound.
The hair curlers are being used to define the curled fringes that have become so popular throughout Asia.
"I keep it in my hair so that my bangs stay airy and perfect for a longer time — otherwise, they fall flat immediately, especially in the summer," South Korean University student Song Ji-yun told Insider.
"I'm not trying to make a statement wearing hair rollers in public. It's just practical," she went on to say, elaborating that she would typically remove them before meeting up with her boyfriend.
"I keep them on every day on the bus and subway before going to class,” fellow uni student Park Chae-rin said to the publication.
"Koreans have very busy lives,” she explained. “This is just a way of making the most of my time."
However, the sentiment of practicality doesn’t seem to quite cut it for older generations who compare wearing the hair curling tool in public to leaving the house in your pyjamas.
"We should always look presentable when we're out,” 47-year-old Lee Seul-ki told Insider. It's a mark of respect for other people too."
"If people are using hair rollers to puff up their hair, that's fine, but why not just do that at home?" she argued.
Korean women aren’t the only ones letting the world know they're obsessed with hair rollers ATM. It seems the TikTok heated rollers trend just won’t quit.
Main image credit: Getty
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
