My First Haircut Experience at Theodora Hair Studio in Koreatown, LA

前言 | Introduction

從芝加哥搬到加州後，我才意識到芝加哥剪髮的價錢有多便宜。記得當初在芝加哥的中國城剪髮大概只要45美金左右，沒想到加州的髮廊價錢至少貴了一倍。在小紅書上做了些功課後，我才終於決定鼓起勇氣去洛杉磯的韓國城剪髮。要不然我本來想說後面回台灣再剪。

聽說很多韓國偶像在巡迴表演或來洛杉磯玩的時候，都會到韓國城理髮。也常常看到有人特別去韓國理髮，並分享各種成功經驗，這讓我對韓國髮型師的神奇之處感到非常好奇。

我這次是在一間名叫Theodora Hair Studio的Olympic分店剪髮，看小紅書上有很多人說Senior髮型師Hazel的技術非常好（點這裡進入她的Instagram）。這間的理髮價位是根據髮型師的資歷所決定，Hazel的女生剪髮收費為120美金(不含小費)。因為她的口碑非常好，如果想要約假日的時段基本上得提前2-3週。

由於理髮當天我到的時間較早，所以去髮廊旁邊的一間韓國咖啡廳Memory Look待了一下。

After relocating from Chicago to California, I discovered how much cheaper haircuts were in Chicago's Chinatown. I remember paying around $45 there, but in California, salon prices are at least double that amount. After researching hair studios in the Los Angeles area on Xiaohongshu, I finally decided to visit Koreatown for my haircut. Otherwise, I had planned to wait until my next trip to Taiwan for a haircut.

I've heard that many Korean idols visit Koreatown for haircuts when they tour or visit Los Angeles. I've also seen people fly all the way to Korea for hairstyling and share various success stories, which made me very curious about the technical skills of Korean hairstylists.

This time, I got my haircut at the Olympic branch of Theodora Hair Studio. On Xiaohongshu, many girls shared their experiences about Hazel, a Senior stylist there, and praised her excellent skills that transformed their appearance (link to her Instagram here). Pricing at this salon varies based on the stylist's experience, and Hazel charges $120 for women's haircuts (excluding tips). Due to her popularity, weekend appointments generally need to be booked 2-3 weeks in advance.

Since I arrived early on the day of my appointment, I waited at a Korean café called Memory Look next to the salon.

Memorylook｜

#Matcha Einspanner (Right) and Einspanner Latte (Left)

這間咖啡廳的後門有免費的開放式停車場，除了店內的座位外，後門走出去後的露台也有很多座位。他們家最暢銷的飲品主要是奶蓋系列，其中以Matcha Einspanner和Einspanner Latte最受歡迎。我看到一些人評論說口味偏甜，但實際嘗試後我覺得和星巴克加了口味糖漿（Flavor Syrup）的拿鐵相比，他們家的甜度算是普通可以接受的程度。

This café offers free, uncovered parking accessible from its rear entrance. In addition to indoor seating, there are plenty of seats available on the terrace outside the back door. Their top-selling drinks are mostly from the Einspanner series, including Matcha Einspanner and Einspanner Latte. I've noticed some reviews mention their drinks are on the sweeter side, but I found their sweetness level generally acceptable. Compared to a Starbucks latte with flavor syrup, I would say their drinks are less sweet in that regard.

註記: Einspanner 是一種奧地利的咖啡飲品，通常由濃縮咖啡和鮮奶油製成。

Note: Einspanner is an Austrian coffee beverage traditionally made with espresso and whipped cream.

#Photo taken at the outdoor seating area.

不過也是因為讀了這個評價，我並沒有額外加點甜點配咖啡，深怕後來會覺得太甜而覺得膩。反之，我在這間咖啡店點了薯條。我當時我其實還滿納悶，怎麼一間咖啡廳會賣薯條，因為店內其實並沒有可以製作炸物的器具。但點了之後我才發現，原來他們跟旁邊一間名叫Fountain LA的餐廳合作，所以店內無法製作的小吃會由這間餐廳提供。我必須說，薯條炸得超級酥脆，配上咖啡其實還挺解膩的。我那時候還跟我男友說，我沒有想到我這有勇無謀的決定竟然會這麼的棒（大笑）。

However, it was because of reading that review that I decided not to order an additional dessert to accompany my Einspanner Latte, fearing it might become too sweet and overwhelming later on. Instead, I ordered fries at this café. At the time, I was quite confused as to why a café would sell fries, especially since there were no frying utensils seen in the kitchen. It wasn't until after I ordered that I discovered they collaborate with a nearby restaurant called Fountain LA, which provides snacks that the café itself can't prepare. I must say, the fries were fried to perfection—super crispy—and surprisingly complemented the coffee well, preventing it from becoming too heavy. I even joked with my boyfriend at the time that I didn't expect my adventurous decision to turn out so wonderfully! (laugh)

註記: 店外有免費Wifi。露臺的座位沒有插座，如果需要用充電只能進店內找位子。

Note: There is free Wi-Fi available at the café. The terrace seating does not have power outlets, so if you need to charge your devices, you'll need to find a seat inside the café.

Theodora Hair Studio｜

這家韓國髮廊共有兩個分店，分別是Olympic 和 Vermont。我這次去的是 Olympic分店，位在廣場（plaza）的三樓，裡面設有免費的地下停車場。進去店內報到並稍作等候之後，會助理帶至置物櫃存放隨身物品。助理會隨後幫忙洗頭並帶去設計師的位子理髮。

This Korean hair salon has two branches, Olympic and Vermont. I visited the Olympic branch specifically to see hairstylist Hazel. The studio is located on the third floor of the plaza, which also provides free underground parking. Upon arrival, after checking in and a short wait, an assistant will guide you to a locker to store your belongings. The assistant will then assist with washing your hair and take you to the stylist's station for your haircut.

Hazel本人超級親切友善。在來之前我已經在手機存好了一些自己大概想要剪的樣子，她看了一眼之後馬上就抓到了我想要個感覺。在最後一步的時候請助理教我怎麼打理髮型，並隨後又給我做了近一步的修剪完善。

Hazel herself is incredibly sweet and friendly. Before my appointment, I had saved some hairstyle photos on my phone, and with just a glance, she immediately grasped the look I wanted. In the final stages, Hazel had her assistant show me how to maintain the style, and then she made some additional refinements.

我自己本身的頭髮就偏厚重又容易毛躁，所以髮型師常常會給我加重打薄。Hazel剪的時候有特別注意層次上的打理，也花了特別多時間修剪。後面剪出來的效果簡直把我經驗到了。實在是太好看了！下次肯定還會回顧。

My hair is naturally thick and prone to frizz, so stylists often suggest thinning it out. Hazel paid special attention to layering and spent extra time on the trimming process. The final result exceeded my expectations—it looked absolutely stunning! I'll definitely be returning for more next time.

結語 | Conclusion

好奇大家在洛杉磯都去哪裡理髮呢？我發現這裡的選擇比芝加哥多了很多，但也因為選擇太多，讓篩選出好的髮廊變得更加困難。如果有其他推薦的髮廊，歡迎在下面留言告訴我！

I'm curious, where does everyone in Los Angeles go for haircuts? I've noticed there are so many more options here compared to Chicago, but with such a wide selection, it's harder to choose the best salon. If you have any other salon recommendations, please share them in the comments below.

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