A First Timer’s Guide to Korean Spas
For the uninitiated, Korean spas are multiple-room havens of saunas, hot & cold pools, steam rooms, salt rooms, and wellness where you can spend all day (or all night). Some are huge urban resorts with restaurants, swimming pools, karaoke, gyms, and driving ranges.
For Americans, these spas can be intimidating at first. Google reviews prove that not knowing what to expect can make for uncomfortable situations at Korean Spas. But if you know the flow, you’ll probably fall in love with them as much as I have.
Here’s what to know to make your first trip bliss:
Expect nudity.
All Korean Spas require full nudity in gender-separated areas. Swimsuits are rarely allowed in the wet rooms, so expect to be naked among strangers, or your friends if you came with any. And during the signature body scrub treatments, your esthetician will be wearing only their underwear.
Personally, I think it is healthy to be around other naked humans of all ages and body types. We’re so used to seeing only young, thin people naked in movies (and whatever else you’re looking at). Seeing a diversity of bodies of your gender helps foster a more realistic and encompassing appreciation of your own body. Plus, it makes it so much easier to get clean and scrubbed.
So leave your shame in your locker and get in the pool.
What to bring:
I always bring a reusable water bottle (no glass containers), indoor sandals (if they don’t offer any), a journal, and —most importantly— cash for tips. At the end of your treatment, you’ll most often be handed an envelope to put a tip in and the staff prefer if you hand them their tip immediately. Check out Google reviews if you don’t believe me: most negative reviews are from embarrassment caused from not tipping immediately after a service.
If you’re visiting a co-ed facility with pools, pack a swimsuit. And for spa resorts with additional amenities like driving ranges, consider bringing your favorite driving iron.
Know the protocol.
Most Korean spas use the same system:
On entry, you’re given a wrist band with a number on it that unlocks your locker of the same number. Anything you buy in the spa (food, extra treatments, etc) is added to your number. When it’s your appointment time, they will call your number.
You will likely be given towels, a very unflattering pair of shorts and T-shirt (or robe if it’s a women-only spa), and spa sandals when you come in, or they will be waiting for you in your locker. The T-shirt and shorts must be worn in the jjijilbang or and co-ed space (besides a co-ed pool — wear your swimsuit there). If it’s a women-only spa, wear the robe in the specialty rooms and restaurant.
Take off your shoes at the door to the change room, find your locker, and then undress. You can cover yourself with a towel, but no need to get shy, you’ll be naked soon anyways. Lock your locker with your wristband and head into the wet room.
Shower first.
Once in the wet room, make sure you shower thoroughly before entering the pools or steam rooms. There will most likely be standing shower stalls and sit-down hand-held showers. If you want to keep your hair from getting wet, choose a sit-down shower, rinse the seat, and then park your butt on it to blast your whole body clean. Many spas also provide disposable razors and toothbrushes too, but if you’re going to shave, I recommend bringing your own razor.
Get the scrub.
As much as I love the specialty rooms of Korean Spas, I’m really there for the scrub. A Korean scrub removes seemingly impossible amounts of dead skin (which is both gross and deeply satisfying) to reveal soft, glowing skin underneath. You will feel brand new after one.
Most Korean spas have combo treatments of scrubs and massages that include entry to the spa and are surprisingly efficient and affordable.
A Note for people with curly/ natural hair:
Most combo treatments involve a hair wash, but if you have curly hair (anything beyond 3B) avoid this hair wash. If you don’t want your hair to get wet, tell them at the start of your scrub and they will wrap a towel around your hair to protect it.
How to get the most out of your scrub:
Make sure you get into the wet rooms 15-20 minutes before your appointment to give yourself enough time to soak to prep your skin.
You can choose one pool to soak in, but I like to go from hot pool to cold pool to steam room to cold pool, to (wet) sauna to cold pool, and back again. After 15 minutes, your skin will be soft and the dead skin will slough off easily. Stay in the wet room until someone calls your number.
Leaving.
After you’re changed, leave their T-shirt, shorts, robe, towels and sandals (if they provided them) in their respective bins and lock your locker. Put your shoes on as you leave the change room and return your wristband to the front desk. If you forgot your cash tip, ask if they have an ATM or can give you cash to leave in the envelope.
