Ajuma Perma Haircuts

In Korea married, older women in their late 40's and above are called "Ajumas" (A-Jew-ma-s"). They are women who have born children, married for years and often have grand children. They are everywhere, these ajumas. They are short, tall, wrinkled. One distinct feature they have, and one way of recognizing the "old" school ajuma from the "new" school, is the ugly perma (permed) haircut.

Like in the West, ajumas get their permed haircuts at saloons. There are six saloons in my area of "Go-pan" (my affectionate term for this changing "ghetto" of abandoned trash and constant sound of buildings constructed). You know that scene in Alien when they discover an alien sitting behind some machine, dead from lack of food? The ajumas here are seated in barber chairs, they are attached to these big, alien-like machines with black wires and thin tubes, the apparatus spins clockwise blasting heat over and under the plastic curlers.

Koreans all hair straight hair. I guess when you have been married a while, born a few kids, hips flaring outward and breasts sagging downward and tired looking at your husband's Buddha-like gut, ajumas run to the nearest saloon and get funky. The permas are not attractive. They look fake...Ugly...Big, thick curls don't look natural on these ajumas, soul brothers and sisters! (Edgar reference).

One way to differentiate between the "old" school ajumas and the "new" school ones is the tightness of the permed curl and the clothing they wear. The "old" school ajumas are usually short, over weight and wear ugly non-sensical blouses with off-patterns and those off-gray plastic-looking nurse shoes you see for sale a block away from any hospital. You know, the kind with the thick padding and concave soles? They don't wear make-up and hobble about, limping from years on the farm and raising kids who have given birth to their ajuma grand kids--those brats I now teach! Ugh! (Last week was difficult teaching them kids, I tell you!). Their curls are big, thick and ugly. They look like vertical bed springs that have broke free from their matresses, shooting skyward with that "boing," "boing" sound you hear in cartoons!

The "new" school ajumas, are thin, stylish and wear designer jeans, nice clothes and heels. They are very coiffed and their children are becoming the same with dyed hair and expensive western clothing which I hate seeing here and in the States. Their permed curls are wavy and natural looking.

Ajumas are a fact of life. If I was a detective searching for a lost Alzheimer ajuma, I could find the missing one in a day. They stand out like orange suspenders on a tuxedo or pink hair at a funeral. Are they rebelling or is this a cultural movement? What is next for these ajumas? I think there should be a sociological study on ajumas. If I can get some funding, I could research this phenomena and find out the "truth" about the perma!