One of the many reasons why BTS have a devoted fanbase is their humble beginnings. ARMYs who were there to witness their growth as artists are often bewildered by how far they have made based on hard work. People who worked with them during their early years also vouch for their unparalleled passion.
One such colleague of BTS is Park Nae Joo, the CEO of the popular Seoul beauty salon, Bit & Boot. The salon is well known among K-Pop and K-Drama for its high-profile clientele, which includes names like BTS, TWICE, LE SSERAFIM, NCT 127, Somi, EXO‘s Kai, Park Bogum, Lee Je Hoon, and SNSD‘s Seohyun.
But many people might not know that Park used to work as a freelancer before starting his own salon, and BTS were one of his earliest clients. Park has his own YouTube channel where he shares tips about hairstyling and stories of working with celebrities.
In one of his videos, Park was dying a client’s hair when he said the process reminded him of his early days with BTS. He started working with the group during their second album. Park remembered that the group’s leader RM was supposed to bleach his hair for the comeback. But his hair was dyed black at that time, which made it hard for the bleach to drain out the color.
Park then made a shocking revelation that he had to bleach RM’s hair eight times in a single day to get the desired results. Thankfully, the rapper’s scalp was strong enough to endure it all, and Park also made sure to use methods that would cause the least damage.
However, this was not even the shocking part of his story. Park shared that since he was a freelancer, he used to carry only the coloring products with him. Since he didn’t have access to a shop, he had to do the dye job in a public bathroom. It didn’t even have a washstand, and he had to make do with a hose. The bathroom also didn’t have any hot water.
He remembered it was during a particularly cold day in January, and RM withstood washing his hair eight to nine times with cold water. The temperature was so low that the staff helping him was his hair had chilblains on their hands. RM, too, left the bathroom screaming after each wash. But since he had to film the very next day, he endured the process that went on from around 5 pm to 3-4 am the next day.
Park then said that he and the BTS members still talk about their struggling years, and looking back at the hardships they have endured, he wishes them nothing but even more success.
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