Seshin and bathhouse culture

Jessie experiences for the first time seshin, or the scrubbing off of dead skin cells at a bathhouse. Read on about her first experience with Korean bathhouse culture.

Su-hyeon: Maybe it's because it's cold but my dead skin cells are starting to get on my nerves. I want to enter a bathtub, immerse myself in warm water and then get seshin.

Jessie: Jjimjilbang (a bathhouse with hot tubs and kiln saunas) is perfect in this weather. But what is seshin?

Su-hyeon: Oh, I guess you've never done it before. You're familiar with jjimjilbang, right? It has separate facilities for men and women. You remove your clothes and use an exfoliating towel to scrub off the dead skin cells on your body. Seshin is basically exfoliation.

Jessie: Wow, this sounds interesting. But the thought of undressing in a public bathhouse is a bit embarrassing.

Su-hyeon: I understand. Some of my foreign friends don't go to a bathhouse and remove their clothes because this goes against their religious principles.

Jessie: That makes sense. Oh, that reminds me. I've watched a clip of a foreigner going to a bathhouse. He yelped about how much it hurts.

Su-hyeon: Haha. Getting a massage for the first time might hurt but it becomes increasingly refreshing once you get used to it. There are ways to get a good seshin.

Pedro: I know. The whole thing surprised me when I first came to Korea but I go to the bathhouse alone once in a while to get seshin.

Su-hyeon: Jessie, I'm going to the bathhouse with a Vietnamese friend this weekend. Why don't you join us? I'll give you a few tips on seshin.

Pedro: I want to join you guys in going to a jjimjilbang. I want to enter a hot bathtub and get seshin, too.


Su-hyeon: So this is my friend Huong from Vietnam.

Huong: Hi, Jessie. I've heard so much about you from Su-hyeon.

Jessie: It's nice to meet you.

Su-hyeon: Before getting seshin, we have to notify the seshin worker how many of us are coming and which body parts we want scrubbed.

Huong: I was here the week before last, so I'm going to get just my back scrubbed this time.

Jessie: Let's see the prices here. You can either get a full body scrub or just your back. And it says an aroma or oil massage is available at additional cost.

Su-hyeon: That's right. I'm going to get a full body scrub and an oil massage.

Jessie: This is my first time getting seshin in a bathhouse, so I'll get both the full body scrub and an aroma massage.

Su-hyeon: Treatments and services vary by bathhouse. Some have acupressure (pressing the body with tools or hands to enhance blood circulation) or cucumber massage (placing sliced cucumbers on the skin for nourishment).

Huong: Most bathhouses require cash payment upfront. Let's take a light shower and stay in the bathtub before the seshin worker calls us.

Jessie: Why?

Su-hyeon: Oh, we have to soak our bodies in the tub's warm water so that the dead skin cells come off more easily during scrubbing. (smiles)

(30 minutes later)

Seshin worker: Client Nos. 17, 20 and 35, can you please come here?

Su-hyeon: Those are our locker numbers, right? She's calling us. Let's go.

Seshin worker: Client No. 17, please lie down on this bed.

Jessie: This is my first time getting seshin, so I'm a bit nervous.

Seshin worker: It'll be very refreshing. Please tell me if it hurts. Please turn your body in the direction I ask you to and relax.

(The seshin worker scrubs dexterously)

Seshin worker: It's probably because this is your first time – you have a lot of dead skin cells. Doesn't it feel refreshing to have them scrubbed off?

Jessie: Yes, I expected this to be painful but it's not, and yes, it's quite refreshing.

Seshin worker: Since this is your first time, I'll wash your hair and give you a facial mask treatment on the house.

Jessie: Wow, thank you. This is so much more refreshing than washing my hair on my own.

Seshin worker: Of course, I'm an expert in this field. Why don't you come again once in a while? Getting yourself cleansed here requires less energy and time than doing it on your own.

(Everyone gathers at the jjimjilbang after getting seshin)

Jessie: I feel like a brand-new person. Getting my body scrubbed and massaged didn't even take 20 minutes.

Huong: They're all professionals with many regular clients. Getting a treatment from a popular seshin worker can mean getting on a long waiting list.

Pedro: All of your faces look brighter. Jessie, so how did your first seshin feel?

Jessie: It was great. I think I might get addicted to it. Maybe it's because of the aroma massage, but I think my skin is now much softer.

Pedro: Oh, they have an aroma massage in the women's room? It seems like women have more services to choose from than men.

Huong: Haha, I didn't know about this disparity.

Su-hyeon: So Jessie, you finally got to experience Korean bathhouse culture. What was it like?

Jessie: I feel so rejuvenated and great. Now, let's get some boiled eggs and sikhye (sweet rice punch).

Written by Min Yea-Ji
Translated by Lee Jihae
Illustrated by Yuhaill
jesimin@korea.kr