A quiet studio in Federal Way, opened in 1993.

Mona Yoo opened Moa Hair Studio in Federal Way in 1993. Thirty-three years later, she still runs it the same way: by appointment, one client at a time, with honest consultations and supplies imported from Korea so the work holds up.

Mr. Ha trained in the Japanese thermal reconditioning method in the early 1990s, when the technique was still virtually unknown in the Pacific Northwest. He chose to build his practice around it because, done correctly, it is the single most transformative thing a stylist can do for someone's hair. Done incorrectly, it is the single most damaging. The difference is entirely in the hands of the person holding the iron.

That is the entire reason Moa exists. Mona built the studio so the Japanese straightening could be done at the pace and care it deserves — not squeezed between four other appointments. When you come in for a four-to-six-hour session, you are not sharing the chair, the sink, or the stylist's attention.

The studio is small on purpose. Clients drive from Seattle, Tacoma, Auburn, and Olympia for a single appointment, and many of them have been doing it for a decade or more. We are honored every time, and we will tell you honestly if your hair isn't a good candidate today.

If you are thinking about Japanese straightening and you want it done by people who have been doing it since before it had a marketing name, we would be glad to meet you. The phone is (253) 941-8922. Mona usually answers.