Staff picks: Best hair salons in Seoul
Franck Provost hair salon on Garosugil. Seoul hair salons tend to be wonderful places.
Fun interiors, free Internet, complimentary drinks and cute uniformed assistants with bizarre hairstyles (apparently they test their skills out on each other) -- what's not to like?
And while there might be more expensive salons out there -- head to the Cheongdam shops to glimpse K-Pop celebs dozing while an army of stylists attack their hair and makeup -- we'd like to introduce you to our personal favorites in the city.
Frances Cha, CNNGo Seoul City Editor
"She's like my therapist," says Frances about Ara, who is one of the head stylists at Park Seung Chol Studio's Gangnam branch. "She has a way of making me feel better every time I go."
Having gone back and forth between the Cheongdam and Gangnam branches of the studio, Ara is a nine-year veteran who won the WELLA Trend Vision Award Gold trophy in 2008 and placed second in the country at the "Best of Best Designer Awards" hosted by Park Seung Chol's headquarters.
"She does these layered cuts and blow-outs really well, and always talks me into something that I wouldn't have thought of. She's definitely someone to go to if you want a change," says Frances.
"On my last visit, I wanted to color my hair dark brown, but then she talked me into going red. I'm glad I did, of course!"
Ara tends to have more male clients than other designers. "Compared to other salons, more men come to us for perms and coloring rather than for cuts," says Ara. Approximately half of her clients are men.
Ahra also specializes in wig design and supervises the salon's luxe wig line, which is the only one in Korea.
"I'm half hoping she'll convince me to shave my head for a wig one day," jokes Frances.
Costs start at ₩25,000.
Park Seung Chol Gangnam branch 1 (박승철 강남1호점), 3/F Seocho-gu Seocho-dong 1306-3 (서초구 서초동 1306-3), +82 2 552 4297, www.pschair.co.kr, Open Monday-Sunday 10:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m., Ahra off on Mondays.
Rachel Han, CNNGo Korean Editor
"I don't even remember when I first started going to Jun-hong," says Rachel, who sports a chic bob. "I think it was in college, around 2004 maybe?"
"I had long hair and I wanted to go shorter and he had all these ideas and talked me into this bob which I loved and have kept for the past seven years. There was a point where i moved to a different Juno near my house, but I hated it and had to go back."
Unlike some patrons who like to frequent salons for the gossip, Rachel says she likes her salon because she can have her hair cut in peace.
"It's very quiet and therapeutic," she says.
"The styles that I have the most confidence in are short bobs," says Jun-hong, who became head of the Gangnam Branch 2 of Juno Hair in 2009. He is a frequent guest on cable shows about hair and beauty, and is also in charge of "new trends" for the brand.
Approximately 40 percent of his clients are men.
The strangest client he's ever had?
"Someone came in wearing a wig and asked me to cut it. Then she didn't like the cut and asked me to glue the hair back unto her wig," he says.
Costs start at ₩25,000.
Juno Hair, Gangnam 1 branch (준오헤어 강남1호점), 3/F Gangnam-gu, Yeoksam-dong 816-4 (강남구 역삼동 816-4); +82 2 556 4605; www.junohair.com; Open Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-9:50 p.m., Jun-hong off on Wednesdays
Sophia Chong - CNN Marketing and Public Relations Manager
"I suffer from commitment phobia," jokes Sophia about her stylists. "Having lived in this city for six years, there are just too many fish in the sea to stick with one."
Her latest favorite? Franck Provost on trendy Garosugil, which was recommended to her by a beauty editor at a fashion magazine.
Once you walk in, designer Eun-kyoung Hong will sit down with you with her pink iPad for a thorough consultation on which styles will and will not work.
For Sophia, the final decision resulted in a cut, a "volume straight perm" and a "manicure" (a shine treatment for hair, not for nails) that took a total of three and a half hours.
"I think she talked me into it by telling me how it would bring out my V-line (Korea's latest obsession with chin that's shaped like the letter V)"
Franck Provost's styles come straight from Paris, where the salon's headquarters are located.
"They fed me toast along with their complimentary drinks," says Sophia. "Then they massaged my shoulders for ten minutes. I see the beginning of a long-term relationship here…"
Costs start at ₩30,000.
Franck Provost, 2/F Gangnam-gu Sinsa-dong 547-4 (강남구 신사동 547-4); +82 2 547 4914; Open 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Eunkyung off on Mondays.
Jiyeon Lee, CNN Producer and Paula Hancocks, CNN Correspondent, Seoul Bureau
"I like Mina because she very quickly understands what sort of style I'm going for," says Jiyeon, who rocks a "socially-acceptable mohawk."
"Mohawks aren't easy to get away with in Korea but she toned it down well enough I think. She's not scared to experiment and she really gets how important my hairdo is to me."
"She's just a really nice person!" says Jiyeon.
Jiyeon also introduced CNN Correspondent Paula Hancocks to Mina when she came in January of this year.
"Paula is my celebrity client!" says Mina, who has been a stylist for over ten years.
"I like going for a trendy, but reigned in style that looks both natural but draws on the Korean design aesthetic." Most of her clients are career women in their 20s and 30s.
Costs start at ₩25,000.
Juno Hair, Myeongdong 2 branch (준오헤어 명동2호점), 3/F Inseung Building, 22-4 Chungmuro 1-ga, Jung-gu (중구 충무로1가 22-4 인승빌딩 3층); +82 2 777 1213; Open Monday-Sunday 9:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Mina off on Mondays
