Keratin smoothing treatment for wavy hair at Goyang salon Zeo Hair

Hi, I'm Jjaknyang, someone who takes hair care very seriously. Lately my big concern has been dry, lifeless hair. My scalp and hair are naturally dry and my strands have no strength to begin with — and on top of that I have loose waves, so after drying my hair it puffs out frizzy, and my crown just sags flat with zero volume. Super stressful.

But going straight for magic straightening felt risky too — I worried it would kill what little volume I have left. So this time I went to Zeo Hair Goyang Jichuk, close to Guparal, and had director Rs Jiyeon give me a keratin cuticle clinic instead.

One stop from Gupabal Station: Zeo Hair at Jichuk Station

The location isn't actually Guparal — it's Jichuk, just one subway stop from Guparal Station. So it's an easy trip for Guparal or Eunpyeong New Town residents too.

What I got wasn't magic straightening or a magic setting perm, but a keratin cuticle clinic that fills the hair with keratin. What I was most curious about was whether it could calm my waves into straight-hair smoothness while still keeping some volume.

Inside Zeo Hair AVEDA Goyang Jichuk

Zeo Hair Goyang Jichuk is spacious overall, with a calm wood-tone interior. Big windows let the outside view in, keeping the sightlines open. For treatments like clinics or perms that take a while, the salon atmosphere actually matters a lot — this space is roomy and calm enough that I never felt cooped up even sitting there for a long time.

Especially for anyone in Eunpyeong New Town who uses Guparal Station regularly, it's just one stop further to Jichuk, so getting hair treatments here shouldn't feel like a hassle. It's also convenient by car — when I visited on a weekday afternoon there was plenty of parking, and there's a separate shampoo room too.

Zero Pay is accepted here too~

Zeo Hair AVEDA Goyang Jichuk is a salon that uses good-ingredient AVEDA products~ I've been worried about hair loss lately so I've been using AVEDA products myself, which made me even happier to see :)

I kept my coat in a locker~

During waiting time between steps, they brought out tea and snacks so I could rest while waiting.

I had buckwheat tea, and it was nice and nutty :)

Magic straightening vs. a keratin smoothing clinic: what's the difference?

The most interesting part of my consultation with director Rs Jiyeon was learning the difference between magic straightening and the keratin cuticle clinic. When your waves bother you, magic straightening is usually the first thing that comes to mind, right? I too looked at my frizzy hair and thought about just flattening it out once and for all. But once she explained it, the two turned out to work on totally different principles.

Magic straightening breaks and stretches the protein bonds in the hair to straighten it. The keratin cuticle clinic I got, on the other hand, fills the hair with keratin to plump up the strands themselves. So it's not just about smoothing out waves like straightening does — it can also be used to build back volume. That's exactly the part I liked.

My hair is naturally weak with not enough crown volume, so flattening everything out wasn't the direction I wanted. She also explained that conditioning the hair with keratin this way helps perms take better, so it can be used as part of hair design too. I had thought of it as just a regular clinic to soften hair texture, but after hearing this, the whole approach felt different.

How the keratin smoothing clinic works, step by step

My hair is dry, frizzy, and weak, so after drying it looks like the strands scatter every which way, kind of like a triangle gimbap (rice ball). I wanted my waves calmed down, but I didn't want it pressed flat all the way to the crown. The cuticle clinic fills hair like this with keratin, so it can add volume while also smoothing the texture. If you have wavy hair like mine and want straight-hair-smooth texture without giving up your volume, this clinic is a good fit.

After shampooing, she did the cut.

Then head director Rs Jiyeon applied a cuticle clinic solution she made specifically for my hair. Apparently, based on her own know-how, she adjusts the ingredient ratio for each person's hair characteristics.

After applying the clinic solution, it was left under heat, then my hair was dried, and finally heat-pressed with a flat iron to help the clinic solution absorb properly!

How much did the wavy hair change after the treatment?

What I was most curious about was how much my waves would actually change after the cuticle clinic. Normally, after drying, my dry hair puffs out frizzy and the waves keep the texture from falling cleanly. But after the treatment, the overall texture was noticeably calmer and looked clean like straight hair. Still, it wasn't flattened all over like magic straightening — that pressed-flat feeling wasn't there.

My crown volume held up, and best of all, hair that always looked frizzy because of my waves was now neat like calm straight hair, which made my whole look feel cleaner overall — very satisfying.

I honestly thought I'd never have hair this smooth and glossy in my life, but it turned out shiny and sleek, and I was so happy with it.

If you're dealing with dry, weak hair plus waves like me, instead of jumping straight to magic straightening, it might be worth also consulting about a cuticle clinic. Since it conditions the hair so perms take better too, it's worth knowing about if you're considering a perm down the line. You might think — isn't that just the flat iron and blow-dry talking? But it's been over a week of me shampooing, blow-drying, and flat-ironing my own hair, and it's still calm — I'm honestly amazed!

A proof shot taken at an escape room! See how smooth and shiny my hair is?!

Looking near Gupabal? Jichuk is only one stop away

Zeo Hair Goyang Jichuk isn't technically located in Guparal, but it's worth remembering that it's just one stop from Guparal Station to Jichuk Station, making it an easy reach for Guparal or Eunpyeong New Town residents too. What satisfied me most was how my frizzy waves settled into calm, straight-hair-like texture without looking overly flat.

If you're searching for a Guparal-area hair salon, it might be worth widening your search a little and consulting with director Rs Jiyeon about your current hair condition and the look you want before choosing the cuticle clinic!

I also really liked the new AVEDA oil that just came out, so I'm planning to buy it! The effect lasts around 3 months, so I'll be going back for another round. I never thought the day would come when I'd have straight-looking hair — I'm so moved~