Hongdae hair salon for perm-damaged hair: 2-step clinic and cut

I found Obeumua while looking for a new salon to switch to! This place is known for great cuts. Since I was already going, I figured I'd get a hair clinic treatment too, so I used half a day off work. That's how serious I am about my hair.

My hair had been through it — I used to go regularly to a salon everyone would recognize by name, but a perm I paid ₩300,000 for came out a total mess. I went back for a fix, and it got messed up again. After all that, my hair ended up seriously damaged. Basically a broom 🧹

The name Obeumua felt emotional and pretty somehow, so I looked it up — apparently it's French for dawn and wave pattern. They say the name represents the start of the day, calmness, naturalness, and the beauty of change. 〰️🌊

Where is Obeumua Hongdae Branch, and how are parking and hours?

Obeumua Hongdae Branch is about a 5-minute walk from Exits 1 and 2 of Hongik University Station, so it's very accessible even on foot. There's also a dedicated parking space for the building.

▪️Business info

• ⏰ Mon, Wed–Fri 10:30–19:00 / Sat, Sun 10:00–19:00 / Closed Tuesdays
• 📍 2F, 32-22 Donggyo-ro 23-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• 🅿️ Dedicated lot behind JC Donggyo Building (paid lots nearby if full, no extra support)
• ✔️ Bookings available for perms until 6pm / clinic, dye, cut until 6:30pm

What the Obeumua salon interior and facilities are like

A very clean interior. Some salons don't sweep up the hair clippings from the floor properly, but Obeumua Hongdae Branch kept the floor spotless, which I appreciated.

They also have personal lockers, and there's a bathroom inside the salon itself instead of a shared building one, which is convenient. Overall it was a very sleek, well-designed space.

They also offer various drinks like iced americano and latte. Since I'm sensitive to caffeine, I went with iced tea 🫖

Before: perm-damaged hair that wouldn't even comb through

My hair wasn't just dry — it was practically burnt from repeated bad perms, and with the weather getting drier, it had zero cuticle left and wouldn't comb through at all. I'd deliberately grown it out longer because I wanted to cut off a good amount. Honestly I was tempted to just chop it all into a bob 💇‍♀️💇‍♀️

A clean shampoo room 💆‍♀️🧴 The chair was comfortable, with cushioning that held up nicely while lying back.

How the two-step Luminous Clinic treatment works

First, a refreshing wash, then waiting. The designer, Yeonjeong, rinsed my hair and her hand technique was amazing — barely any water got in my ears, and she pressed firmly like she was massaging my scalp. 👍

The Luminous Clinic treatment begins. It's a clinic that loads the hair with moisture and protein to restock nutrients. Since my hair got so tangled a comb wouldn't even go through it, this was exactly what I needed. It consists of two steps total. Step 1 is loading up on moisture and using steam to seal that moisture in!

Step 2 is back at the shampoo station, filling the hair with protein and steaming again to deliver nutrients.

The lukewarm steam made me pretty drowsy. It didn't take too long — the whole clinic treatment took under an hour, I think.

Me, back with nutrients pumped into my hair

The cut and styling it dead straight with no curl

Then straight into the cut. There's such a thrill to getting your hair cut — every time a chunk of old (?) hair fell away I felt so good I wanted to just keep chopping more off. Goodbye to rough, damaged hair 👋👋

Yeonjeong listened to my concerns and cut my hair considering both what would suit me and my hair's current condition. They say a salon that's good at cuts is a genuinely skilled salon, and Obeumua Hongdae Branch, a Hongdae hair salon, really seems to fit that. I came away extremely happy with the cut! 💇‍♀️

I've always preferred hair with lots of texture — hippie perms, jelly perms, flower perms — but this time I told her I wanted a straight, no-curl look, and she smoothed my hair out completely.

A brand new hairstyle! This straight-hair feeling is probably the first time in almost 20 years. It felt so unfamiliar that looking in the mirror was a little awkward 🤭🤣

Once my hair was fully styled, she went back and touched up the sides a bit more. She matched the length precisely right to the end, and even though my hair had no layers, she added just a slight layer at the tips to make it feel lighter overall. She paid so much attention to the details — designer Yeonjeong was incredibly meticulous 😆

After: how the hair looked a few days later

Super silky, glossy hair. The ends were much better trimmed too, and it looked noticeably lighter overall.

Most of all, my hair texture improved so much, and even after time passed, it stayed soft to the touch. I think because the nutrients gave it more body, it had enough strength that even the roots held volume well. It really reminded me that I need to keep up with clinic treatments regularly.

Designer Yeonjeong at Obeumua Hongdae Branch was extremely kind and really understood what I wanted, paying close attention to every detail. It's close to Hongik University Station, the prices aren't intimidating, and the cuts are excellent. It had been a while since I'd left a salon this satisfied — such a happy day!