Teen boy's first straight perm at a Gwangju hair salon: Eomaek

Eomaek Hair Project Cheomdan Branch in Gwangju: my son's first straight perm

I took my high school freshman son to Eomaek Hair Project Cheomdan Branch for his first-ever straight perm! He's got seriously curly hair and a ton of it, so he's always struggled with styling — total success this time 🩶

Where Eomaek Hair Project Cheomdan Branch is, and where to park

Eomaek Hair Project Cheomdan Branch is on the 3rd floor of a big building on Imbangul-daero 825beon-gil, so it was really easy to find.

Open daily 10:00 - 20:00

• 1st floor parking lot in the building
• Self-parking tower in the building
• Outdoor lot No. 2 on Imbangul-daero 825beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu

A café-like salon interior and waiting area

The place had a stylish vibe from the entrance, and as soon as we stepped in we got a friendly welcome.

We were first shown to the changing room to store our belongings and change into gowns!

Eomaek Hair Project Cheomdan Branch felt less like a hair salon and more like a super Instagrammable café. There were pretty sofas and chairs everywhere, so waiting was really comfortable.

Right in the middle of the shop there's a special counter where coffee gets ordered and made, just like a real café info desk! Even the menu was displayed so nicely — it really doesn't feel like a hair salon, it feels like a trendy café 🩶

Further inside, the styling chairs are lined up in a row.

Private head spa room and automatic shampoo chair

On one side there's a private space for head spa treatments. The shampoo chair is an automatic model optimized to prevent neck pain from lying back for a long time, so you can enjoy shampooing and head spa comfortably.

Along the wall behind the styling chairs there was a long bench and mini tables set up, so I, the guardian, could also wait comfortably.

Designer Suyeon's consultation: why volume magic instead of a full straight perm

Designer Suyeon at Eomaek Hair Project Cheomdan Branch was in charge of my son's hair today! After examining his hair, she kindly explained that because his curls were so strong and his hair so thick, simply flattening everything could end up looking flyaway or unnatural. So she decided to go with volume magic plus a detail cut, which adds a bit of natural volume instead!

Once the treatment began, I was touched watching her carefully straighten each section, stitch by stitch... 🥹 I was so curious how this seemingly hopeless hair was going to turn out!

Drinks served during the treatment: why regulars call it 'Eomaek Café'

While my son was getting his hair done, I sat behind him, and a staff member brought over a lovely drink menu and offered us something 🩶 I chose an iced caffe latte, and my son picked a cold juice!

A little while later they brought our drinks and I was honestly shocked at how good it looked... They gave us some tasty snacks too, and the latte was genuinely as good as one from a specialty café! They really do put care into their beans at Eomaek Hair — it's officially 'Eomaek Café' approved 👍

And my son's styling chair had a folding tray table that unfolds right in front. Such a thoughtful touch — he could rest his phone or a drink on it comfortably while getting his hair done!

Before and after: a high schooler's volume magic done in 2 hours

Combined, the volume magic and detail cut took about 2 hours, and I honestly barely noticed the time passing. His seemingly hopeless curly hair gradually came together, and he turned into a completely different person, haha!

Clean yet naturally voluminous, his look became so much sharper and more handsome!

Having his first-ever straight perm, my son was secretly half-worried and half-excited, but once he saw the mirror he was clearly thrilled. One handsome high schooler, complete ㅋ꙼̈ㅋ̆̎💓

Final thoughts on Eomaek Hair Project Cheomdan Branch

From its earlier days as Park Seung-chul Hair Studio Cheomdan Branch to its current form as Eomaek Hair Project Cheomdan Branch, this place has held down the Cheomdan neighborhood for over 10 years — and it shows, with skilled stylists, up-to-date equipment, spotless hygiene, and excellent service all around! Huge thanks to designer Suyeon for pulling off my son's first-ever style transformation so beautifully 🩶 If you're struggling with hard-to-manage hair, I highly recommend Eomaek Hair Project, a hair salon in the Cheomdan area of Gwangju!