Men's 12mm two-block + down perm at Seongsu hair salon Toni&Guy

Today I'm writing about Toni&Guy Seongsu, where I took my husband to get his hair tidied up.

We originally went planning to do a perm along with the cut, not just a cut. After a thorough consultation with the designer, we decided to do only the cut and a down perm for now, and save the perm until his hair grows out a bit more.

What I liked about this place is that they don't just do whatever style you ask for. They set the direction based on the current state of your hair.

Toni&Guy Seongsu: location, hours and parking

• Location: 35 Sangwon 1-gil, 2F and 3F, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea / 108m from Ttukseom Station (뚝섬역) Exit 7
• Hours: Tue-Fri 11:00 - 20:00 / Sat-Sun 10:00 - 19:00 / closed Mondays
• Parking: use the Seongsu Culture and Welfare Center public parking lot (the salon has no lot of its own)

Is a men's perm okay when your hair is short?

The designer at Toni&Guy Seongsu told us that with his current length, a perm might not give the style he wanted, and recommended growing it out another 2-3 months first. I had said at the start that I wanted a perm, but she explained that his hair was a little short right now.

In particular, she said that once curls go in, the fringe would pull up and look short, ending above the eyebrows.

So instead of forcing a perm, she recommended growing it out for about 2-3 more months and perming then. It felt like she was thinking about his current hair condition and the style he wants later, not just carrying out a treatment, and that earned my trust. In the end we decided to tidy everything up this time and keep the length as much as possible.

A clean cut that keeps the length: 12mm two-block

For my husband's cut, the sides and back were done as a two-block, at 12mm.

The fringe and top, on the other hand, were barely cut so the length stayed as it was. His hair isn't long enough for a perm yet, and cutting it short now would mean waiting even longer to get the style he wants.

With the sides and back neatened up and the fringe and top left long, the overall impression came out neat, while still leaving length for the next perm. If you're growing your hair out, I think it matters to talk through what to trim and what to keep from where you are now, rather than just cutting everything short.

Men's down perm: does it always have to be pressed down hard?

After the cut, Toni&Guy Seongsu did a full down perm (a straightening treatment that flattens the hair) and adjusted the strength of the solution by area. The reason: pressing the sides down too hard can actually make the face look longer.

Personally, I'd always thought a down perm should press the sides down as hard as possible so they don't stick out. But the designer explained that pressing the sides too hard can make the face look longer.

So rather than pressing everything the same way, she pressed firmly where needed and eased off the solution strength where it needed to be lighter. I was impressed that she paid attention to each area differently.

It felt like she was considering not only the spots that stick up but also his face shape and overall proportions. It made me think that with a men's down perm, it's more important to adjust to your own head and face shape than to press as hard as possible.

Toni&Guy Seongsu: atmosphere and service

The inside of Toni&Guy Seongsu was clean and modern, and kept pleasantly tidy.

The attentive service during the cut also stuck with me.

While the designer was cutting, an assistant designer kept brushing stray hair off his face, so he could sit through it without any discomfort. It may be a small thing, but little touches like this add up and make time at the salon much more comfortable.

And once the cut and down perm were done, they also gave us a scalp pack to use the next day.

I liked that they didn't just wrap things up when the treatment ended, but thought about aftercare too.

Overall verdict on Toni&Guy Seongsu

We skipped the perm we'd planned and only did the cut and down perm, but I was actually happy that we could make a choice that suited his current hair. Best of all, the designer explained concretely what might disappoint if we perm now, and recommended a style that takes the next 2-3 months into account.

The sides and back were neatened with a 12mm two-block, the fringe and top kept as long as possible, and everything finished with a full down perm. I also remember the down perm strength adjusted to his face shape, the assistant designer's careful care, and the scalp pack after the treatment.

If you'd like a consultation that considers how your style will change down the road, rather than just doing what you want right now, this salon is worth a visit.