Volume magic perm for very curly men's hair: TONI&GUY salon, Daechi

My hair curls pretty badly. If I don't flatten it with a flat iron in the morning, my crown puffs up and my side hair sticks out every which way, so I always end up spending a lot of time drying and styling it.

So instead of a full-on straight perm, I tend to get a volume magic perm every so often that keeps the volume but tames the frizz, and this time I visited TONI&GUY Daechi, a hair salon in Daechi-dong.

Where is TONI&GUY Daechi, and is there parking at Hanti Station?

TONI&GUY Daechi is on the 6th floor at 9 Seolleung-ro 64-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's only about 228m from Hanti Station Exit 1, so it's an easy walk, and there's free valet parking on the 1st floor (₩3,000 valet fee), so driving there isn't much of a hassle either. Parking around Daechi-dong's back streets is always a little iffy, so this is honestly a pretty important thing to check when looking for a hair salon near Hanti Station.

I visited on a weekday during the day and was seated right away with no wait. The waiting area and treatment space are separated, so I didn't have to be conscious of other customers, and maybe because it was a weekday, it felt like a relaxed one-on-one experience. Among Gangnam hair salons, a place with this kind of well-organized layout is definitely less tiring to sit through.

How does the 150,000-won men's volume magic perm work?

I got the men's volume magic perm treatment, which cost ₩150,000. If you're someone like me who spends a lot of time styling because of curly hair, this treatment will probably sound familiar — unlike a regular straight perm that flattens your hair completely, this method keeps volume at the roots and only curls the ends slightly inward, so it looks natural without your hair sitting flat against your face. They mentioned there are also clinic or dye courses available, but given the condition of my hair this time, I figured the volume magic perm alone would be enough, so I just got the one treatment.

The treatment goes in order: chemicals loosen the hair's bond structure, then a flat iron straightens the hair, and finally the bonds are set again. Throughout this process, designer Dayoung was really meticulous about the 'handling' — sectioning the hair and working the iron.

Curly hair needs different amounts of pressure applied in different spots, so if this handling is clumsy, the frizz at the roots can stay as it is, or the opposite can happen and the hair gets pressed too flat, losing volume. Watching her find that balance up close, I understood why this is a treatment where a person's hand skill really matters. She also took her time with it — more than I expected.

Did the volume magic perm tame the crown and side hair?

When I looked in the mirror after the treatment, the crown and side hair that used to frizz up every morning had clearly calmed down. It felt like my hair would hold its shape even with just a rough finger-comb, no flat iron needed, so my morning routine should get a lot shorter for a while. I was told not to shampoo that same day, and to avoid heat tools like flat irons for about 2 weeks afterward.

The salon also has a premium massage shampoo station called 'BerSpa,' so I got to sit through what felt like a massage in between parts of the treatment. I was told every staff member has completed the headquarters academy cut course and over 960 cumulative hours of trend cut training, and honestly, from consultation to treatment, it felt professionally handled.

Is TONI&GUY Daechi worth it for men with very curly hair?

An easy walk from Hanti Station with valet parking available, a comfortable no-wait layout, and handling that carefully addressed my curly hair concerns —

For anyone looking for a hair salon near Hanti Station in Daechi-dong, I can comfortably recommend TONI&GUY Daechi. Especially if you've struggled with curly hair like I have, I'd suggest getting a consultation with designer Dayoung.

※ Prices and offerings may vary depending on when you visit and store conditions, so it's a good idea to check before you go.