Summer short cut + down perm at Apgujeong barber shop Coup Barber

I took my drinking buddy — someone who always wanted a short cut but never had the nerve — to Coup Barber & Coffee. It's a one-man barber shop where you can get coffee and a haircut in the same spot, which had me curious.

Before and after! Let's take a look first.

Where is Coup Barber & Coffee in Apgujeong?

An Apgujeong barber shop where you can enjoy coffee too

Coup Barber & Coffee is about 410m from Apgujeong Station Exit 2, and what made it unique was that the coffee space and the barber space were together, so you could get your hair done and drink coffee in the same place.

Since it's a one-man barber shop, you get calm, focused service during your reserved time slot, and parking beside the building made it convenient to bring a car.

Flaring side hair: the cut and down perm consultation

Let me start with my buddy's special case — his side and back hair flared out in a way that made it really tricky to manage, haha. He didn't know what to do with it so he just left it alone, and it had gotten pretty shaggy overall.

Since it was his first time there, he said he'd been agonizing alone for dozens of rounds about whether it would suit him before we even started, haha. Everyone has a salon that fits them, so his worry made sense.

During the consultation, he mentioned upfront that he'd gotten a down perm before and it left him itchy, so he was nervous about doing it again.

The owner explained that the level of irritation can vary depending on the chemicals used and the technique, and confidently said that here at least, he'd make sure the process went smoothly with no discomfort.

He also said he could press the side and back hair down as calmly as possible, so we trusted him and left it in his hands.

For the styling direction, I chimed in from the side and said, "It's summer, so go bold and cut it short!" haha. After the consultation wrapped up, he did the cut and down perm together. Short hair, here we go!

Booking the last slot of the day: how did it go?

A Gangnam barber shop that stays thorough even in the very last slot

Even though we deliberately booked the last slot close to closing time, he didn't show a hint of tiredness and stayed attentive from start to finish.

My buddy isn't someone who chats a lot while getting his hair done, and he said he felt comfortable because the owner only asked exactly what was needed.

The shampoo setup was interesting too. The chair he was sitting in swiveled around, and he got his hair washed right there.

While drying his hair, the owner checked the length again, kept examining the flaring spots and overall shape, and trimmed it multiple times. Seriously, no comparison to a shop that half-asses it!!

Drying and wax styling tips, plus a free eyebrow trim

A meticulous, thorough Apgujeong barber shop — don't overthink it, just come here

When he mentioned he's not great at styling his own hair, the owner personally showed him which direction to blow the dryer and how to apply the wax.

At the end, he asked, "Shall I trim your eyebrows too?" and cleaned them up neatly as a free service. Thank you!

How did the summer short cut and down perm turn out?

A Gangnam barber shop that solved a guy's short-hair worries!

His side and back hair lay calm and flat, the shaggy parts were trimmed short, and his overall look got so much cleaner — and since it's summer, he said he felt like his body temperature dropped a few degrees, going on about how refreshingly cool it felt!

As for the down perm he'd been worried about, he said there was no itching or stinging at all, either during the service or afterward.

I've been to plenty of Gangnam barber shops, but what I especially liked here was that even late in the day, he wasn't rushed and carefully covered everything from the cut to the styling explanation.

I feel like this turned into nothing but praise, but I can't help it — that's how satisfied I was, haha. Next time, my buddy's hair is definitely getting done here again!