Gangnam Station hair salon men's iron perm for thin hair: Koara

Hi everyone. I got a men's iron perm at a hair salon near Gangnam Station. This was with director Ara at Koara Haircare — you can get a men's iron perm and even a clinic treatment done affordably and reasonably. If you're a guy in Gangnam stressing over your hair, I recommend this place.

What I got in Koara Haircare Gangnam's men's iron perm set

Let me show you the after shot first. I got an iron perm, a cut, and a side down perm. It turned out director Ara had this exact combo as a set on her service list, so I went with that. The clinic treatment was included too.

When I first arrived, my hair was messy and heavy. It was actually really puffy too, though wearing a hat had flattened it a bit. My side hair was sticking out in every direction — I couldn't put off getting it fixed any longer.

Location and hours: right in front of Gangnam Station Exit 12

Come out of Gangnam Station Exit 12 and it's the building right in front of you! It's on basement floor 1. This might be the closest hair salon to Gangnam Station out there — seriously, it's that close.

If you're looking for a hair salon near Gangnam Station that's great with men's hair, Koara Haircare Gangnam is it.

• Address: 서울 강남구 테헤란로 105 A타워 B1F
• Hours: 10:00–21:00 (20:00 on weekends)
• Parking: Mon–Sat first 30 min free, then ₩1,000 per 10 min / free on Sundays

Consultation and scissor cut for thin hair

My hair is pretty puffy, but I don't actually have much volume and my strands are on the thin side. Perming often damages hair like mine, so taking that into account, we went with an iron perm and had a thorough consultation to decide on a style that falls naturally — the so-called men's see-through perm.

Unlike other places, director Ara did a lot of the work with scissors rather than clippers. She barely used clippers at all. There was definitely an expert vibe going on.

After a fast, precise, quick cut, before starting the perm she filled in protein first. She said protein matters even more for hair as thin as mine, and applied it really carefully and generously.

From side down perm to iron perm solution application

Right after that, she moved straight into the down perm. This time we went for a down perm with some length to it. She worked through it quickly, then applied the solution for the iron perm and let it sit for over 10 minutes.

During that time, she brought out a cold drink and some snacks. Between eating and chatting, the ten minutes flew by. The drink was tasty and the snacks were good too, haha.

A massaging shampoo chair and hair clinic

The iron perm only really begins after rinsing out the solution, so I moved to the shampoo room — and wow, it was pure bliss. The shampoo chair was actually a massage chair. You get a cool shampoo and a massage at the same time. It kept thumping away at my back, and honestly I kind of wished the shampoo would never end, haha.

Once I sat back down, a machine that looked like a humidifier started blowing something onto my head. I asked what it was, and it turned out to be the clinic treatment. True to the name Koara Haircare, I really got proper hair care done. I'd never had a clinic treatment like this for men's hair before.

An iron perm that never burned my roots

After that, she lightly dried my hair and applied protein one more time. Apparently adding protein during the iron perm process minimizes hair damage. Then, with amazing speed, she started curling my hair again with the iron — men's hair is always short, so the roots usually get uncomfortably hot, but she was so skilled there was never a moment where it felt hot.

She curled through my hair section by section, quickly and smoothly. Don't worry about ending up with tight ringlets — it comes out completely natural. After that came the neutralizer, some waiting time, and one more wash.

Styling tips for the iron perm

While drying my hair, she passed on some styling tips. With an iron perm, the curl actually comes alive more with heat, so she dried it firmly and crisply. You just need to run your fingers through naturally while drying.

If you just dry it plainly, the volume comes alive naturally, and if you dry it while parting the front hair little by little, you naturally get either a side-parted perm or a see-through perm.

Before and after: final thoughts

Looking at the before and after, it's a huge improvement, right? It's much easier to style, and the down perm cleaned up my side hair nicely too. A light dry brings out natural volume, which I love. Her skills are seriously impressive, haha.

Overall verdict: It really lives up to being a hair salon by Gangnam Station — super close, great with hair, and reasonably priced!! Overall score: 4.5 out of 5.