Korea is known for their extensive and specialized skincare and beauty routines, but this extends to hair as well! Korean hair salons are often not just about getting a quick haircut. They are personalized experiences meant to relax and refresh you, while getting a new style.
Historically, Korean women’s hairstyles signified their place in society: class, marital status or occasion. Small ornamental hairpins were often used to create beautiful updos for special occasions. Today, Korean hairstyles are sleek and professional, often with loose waves or “see through” bangs.
Seoul is the biggest beauty hub in Korea so of course the hair salons are amazing. One perk about going to a salon in Seoul is that many of them have English speaking employees. Also because so many foreigners go to these salons, the stylists are familiar with Western trends and with styling different types of hair.
We have found some of the best hair salons in Seoul for you so that if you live there or just visit and want to check out the beauty scene, you’ll have a guaranteed excellent experience.
The Day.s Hair salon is a popular salon in Seoul known for its beautiful interior and personalized experience. With pastel colors and smooth, arching doorways and mirrors, The Day.s Hair’s interior is designed with your relaxation in mind. The two hairstylists, Minam and Dean, are committed to making sure that you absolutely love your style even if it means staying late into the evening.
The Day.s Hair salon provides all basic salon services including cuts, colors and perms. Each visit begins with a short consultation so that the stylist knows exactly what you are looking for. If you are not quite sure, they will use this time to help you decide what style you would like. Throughout the appointment, the stylists are excellent at checking in with you and making any adjustments necessary. Their goal is your ultimate satisfaction!
There are also a number of specialty services available at The Day.s Hair salon. They offer cornrows, dreads, hair extensions and more. No matter what type of appointment you have, you can always count on it being a wonderful, relaxing experience at The Day.s Hair.
Hair & Joy is an upscale salon in Seoul’s Hongdae neighborhood. It is an excellent salon for foreigners because all the staff is bilingual! Not only that, the staff works hard to bring the salon’s motto, “where hair meets beauty,” to life.
Stepping into the salon feels like stepping into a classic New York City penthouse. With floor to ceiling windows, wooden panels and gold-framed mirrors, this salon is an upscale experience from the moment you walk through the door.
It’s not just the decor that’s upscale though! Hair and Joy salon offers high-quality traditional salon services like cuts, blowouts and colors. Because of their focus on not just hair but also beauty, Hair and Joy has a number of beauty products available for purchase at the salon as well. They have many options of salon quality shampoos and conditioners as well as hair sprays, gels, protein creams and more. If you have any hair troubles, whether it’s split ends, dry hair or frizz, the stylists at Hair and Joy can help you find a product that works for you!
The four stylists at Hair and Joy have all completed a number of advanced courses for hair styling and coloring. The salon president, Johnny, previously served as the Art Director at Rush Salon, a renowned London salon. He was also nominated by the Guardian as “Best Hairdresser.”
No matter what you make an appointment for, you can always rest assured that your hair will be in good hands at the Hair and Joy salon!
The Suin Style salon has a 4.9 out of 5 stars rating on its Facebook page and looking at their before and after result photos, it’s clear why! Located in the Gangnam-gu neighborhood of Seoul, this salon is a great place for foreigners as well. Most of the staff speaks English and if not, there are translators available.
The Suin Style salon strives to satisfy their clients by finding a style that suits them and their personality while also helping them achieve professional success. In Korea, personal appearance plays a large role in being accepted in society and the workplace and at Suin Salon, they understand that. They are excellent at finding a good balance between personal expression and professionalism.
The services offered by the Suin Style salon include all the general salon services like cuts, colors and perms. One thing that Suin Style does especially well is extensions. They can simply add a little volume or increase the length of your hair to princess-ike standards! Finally, this salon also offers Brazilian keratin treatments. This is a chemical process to straighten your hair while also adding volume and making it healthy, shiny and beautiful.
Overall, the Suin Style salon is an excellent place for any foreign visitors as well as Korean citizens. If you need a professional style but still want to retain your personal expression, this should be the first place you go!
Lucy’s Hair is an intimate hair salon in Sinchon, Seoul. Lucy, the manager and chief stylist and the three other stylists all speak English, making the salon a popular spot for foreigners. They offer cuts, perms, coloring and highlights as well as wax coloring for temporary, bold colors. They also have a scalp treatment available for scalp and hair health.
Because Lucy’s Hair salon has always been a go-to for foreigners, the stylists have lots of experience cutting hair for people of all different nationalities and with different style preferences. Overall, you’re sure to have a wonderful experience at Lucy’s!
Opened in 1982, Juno Hair has been serving the Seoul area for nearly 30 years! They have opened over 140 locations, each with its own unique design but all under the same principle: to give their clients the best style possible that inspires self-esteem and confidence. You can likely find English speaking employees at the Myeongdong and Hongdae locations.
Juno Hair has an excellent reputation for stylish, trendy cuts. They offer all traditional salon services like cuts, colors, perms and more, all with an award-winning level of professionalism. In 2018 they won the Korea Brand Power Index in Hair and Beauty for the third consecutive year. They have also won a number of other awards across categories including tourism, trendiness and women leadership over the last few years.
At the Instagram-famous and popular Seoul salon Soonsiki Hair, you’ll get a spectacular style and maybe even catch sight of a celebrity or two! Soonsiki Hair is renowned for their upscale experience and overall hospitality which is apparent as soon as you arrive. Personal stylists greet all their clients upon arrival and there is also a small cafe with various hot and iced drinks and small snacks like nuts and tea biscuits.
The exceptional service continues to the actual hair styling, of course! Soonsiki Hair offers the traditional wash, cut and style combination as well as hair coloring and perms. As this salon is so popular with foreigners, there is actually a discount available for foreigners as well as for anyone who books ahead of time or pays with cash. Booking services are available in English but at the actual salon, English speaking depends on the actual stylist.
When you have an appointment at Soonsiki Hair Salon, you can bet on feeling like you recieve a celebrity treatment from the moment you arrive!
Rachel by Kim Sun Young is both a hair and beauty salon located in the Hannam-dong neighborhood of Seoul. Over the years, this salon has earned its reputation as a an all-around rejuvenating salon.
This salon’s interior is as well designed as the hair styles that come out of it. A modern design with lots of natural light, open space and fresh flowers and plants throughout the salon, it provides a calm setting for your appointment. The salon offers all traditional services like cuts, colors and perms but also has a head spa where you can recieve treatment for your scalp and hair. But Rachel’s is not just a hair salon; they also provide manicures and pedicures!
This is another excellent salon for foreigners. The Creative Director, Helen Kim, is fluent in English and the other stylists and employees at the salon speak English as well. Helen Kim has years of experience styling hair for weddings, celebrations, work events and more. Between her and her team, there’s no way you won’t love your experience at Rachel by Kim Sun Young!
Cecica Hair is a great place to get a stylish Korean wavy hairstyle! Founded in 1990 in the Ewha Women’s University, they have worked their way to being a popular salon in Seoul for both men and women!
At Cecica Hair salon, the stylists strive to provide beautiful, stylish and trendy styles. They are well-known for their perms, but not the tightly wound 80s perms! They create beautiful waves and volume for all lengths of hair: long, medium and cute wavy bobs! They also offer package deals if you want a number of treatments done on the same day! You can combine all different cuts, dyes, treatments and styling services for the best possible deal.
Last but not least, JP Hair is a salon located near the heart of Seoul that caters to both natives and foreigners alike. The owners, Jin and Min, both studied in New York City so they have extensive experience cutting all types of hair, not just Asian hair. They are also both fluent in English so you can easily work with them to figure out your perfect style.
This salon offers all types of cuts, colors and styles. They are a great place to go for special occasion updos, like for a graduation, wedding or party. The stylists are also able to find a good balance between personal style and professional appearance requirements. If you’re looking for a new salon for your next cut or style, check out JP Hair!
