Salon de Pré opens private wig-styling space in Seoul

AEL’s Salon de Pré has opened Korea’s first private space specializing in wigs near Samseong Station in Seoul’s Gangnam District. The innovative service addresses both privacy concerns and the need for professional styling—long-standing challenges for wig wearers—and is drawing strong interest from the beauty and medical aesthetics industries.

For wig wearers, visiting a salon has long been a significant psychological hurdle. Beyond the discomfort of removing a wig in a public space, they may face awkward reactions from stylists unfamiliar with wig styling and the gaze of other customers. Even a simple change in style can take considerable courage.

Salon de Pré director Lee Sol explained why the private wig salon was opened: “It was upsetting to see people spend millions of won on premium wigs from brands like Hi-Mo and Milan, yet go without proper styling and put up with the unnatural look that wigs can have.”

Notably, Salon de Pré can professionally style wigs purchased from other brands, including Hi-Mo, Milan and Park Seung-chul Wig Studio. Regardless of the brand, it provides styling tailored to each client’s head shape and facial features, giving even a familiar wig a fresh look.

At conventional wig shops, styling is often handled by staff without cosmetology licenses or any actual salon experience, limiting the level of expertise. “Even the finest wig cannot deliver its full value without professional styling that takes into account the wearer’s head shape, facial features and lifestyle,” Lee said.

To address this fundamental problem in the market, Salon de Pré has created fully private, separate rooms where wig specialists provide a distinctive service. Unlike staff at typical wig shops, Salon de Pré stylists have at least 10 years of salon experience and have received specialized training in wig styling.

Growing demand among younger customers is also notable. “We’ve recently seen a sharp increase in clients in their 20s and 30s who are choosing to wear wigs proactively. More people are starting to manage hair loss early. They favor trendy looks such as see-through dandy cuts and dandy perms, and at our salon we can naturally adapt the latest trends for wigs too,” Lee said.

Beyond styling, Salon de Pré has established a systematic wig care program. It analyzes hundreds of monthly data points on hair, scalp and head shape to provide personalized care. Its full-service offering—from wig cleaning and storage to wearer education—helps clients get lasting value from their investment in a high-priced wig.

The salon also provides specialized scalp care to support healthy hair. Therapy combining scalp exfoliation and head spa programs helps reduce scalp stress caused by wearing a wig and promotes healthy hair growth. Wig wearers need particular attention to scalp health, and Salon de Pré offers a comprehensive solution that goes beyond styling to address underlying scalp care.

Word of mouth among professionals along Teheran-ro has already brought a steady stream of clients to Salon de Pré. Its clientele includes businesspeople, doctors, lawyers and IT developers. Clients particularly appreciate being able to receive efficient care in a private setting despite their busy schedules.

Salon de Pré said professionals along Teheran-ro want high-quality services that make good use of their time, adding that client satisfaction is very high because they can receive everything from styling to scalp care in the salon’s private space.

The salon is also preparing to enter global markets. It is conducting local market research with the goal of expanding into New York in the second half of 2025, and plans to target international customers with a new service that combines Korea’s advanced wig technology with K-beauty. Salon de Pré emphasized that Korea’s wig-making technology is already world-class and said it is confident its professional styling expertise will give it a strong competitive edge in global markets.

Salon de Pré is poised to offer new hope to those seeking professional wig styling in a private setting. Its effort to address the sensitive subject of wearing wigs with expertise and dignity is expected to set a new milestone for the beauty industry.