Unnie’s Nail Salon: Affordable Gel Nails in Gwangju

By Maryam Ali

I was having a conversation with a friend, comparing the pricing of gel nails between Busan and Gwangju. That’s when I realized what a gem Unnie’s Nail Salon is.
“It was about 20,000 Korean won for the deposit, and I think 15,000 for the plain colored nails.” “35,000 won?”
“Yes.”
“How affordable!”

Unnie’s Nail Salon is located in the heart of Ssangchon-dong. I first found this place from a friend who loves gel nails. She visited this specific salon a couple of times after having an issue with another salon for inconsistent service. She found Unnie’s Nail Salon by scouring the mobile app Naver Map. After finding the Instagram images consistent and stylish, she gave it a shot. It became her go-to place in Gwangju to get her nails done.

She was raving about how her nails had grown so long, and she hadn’t been able to have long, healthy nails in her home country. I decided to try the service myself to figure out what she was raving about. I came to have a similar experience, visiting the salon often myself.

Services
The easiest way to book the service is through Naver. Naver as a service acts as the middleman to book your reservation (ye-yak, 예약). You can access this through the Naver Map app. Once you press the “book” button, you have the option of three nail artists. All are talented at their craft and produce good quality nails. I can vouch that they try their best to produce quality service. Once you’ve chosen one of the nail artists. You can choose the date and time for your reservation. The salon is open Monday through Sunday, 10:00a.m. to 9:00 p.m. However, bookings are capped to sessions between 10:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. After your date is chosen, the list of services on offer is listed.

List of Services
If you have hand gel nails, you must choose one of these two options or your booking could be refunded, as this is how the salon distributes the times for the sessions:
• Hand gel removal: “Ta shop” outside Unnie’s shop; 20,000 won (estimated 15 minutes)
• Hand gel removal: “Ja shop” from Unnie’s shop; 0 won (estimated 15 minutes)

Nail Styles
There are many nail styles offered at this salon. All the treatments listed have an estimated time and price. My personal preference is the colored hand gel. The hand gel is offered in one or two colors. The treatment time is roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes. Priced at 35,000 won. The nail salon offers a wide range of services – from son gel (gradient nails) to French hand gel, an art-of-the- month nail set, nail sets for men, and custom nail sets. If you’d like custom nails, make sure to tick the right options in the nail treatment section, as the duration of the treatment can be affected by your choice. It ensures there is enough time in your appointment for the nails to be customized to your preference.

Deposit Required
You select the service of your choice, and you receive a message usually through a text messaging service. From this message, you must send a 20,000 won deposit to the selected bank to confirm your booking. The rest of the price of the nails can be paid in person.

Visit to the Salon
The service is located on the top floor of the building. You must take the stairs to reach the salon if you visit. Once you arrive you must remove your shoes. It’s common practice in Korea to remove your shoes at the door, the slippers are provided by the salon. If there is no wait time you can confirm your booking and sit with the nail artist providing your service. They prep your nails, ask you about your design preferences and allocate the time accordingly. The nail artist only speaks Korean. I’ve been able to get by with my limited Korean. If you need to explain a concept, allocate the time accordingly. The nail artist only speaks Korean. I’ve been able to get by with my limited Korean. If you need to explain a concept, Papago is always helpful. You can also use reference photos. The staff are accommodating and open to finding a way to make you enjoy the service. I like how personable the shop is. They often switch the subtitles to English when I enter and are happy to adjust the style to my preference as long as the time permits it. If you’re interested in getting your nails done in Gwangju. Unnie’s Nail Salon is the place to go!

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/maryamaliportfolio/homepage
Cover Photo: Maryam Ali.