I Went To A Head Spa & Let Someone Play With My Hair For An Hour - Scary Mommy

[Katie McPherson]

You’ve definitely seen the videos of Japanese head spas and wondered what it’d be like to have someone deep clean your scalp and essentially play with your hair for like an hour straight. Wasn’t that one of the best parts of childhood, having your mom or older sibling braid your hair and just luxuriating in how good it felt? So, when a new head spa opened in my area and reached out to me to try their services, I immediately accepted — you know, for science. As someone with chronic head and neck pain, I’ve been curious about head spas for years, and I quickly heard from many friends they’d been interested in booking but just wanted to know what to expect first.

If head spas haven’t made it into your algorithm yet, here’s the gist: Head spa treatments and scalp massage are deeply rooted in Japanese history and holistic medicine. They’ve gained popularity on social media in recent years, and now, you can find one in most major U.S. cities, too. Today, they’re meant to feel restorative and provide an opportunity to relax, while also giving your scalp a deep cleanse.

I went to The Sage HeadSpa, which just opened in my city and has locations in multiple states. It was a small studio inside a larger building of salon suites, with dim lighting and a little faux fireplace really sending the calm, cozy vibes through the roof.

I was booked for a facial and scalp therapy combo — licensed estheticians perform the services — which lasts 75 minutes and costs $225. Yes, I hear you; that’s more than some places charge for a full-body massage. But personally, I’m someone who loves nothing more than having my head rubbed or my hair played with. If you’re the same way, I think it’s a fair trade.

My esthetician, Marissa, walked me through the order in which we’d do everything, and I undressed and put on a strapless robe that would allow her to massage my neck and shoulders. Then I hopped on the table between the blankets and settled in. She gave me a wonderful facial with a gentle face massage, which felt amazing on my TMJ-having jaw. She also applied a hand mask to wear throughout the spa session to soften and hydrate my hands. But what you’re really here for is the 411 on the head spa experience, so let’s get into that.

First, Marissa granted my wish and made sure the water was nice and hot. She wet my hair and evenly distributed a clarifying shampoo throughout. This is where the magic happened. She got out some little scrubbing brushes and went to town on my scalp in small sections, and it felt amazing. Then she followed up with a gentle head massage and running her fingers down through the length of my hair (hnnnnng yes). Then came the best part: that little water halo thing we’ve all seen online.

You know those funky little wire head massagers that feel like they tickle your entire spine? That’s how the water halo felt. The warm water trickling over my scalp literally gave me full-body chills in the absolute best way. Once the clarifying shampoo was rinsed out, Marissa went back in with a second shampoo to be sure we really got all the buildup gone. I have naturally curly hair, so I use a lot of gel, mousse, and hairspray every day, and of course I’m a dry shampoo fiend like any other mom who doesn’t get to wash and style her hair daily. And honestly, my scalp does get itchy a lot, probably as a direct result of all the sh*t I put in my hair. Feeling like all of that was being lifted away was actually delicious.

Another thorough rinse, and then my esthetician applied the best-smelling conditioner (all the products smelled divine, which added another layer of sensory goodness) and brushed it through my hair, taking her sweet time because it’s as much about the joy of having your hair brushed as it is actually distributing the conditioner. One final warm rinse with the water halo, and we were all done. She gently towel-dried my hair and clipped it up on top of my head. You can add on a rough blow-dry to your services, but I opted to leave with wet hair since I was just going straight home anyway. This could vary depending on the spa you visit, of course.

It’s the next day now, and let me tell you, my hair has quite literally never felt softer and looked shinier. My scalp isn’t itchy at all (unheard of), and my hair just feels so exceptionally clean. I asked Marissa during my treatment if there were any long-term benefits to visiting a head spa, and she said yes. Like the pores on your face, your hair follicles can get clogged too, she said, making it harder for them to grow in a healthy way. Regularly removing product and oil buildup helps create an ideal environment for hair growth and a healthy scalp that doesn’t itch or get oily by the end of the day.

As for the relaxation, I arrived with a pounding migraine I’d had for 36 hours (thank you, chronic illness), and left in significantly less pain. Relaxing and calming my nervous system is one of the only things that helps, and I was able to truly zen out as Marissa worked on my hair and gave me tons of TLC. I will 100% be visiting again, and I think all of us overworked moms should ask for head spa gift cards for every major gift-giving holiday.



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