I Tried a Viral Head Spa and This Is How It Went (2024)

Scattered up and down my TikTok For You Page are videos of women indulging in what seems to be the most luxurious shampoos of their lives. In what most can only hope to achieve on any given wash day, these ladies have the pleasure of getting their scalps and tresses squeaky clean by way of quality products with great lather and an impressive head massage.

This is the kind of service you can expect from your local head spa. Many locations will offer any combination of a hair wash, scalp treatment, deep conditioning steam treatment and upper body massage. “This is very much an experience with temporary benefits such as relaxation, a great cleanse and a blow out,” said Danusia Wnek, a senior chemist in the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab. “Some of these also offer a scalp analysis but be aware, unlike a visit to a dermatologist or trichologist, I would take the info collected with a grain of salt.”

Intrigued by the opportunity to have an expert deep clean my scalp while I simply lie back and relax, I decided to give the service a try for myself and made my way to Blissful Headspace Spa in Brooklyn, New York.

With origins in Japanese culture, a head spa treatment is essentially a service designed to give special attention to the scalp through massage, washing and sometimes targeted treatments. MASA.KANAI salon, another viral head spa you’ll see on TikTok, describes it as “a scalp treatment,” noting that “it is great for addressing any kind of scalp concerns you may be experiencing whether that is oiliness, dandruff, hair loss or so forth.” While the results and benefits of a head spa experience may be subjective, according to Wnek, the takeaway of a relaxing deep cleanse seems to be universal among most who get the service. And studies have shown that a clean scalp, rid of buildup and otherwise healthy, is essential to hair growth.

Depending on the provider and the specific location you visit, your head spa treatment can range anywhere from $35 to $330. A simple TikTok search will also reveal varying prices at locations across the country.

That said, the spa I went to had a wide variety of services and varying price points. A basic 40-minute scalp treatment and massage, consisting of a wash and scalp massage, without hair steaming or herbal rinse, was priced at $48, not including tip, while a 90-minute specialized scalp care treatment — which they claim can target dandruff, dry scalp, hair loss prevention, oily scalp or frizz control, depending on your needs and includes hair steaming — costs $178.

At MASA.KANAI, they offer two services, a 60-minute and 90-minute session that include a Hydrohara Waterfall, described as "an aromatherapeutic distillate waterfall onto the hairline to deliver nutrients to the hair and scalp," Ultrasonic Mist (their version of hair steaming) and Zero Instant moisturization treatment, a hair treatment featuring "keratin proteins and rebonding nutrient," all of which would run you $300 and $330, respectively. They also include add-on options, including a blow out, hair bath and conditioning treatment, which range from $30 to $80.

When I first made my appointment, I selected the $68 steam scalp treatment and massage, which was billed as a 60-minute session. The manager ended up bumping up my service to the signature scalp herbal steam treatment — a $78 value — at no additional charge. Though, I can only speculate that it was due to me asking if it was okay for me to take photos during the process.

I arrived for my 6pm appointment around 5:45 and was immediately greeted and directed to a room where I changed into a snap-on tube dress. I was told to lie down on what seemed to be a massage table connected to a wash bowl, though no other communication was had about my hair needs or my expectations for the service.

Before any washing occurred, my hair specialist applied oil to her hands and began to work it into my head with a soothing head massage. She kneaded my face from the bridge of my nose to my temples and my ears, gently applying just the right amount of pressure. Next she used a head massage tool and massaged my scalp.

After that, we got down to the real reason I came — a thorough shampoo and detangling experience. She rinsed my hair with warm water and went to work with a detangling brush. While I didn’t feel any tugging at the time, the results of my post-service wash revealed that all of my tangles melted away during this part of the session. She then proceeded to lather my hair and scalp with shampoo, making sure to really work it in. This was repeated twice and then followed up with an herbal rinse.

When the rinse was finished, she turned on a steamer and placed a clear hood over my hair and the wash bowl, allowing moisture to deeply penetrate each strand of my hair. This was truly like a spa session just for my head.

To finish up, she rinsed my head again then wrapped my hair in a towel and patted it semi-dry. I then was instructed to change back into my clothes and later followed her into the salon portion of the facility. I sat down in front of a large mirror and scalp analysis monitor.

She applied a light oil and began to wave a blowdryer around my head, leaving my hair dry, but completely frizzy.

The final minutes of my appointment were dedicated to a bare bones scalp analysis, in which my stylist waved the digital microscope over my scalp and showed me it blown up on the monitor, noting how clean it was — it was noticeably devoid of any buildup, which was impressive considering I had slathered on gel that morning to achieve a sleek, slicked-back bun — but offered no other information on my scalp or hair health.

With the number of locations that are available across the country, you can find a head spa and service that falls in line with your desired price. To me, the scalp massage and wash services were excellent and worth it. I would return just for those alone because they were on par with a spa service like a full-body massages or a facial, but significantly cheaper.

I did not think that the blow out met my expectations. There weren't products available for curly hair and I think that my end result could have been sleeker. In the future, I wouldn't go into a head spa appointment expecting to leave with my hair styled straight.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxation process of the head spa. The light string music was soothing and the dimly lit room reminded me of a trip to a massage therapist. I will also say that even though the blowout was not ideal, I did enjoy how soft my hair felt post my head spa appointment and I loved how detangled my hair was — to the point where my fingers easily slid through as I washed, when they usually get caught and snag on tangles.

I would definitely recommend this experience if you are looking for alternative ways to unwind or just generally dread wash day, as this did provide a great wash and detangling experience. I left feeling rejuvenated, like the small knots and pains in my neck and shoulders had been relaxed and genuinely glad to have completed wash day without the stress of having to fight through tangles on my own. However, if you are a curly girl hoping to leave styled, I would recommend bringing your own hair products to style your hair while wet and foregoing the blow dry all together.