If you’ve been thinking about visiting a head spa, L360 editor Mattie Lacey-Davidson thinks you should book a professional scalp detox instead.
Scalp health has been a key beauty trend in recent years, with professionals and social media influencers alike preaching about the link between your scalp and your hair. As a beauty journalist (and general obsessive), I wasn’t hugely surprised to hear that the Japanese concept of ‘head spas’ made their way to London.
Keen to try it out for myself, I booked a £200 professional scalp detox treatment at London’s Gustav Fouche hair salon, which combines the idea of a head spa with a few clinical extras. I couldn’t believe the impact it had on my hair — and I was shocked at what I learned about my scalp.
How much care does your scalp really need?
“Scalp health is extremely important because the skin on the head, or scalp, has a different microbiome to that on the rest of the body and so it needs to be treated accordingly,” says trichologist Jane Mayhead from The Private Clinic on Harley Street. “Aside from the fact that scalp health is important to avoid itchiness, dryness and irritation, it’s also important for supporting healthy hair.”
From dandruff and itchy skin to hair loss and slow growth, poor scalp health can have myriad negative effects, but thankfully it’s not too hard to keep your scalp healthy.
According to Jane, eating a healthy and balanced diet is important for both scalp and hair health, as is using the right products and not straying from shampoo and conditioner. “The explosion of shampoo bars has seen many people start to use normal soap on their scalp, which is definitely not advisable because the skin on your scalp is very different to the skin on the rest of your body, which is why suitable products need to be used to balance the pH.”
What are the benefits of a scalp detox treatment?
Over time, products (or the ingredients in them) can build up on the scalp. It’s possible for this to happen as a result of using basic, daily products like shampoo and conditioner, but modern haircare items like scalp serums, styling products and dry shampoos are some of the top culprits (especially the latter).
“Product buildup can lower the level of oxygen in hair follicles and impede growth, so it’s important to remove it at least once a month,” explains Ghanima Abdullah, a cosmetologist at therighthairstyles.com
“The best type of product to use is a scalp treatment that contains an alpha hydroxy acid to chemically exfoliate your scalp without the use of something that’s scrubbing it,” she continues. “Clarifying shampoos sometimes contain glycolic acid [an alpha hydroxy acid], which is a good choice, but also look for scalp health ingredients like lavender, rosemary or peppermint.”
And while scrubbing the scalp with products may seem like an easy option, Ghanima warns: “Whether you use a scalp treatment or clarifying shampoo, the first thing is never to scrub your scalp with your fingernails. This can cause small lesions that can damage the scalp or become infected.”
Should we all be getting scalp treatments?
“Getting your scalp checked is incredibly important,” Jane tells me. “I perform scalp checks using devices to delve into the scalp and create images that you would never be able to see yourself. I’ve also got a fluorescent lamp for fungus and dandruff, and a trichoscope which shows you a microscoped image of the scalp. This allows up-close images to look at scalp health, inflammation, follicular health and so on.”
Despite offering services far more clinical than that of a head spa, Jane says: “Anything that raises awareness of the importance of scalp health is a good thing. And some elements of head spas are undoubtedly beneficial for the scalp, such as massage, which can help to increase blood flow.
“However, scalp health is an extremely complex thing and is impacted by much more than just what’s applied to the area itself. If, for example, you were concerned about your scalp because of hair loss, then a clinical treatment would likely be a more effective way to address this.”
The scalp cleanse and detox at London salon Gustav Fouche
Gustav Fouche’s in-house scalp expert is Masa, who grew up in Japan (where head spas also hail from), so while the scalp health trend may be new to the UK, it’s not at all new to her.
The treatment began with an examination of my scalp through a microscope, with the screen sitting right in front of me so she could talk me through her findings. Despite using a clarifying shampoo the morning before my treatment, Masa could see product buildup blocking the hair follicles around my parting — the only place I use dry shampoo. As I only use it once in a blue moon, it suggests that if you use dry shampoo ever, let alone regularly, your scalp will likely have buildup requiring treatment.
Around the sides and back of my head, where I often get an itchy scalp, Masa could also see redness and flakes of skin, signalling both dry and sensitive skin.
Using this information, Masa mixed a combination of Leonor Geryl haircare products to create a bespoke scalp treatment and hair mask and, once applied, popped me into a state-of-the-art Micro Mist machine. My head was sealed into the contraption — which looked similar to old-fashioned salon hood hairdryers — for 20 minutes while a warm mist helped to increase moisture levels in both my scalp and hair through osmosis.
Next up was a very thorough wash and a firm scalp massage that allowed Masa to work products further into my hair and scalp while also increasing circulation — increased blood flow to hair follicles is thought to help improve both scalp health and hair growth.
Then, it was back under the microscope. The buildup had disappeared, the redness had reduced and all flakes had gone. Masa referred back to the previous scans, showing how, post-treatment, my hair was now coming out of follicles standing up rather than sloping to the side as it had been previously — an indication of both blockage and poor condition of the follicle.
But the results didn’t stop there.
After my blow dry, my hair just felt different. It seemed thicker and looked fuller, but also felt lighter on my head somehow. Masa explained that not only can product build up on the scalp, but also on the hair strands themselves, both of which she works on.
The final thing I noticed, which surprised me above all else, was that the colour of my hair had changed. I would never have expected a hair treatment to impact my natural colour, but not only was my hair less dull, it was ever so slightly lighter, too.
I also learnt that while I’ve been plagued with a dry, itchy scalp for years, haircare products only relieve me from it for a week or so at a time. Following my scalp cleanse and detox at Gustav Fouche, it was almost two months before I started to experience these symptoms again.
I must admit, despite being a skincare specialist, I hadn’t expected a scalp treatment to have such far-reaching benefits. Now, much like my daily skincare routines, I’m incorporating more scalp health products into my home haircare and will definitely be returning for regular scalp detox treatments.
