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Who doesn’t enjoy a scalp massage while shampooing during a haircut? I definitely love it, but if I’m lucky it’s usually over within five minutes. So when Instagram started bombarding me with videos of all the new staple spas popping up, I was intrigued. But a few hundred dollars seemed high for a treatment I was unfamiliar with and felt like I wasn’t getting need. Therefore, when the team behind the new treatment for seborrheic dermatitis Zoryve invited me Yukie Natori New York Head SpaI immediately accepted the offer. It turns out that I did I need the treatment, and I have learned that there is so much more to it scalp health than I ever imagined.
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1. My scalp spoke to my overall well-being.
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What surprised me most about my visit to the Head Spa was what I saw underneath the scalp camera, a small device that sends a magnified image of your scalp to a nearby screen. Overall, my scalp was healthy, as evidenced by the clear, whitish skin over most of my head.
However, when my spa therapist got to my hairline, the skin was red. “Are you stressed?” she asked me. Yes, I was quite stressed. “Did you sleep well?” she then wondered. I’m a notoriously bad sleeper.
If Anabel Kingsleybrand president and consultant trichologist at Philip Kingsleyexplained Glamor Britain“Your scalp and hair are heavily affected by hormonal fluctuations – and stress can disrupt your hormone levels. Stress in particular increases cortisol (also called the stress hormone) levels, which in turn can increase sebum (oil) production on your scalp.”
“Stress hormones can also disrupt the skin’s barrier function and cause skin irritation and inflammation,” she added. “This is why you notice your scalp itching, flaking, and becoming hypersensitive and oily when you’re going through a stressful time.”
2. A scalp massage did wonders for my mental health.
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Speaking of stress: the relaxing effect of my scalp massage cannot be underestimated.
My treatment started with a neck and shoulder massage to stimulate blood circulation and the lymphatic system in this region. For someone who types at a computer all day, this was of course heavenly.
Then we went to the scalp treatment room, where I lay on a lounge chair with my head in a sink. (Keep in mind that I was walking completely parallel; my neck wasn’t awkwardly positioned like it would be in a hair salon.)
My spa therapist then applied a moisturizing treatment to my scalp and wrapped my head for a 15-minute aromatherapy steam session. This was followed by various other treatments and various shiatsu scalp massages.
I initially wondered if a scalp massage could be as relaxing as the full body massages I’m more accustomed to. The answer: Yes, that is possible. Just as a foot massage stimulates different parts of your body, I felt the effect of the massage throughout my body.
There is also plenty of evidence supporting the mental health benefits of scalp massages.
One study examined the effects of 15- to 25-minute scalp massages on female office workers in Korea. After 10 weeks, “positive effects were observed on stress hormone, blood pressure and heart rate.”
Another Korean study found that men and women who performed self-scalp massages suffered less from depression, cognitive impairment and anger.
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3. My hair is more voluminous after my scalp treatment.
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Another interesting thing I saw on the scalp camera was how my hair came out of the follicle. While most of my strands emerged from my scalp in a straight line (I have naturally straight hair), some were awkwardly curved, which my therapist said contributed to a lack of volume.
After my treatment, the camera showed that all my locks were coming straight out, and my hair was even more voluminous.
Researchers are still not 100 percent sure why this happens. However, as the salon explains on their website: “Stimulating points on the scalp that are connected to the entire body activates the capillaries that supply nutrients to the hair and provides the care necessary for hair growth. It normalizes blood circulation and lymph flow in the scalp and creates a foundation for healthy hair growth.”
As to their point, a Study from 2016 found that healthy Japanese men (with no history of hair loss) had thicker hair after six months of daily scalp massage. The researchers concluded that “stretching forces result in changes in gene expression in human dermal papilla cells.” In other words, the massage stretches the hair follicles, stimulating growth.
4. My scalp is less oily.
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Since getting my main spa treatment, I don’t have to wash my hair as often. I have a lot of fine, straight hair that tends to get greasy after a few days. However, I recently went five days without shampoo. My hair certainly didn’t look good bestbut it was still reasonable to go out in public.
Scalp massages stimulate the sebaceous glands, which are located in the hair follicles and produce sebum. Therefore, a scalp massage can “improve blood circulation and prevent the accumulation of sebum around the hair follicles”, Diana Pratasiewiczdirector of education at Ouai, explained Women’s health.
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Scalp treatments are also great for treating seborrheic dermatitis.
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Seborrheic dermatitis, commonly known as dandruff, is perhaps the biggest dermatological problem associated with the scalp. Although I personally do not have the condition, I have spoken Heather Woolery LloydM.D., a certified doctor in dermatology and lifestyle medicine who helped consult Zoryve, the new topical foam used to treat seborrheic dermatitis and related conditions.
The information she shared indicated that the stress relief associated with scalp massage can help with dandruff.
“We know from clinical studies that stress increases cortisol levels, and that in general, inflammatory skin diseases such as seborrheic dermatitis worsen with stress,” Woolery-Lloyd explains.
Additionally, a reputable head spa will visit with the scalp camera to assess your needs. If you suffer from seborrheic dermatitis, they may opt for gentle, extra moisturizing treatments to relieve dryness and itching.
Here’s how you can enjoy the benefits of the Head Spa at home.
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As much as I loved my main spa experience, it’s not in my budget to make it a regular thing. But Woolery-Lloyd shared some simple and inexpensive ways to reap these benefits at home.
First, she recommends using a scalp massager with “soft, round” scrubbers similar to those found everywhere from TJMaxx to Sephora.
Woolery-Lloyd also points out that many people’s skin is sensitive to the dyes and fragrances in shampoos. She says a “common allergen” found in hair care products is the preservative Methylisothiazolinone (MIT). Avoiding these ingredients can help with any scalp irritation.
Adding products containing ceramides or hyaluronic acid can help nourish the scalp by repairing the skin and retaining moisture, she adds.