Are you one of those people who will brush their teeth before they see the dentist or wash your hair before you get a cut?
Now that I’m growing out my hair, I am starting to remember one of the things I liked the least about having long hair, having to wash and dry it. And seeing as I go to the gym daily, this too is now a daily routine. And very recently, I was educated on the need to ensure that your scalp is always completely dry after a wash, for your best scalp health, which means there is no short cutting the ritual.
So here comes head spas, an indulgence and wellness practice that not only serves as a break from having to wash my own hair, but one that ensures I’m taking good care of my scalp for a future of longer and more luscious locks.
So today I was at Ageless Head Spa on East Broadway. A convenient destination for those living in Vancouver, but a hard one to find parking at, with all the constantly changing construction. And if you can find some within the residential streets, they are limited to 2 hours maximum, meaning your spa appointment will be punctuated or you would have to section out your treatment.
Today I would take advantage of the full 2 hours with an hour head spa treatment, followed by other focused on the body and a massage of sorts.
They are unsuspectingly located with a commercial building on the second floor. You might not know they were there if not for the sandwich board outside the building and their name listed on the directory board within, by the elevators.
There isn’t a front desk, the entire entry way is a dedicated waiting room. The attendant comes to greet you and lead you in when time.
The spa is a single room with three head spa tables in a row, for simultaneous service and one table in the corner for massages. Each work station is given the semblance of privacy with transparent mesh fabric curtains.
I was invited to change behind the solid curtain, and asked to remove everything sans my underwear. Then to clip into a wearable towel that covered chest to upper thigh.
The head spa had me stretched out on a speciality bed with sink attached to its end, my head draped over the water proof head rest. I was constantly kept cozy, wrapped in blankets, and kept dry under towels. This was furthered by soft melodies, the sounds of trickling water, and magical strobing lights casting shadows across the room.
Their techniques are rooted in Japanese philosophy, utilizing Tokyo-inspired techniques. They practice the belief that true beauty begins from within. From the nervous system to naturally radiant skin. That each ritual is designed to restore balance at its source, thus bringing about a return to equilibrium.
The experience started with the massaging of my ears. I have never had them moulded like this and didn’t know that they needed such pampering. But here I was and here I enjoyed. This was followed by pressure points manipulation on the scalp and back of my head.
This was followed by a proper hot stones massage done across the chest, neck, shoulders, and back. The goal was to relax the body, slowly and gingerly.
It isn’t until 15 minutes in that the hair gets treated. A rainbow curved pipe with steady tiny streams of water gets moved across the head from forehead to the top of head. This isn’t massaging, but used to wet the hair, it also further relaxes, like feeling hot water on your body as you scrub your hair at home. This was coupled with smoke from a steam machine. Where steam therapy allows for better breathing, relaxed muscles, and clearer skin.
The hair gets brushed smooth using a collection of tools that also massages the scalp at the same time. Bristle hair brushes, spiked combs, a rack with round ends. All together this felt like a deep clean where no patch of skin was left unscraped.
Next comes the shampooing with plenty of lather and soapy suds that engulfs your head. You only need to stay perfectly still, the technician does all the heavy lifting, literally. Your head gets rotated left and right, giving access to the back and sides of the scalp.
Two fork shaped scrapers are used to help rinse. Yet another and new set of tools, I imagine all of them like guasha, the traditional Chinese medicine technique that uses a smooth-edged tool to gently scrape the skin. It helps boost blood flow, ease muscle tension, and support lymphatic drainage to temporarily de-puff. These Japanese-inspired techniques, work through deep scalp-to-brain stimulation-allowing the mind to enter a state of profound rest and effortless release.
Admittedly I don’t know how many times the lathering and rinsing occurred, as I was so relaxed that I did drift into sleep, which honestly feels like a waste. I rather be awake so I can experience and digest all the comfort and pampering I am receiving. I can sleep and not be aware at home. On the bright side, this is a testament to how gentle the tech was and how relaxing the treatment is. I didn’t event feel or know when my hair got dried, but I was awoken in time to move over to the massage table. En route I was able to register how smooth and voluminous my hair felt after the hour long treatment.
The body massage wasn’t meant to be healing, it felt quick and rejuvenating, only tackling each leg, the shoulders, and interestingly the stomach.
This is their Japanese Lymphatic Ritual that enhances lymphatic flow, relieves deeply held fatigue, and restores harmonious internal balance. Lymphatic drainage is a gentle massage technique that helps move extra fluid away from your tissues and back into your blood vessels. It reduces swelling, helps your immune system, and clears body waste.
They use oils and creams to lubricate. Like the head spa, this treatment too includes a plethora of tools. First two headed paddles that pulse and vibrate to go deep into the tissue and muscle. Then what that looked like two maracas, but with their tops sawed off and the empty cup used to drag along the body.
I especially felt the former when applied to my upper back, it had me involuntarily contracting and reminded me of the late night infomercial for Dr. Ho’s electric massager.
A crown of these pulsing dials were also placed around my head with rounds on my central forehead, by either ear, and on the back of the head.
After each limb received its massage, a hot towel was applied and the body was wiped clean.
I know it is meant to be low impact, but I felt like none of its effects passed on because it was so gentle and felt so quick, even though the entire process took 45 minutes.
My largest critique is that it would have been nice to be given a walk-through of what was happening on the processes and the benefits of each practice or tool used. This would especially be helpful for return visits, as is I felt good leaving, but didn’t know the extent of the work I received from my two hour appointment.
Nonetheless I left the clinic feeling fresh and rejuvenated, ready to take on the day, less puffy and with a shiny head of the most voluminous hair I have ever had.
Ageless Japanese Head Wellness Spa
1177 W Broadway #203, Vancouver, BC V6H 1G3
(778) 928-7928
fresha.com
