By Shammi Mondal
You go in for your regular haircut and your hairstylist suggests you get a hair spa along with a cut. While you may think it’s simply a relaxing treatment, the benefits of a hair spa are plenty. It’s the most recommended treatment for common hair concerns especially if you want to strengthen hair and improve its texture.
What is a hair spa?
The word ‘spa’ is synonymous to relaxation and pampering. A hair spa is that and much more, it’s often a salon treatment that helps strengthen your hair while boosting its overall quality. A hair spa has several benefits, like improving the blood circulation on your scalp, it nourishes your strands, makes it smooth and reduces hair fall.
The treatment is an easy 4- step process and can be done in the comfort of your home as well as the salon that help improve the texture, quality, and health of your hair.
Step 1: Oil Massage
A good champi with a nourishing hair oil is a fail-proof solution that eases a lot of concerns like dull and dry hair. Often the first step, an oil massage helps hydrate your scalp and boosts blood circulation to your roots that encourages hair growth and helps you relax.
We recommend you pick an oil with ingredients like bhringraj, castor oil and almond oil to moisturise your scalp while reducing inflammation. If you have an extremely dry scalp, add a drop or two of vitamin E to your hair oil for extra nourishment. Make sure you give yourself a soothing massage for 5-10 mins.
Read more: Hair oils that promote shiny, strong hair
Step 2: Steam
Like steaming in a facial opens the pores of your skin, it also opens the pores of your hair roots making sure the nutrients of the oil get absorbed into your scalp better. This also helps in improving the texture of your hair.
If you’re looking to steam your hair at home, wrap your hair around in a warm towel and let it sit for 10 mins.
Step 3: Cleanse
After 30 minutes, it’s time to rinse off the excess oil. We recommend you choose a shampoo as per your hair type: if you have oily hair, look for a clarifying shampoo, for dry and coloured hair reach out to a hydrating and sulphate-free shampoo.
Make sure you massage the shampoo on your scalp well to remove all dirt and oil residue. Focus on shampooing your scalp and gently lather your hair, don’t indulge in scrubbing your hair too aggressively as it may cause dryness.
Step 4: Mask
This is the hero step of your hair spa routine. Based on your concern a mask is applied to your hair. If you have damaged brittle hair, a hair mask with keratin will help your hair get its strength back. For dry and curly hair reach out to a hair mask with shea butter, avocado extracts and pea protein and leave it on for 15 mins to get smooth frizz free and glossy looking hair.
The ingredients in the hair mask are targeted to hydrate, strengthen, smoothen, revive your hair elasticity and improve your overall hair texture. Make sure you apply the hair mask from mid-lengths to the tip to soak in the benefits of a hair spa.
Do you really need it?
A hair spa benefits all types of hair and help boosts its overall health. But it can specially help your hair if you have these concerns:
1. Dull and damaged hair
If you heat style your hair on a regular basis or hair feels rough, lacks lustre and breakage-prone, a hair spa can be a boon. Damaged hair means your hair cuticle, the last protective layer of your hair is compromised and becomes uneven.
A hair spa benefits your hair by smoothing the surface of your hair. It envelopes your stands with ingredients like keratin and biotin that not only makes your hair look shiny but also increase its strength.
2. Dry scalp
One of the major advantages of a hair spa is that it helps balance your scalp. The hair oil massage is arguably the most relaxing step of the treatment, which makes sure your scalp gets all the nourishment and the hydration, cancelling out dandruff and flakiness. The oil massage also conditions your hair and improves its health.
3. Dry hair
If you want hair that is soft and manageable, then look for a hair spa will be your go-to treatment. The nourishing treatment involves a mask with hydrating ingredients like ceramides, avocado oil and hyaluronic acid that cocoon your hair in a thick coat of moisture. Curly hair is generally drier than other hair types and will greatly benefit from a hair spa, the steaming step greatly helps in penetrating the nourishing mask deeper into the hair shaft.
4.Coloured Hair
If you have colour treated hair, a hair spa will become your best friend. Colouring allows for chemical to penetrate deeper into your hair, making your locks prone to dryness and breakage. A hair spa is good for coloured a hair as it will help repair it.
Make sure you go for a hair mask that is enriched with colour protecting and moisture binding ingredients like vitamin E, and peptides that pushes life into your hair and fills the gap in the cuticles.
How does it help?
A hair spa may seem extravagant but it’s an all-encompassing treatment that addresses most of your hair concerns in one sitting. Here are a few key benefits of a hair spa:
If you have an overtly oily scalp and feel the need to wash your hair every other day, a hair spa will be a saviour. When your scalp is dehydrated, your scalp produces more oil to compensate for the low moisture levels, resulting in flat greasy hair. The oil massage in a hair spa will not only hydrate your scalp but also normalise the oil secretion.
One of the major reasons for dandruff is a dry scalp. The oil massage helps by boosting your scalp’s moisture levels, and this is further aided by the steam that allows for deeper penetration. If you have an extremely itchy and flaky scalp, make sure you rinse your hair with a clarifying shampoo to buff away oil, and flakiness.
Whether you have a dry scalp or a greasy scalp, a hair spa benefits both concerns and improves your hair health.
Who does not like running their fingers through their hair that’s soft, smooth, and manageable. A hair spa is the easiest way to achieve this while ensuring your hair gets the nutrients and proteins that elevate its tensile strength and improves your overall scalp health.
The hair mask step intensely conditions your hair and improves its texture. A hair spa also cuts down on frizz and makes your hair feel silky smooth while revitalising it.
The takeaway
Dos
Don’ts
Still wondering if a hair spa is good for your hair?
Q. How does a hair spa benefits my hair?
A. A hair spa is wholesome hair treatment that involves cleansing your scalp, massaging it with hair oils that boost strength and locks in the nourishment with a hair mask. It is good for all hair types as it promotes growth and healthy hair.
Q. Does hair spa reduce hair fall?
A. Hair fall can be caused due to several reasons. Along with a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy haircare regimen can greatly help in rescuing your hair. A hair spa benefits your hair by improving your scalp condition and creates an environment for hair growth.
Q. How often should you do a hair spa?
A. A hair spa conditions and strengthens your hair. Indulge in a hair spa depending on your hair type and hair concern, generally a hair spa is advisable once every month. But if your hair gets dry too quickly or your scalp is extremely flaky, a hair spa once a fortnight will benefit you most.