Teach Your Team (or Yourself!) Head Spa Services

Getting your salon ready to offer head spa services doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are simple steps you can take to provide head spa services, from start to finish!

Licensing, Training & Pricing

First things first - make sure your business and staff meet all licensing requirements.

Most head spa services only require a standard cosmetology license, however this can vary by state and municipality, so we recommend double checking the requirements for your region.

Make sure your stylists are trained in scalp massage techniques and knowledgeable about scalp health, as well as the head spa products they’ll be using.

Finally, you’ll need to create one or more head spa services and add them to your menu as standalone or add-on treatments.

Hair Stylists’ Step by Step Guide to Performing Head Spa Treatments

There are many possible ways of providing a soothing and sought-after head spa experience. Use these steps as a starting point, and feel free to be creative and apply what you know about your clientele to customize your services!

Step 1: Prepare Your Client

Pampering can start as soon as your client enters your salon. Offer hot tea and a warm neck pillow to help the relaxation process begin. Encouraging clients to arrive 15 minutes before their appointment eliminates rushing and gives them ample time to wind down before their service starts.

Step 2: Set the Mood

Calming music, dim lighting, and aromatherapy can help your guests get into a more relaxed state of mind. Lavender, frankincense, and chamomile—just to name a few—are great essential oils to use through a diffuser in your head spa area.

Step 3: Analyze the Scalp & Ensure Comfort

Before you get into the head spa treatment, analyze the condition of your client’s scalp. Some practitioners use magnifying scalp analysis tools to identify areas of concern and personalize the treatment.

Make sure your client is comfortable before you begin. Do they need a small pillow for back support? A warm blanket? Are they completely comfortable lying back in the shampoo bowl?

Learn more about transforming your shampoo bowl into a luxury head spa experience!

Step 4: Start with a Scalp Massage

Using your fingertips, gently massage the temples and ease into the scalp using a small amount of essential oil or a scalp serum. Consider lightly massaging pressure points that will further relieve tension. Many head spa practitioners will also lightly massage the shoulders and neck.

Do not rush this part of the service—this will be many guests' favorite part. Be intentional with the scalp massage and set the tone for a deeply relaxing experience.

Step 5: Shampoo & Exfoliate

Select the right shampoo, depending on your client’s hair type and scalp. Consider if it’s been treated with hair color or other types of professional products. Many head spa practitioners use a detoxifying or clarifying shampoo to remove excess oil, product buildup, pollutants, and other impurities from the scalp and hair.

Follow up with a scalp scrub if necessary. Exfoliating will help remove dead skin cells and unclog hair follicles, which will improve circulation, overall scalp health and hair growth.

Step 6: Apply a Mask or Add-On Treatment

At this phase of the process, you can apply any add-on products or services that clients selected when booking their appointments. Providing options not only customizes the head spa experience, it gives you an upsell opportunity.

Examples of add-ons include antioxidant hair masks, hydrating hair masks, or LED light therapy.

Create an experience your guests will keep coming back for by providing additional massage while the mask is setting in.

Step 7: Use Steam for Deep Penetration

Using steam throughout the head spa service can also be beneficial. Some practitioners use standard facial steamers pointed at the scalp and face. The warmth of a facial steamer helps open pores and hair follicles. Other practitioners use cool mist devices that produce microscopic water particles to penetrate the hair and scalp further.

Step 8: Final Rinse & Finishing Products

Offering head spa treatments at a shampoo bowl makes it even more convenient when it comes to rinsing scalp and hair treatment products.

Our Arched Head Spa Attachment elevates rinsing to a whole new level of relaxation—and frees up your stylist’s time to take care of other details while the client relaxes under the gently streaming water.

If needed, apply a leave-in conditioner or hair oil.

Step 9: Complete the Experience

There are varying ways that head spas complete the client experience. Some allow clients to leave with wet hair, while others do a rough dry. This could be inconvenient, especially if they need to go somewhere or the weather is chilly.

Your customers might want to add the head spa experience to their standard salon visit, or they may elect to have a full blow out and styling done following a head spa treatment. Either way, they’ll leave your establishment feeling relaxed and beautiful.

Top 3 Shampoo Systems for Head Spa Services

To help you get started, here are three of our top shampoo systems designed to enhance your head spa services. These picks offer comfort, ease of use, and the professional features stylists need to deliver a relaxing, high-end experience.

Keep reading to learn how a salon offering head spa services may have a leg up in providing a more comprehensive wellness and beauty experience for guests.