A Tale of Three Head Spas

In November 2025, the headline of a New York Times feature asked, Is Your Scalp the New ‘It’ Body Part? The story explored how consumers are turning to head spas for treatments and products to combat scalp issues like oiliness, dryness, irritation, or thinning hair and hair loss. The other side of that story of heightened consumer scalp curiosity—and what MODERN Spa & Wellness is exploring with this feature—is the opportunity it presents for beauty-based businesses that rise to meet the growing demand. 

While U.S. consumer interest in the scalp may be new, head spa treatments have been part of Japanese culture since the 1600s, evolving from the traditions of hot springs, massage, herbal treatments, and scalp care that focus on overall wellness, stress relief, and hair vitality. 

Over the past few years, scalp care has experienced consistent growth in the United States, fueled by an overall cultural shift toward wellness and the viral nature of social media. As many beauty trends tend to do, the head spa service found its footing in New York and California in luxury salons, spas, medspas, as dedicated head spa businesses began to crop up.  According to GrandViewResearch.com, the global hair spa market was valued at $22.8 million in 2024 and projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.1% from 2024 to 2030. 

In this article, we’ll examine how this trend has been transformed into a viable business through three case studies, then we’ll explore business strategies to consider in order to launch a successful business venture of your own. 

 

Amy Buckingham Hair Slayer, Yakima, Washington

This independent colorist is forging her own customized career path by focusing on scalp needs. 

In Yakima, Washington, Amy Buckingham operates her hair color business three days a week from a Sola suite. In January 2025, she enrolled in a certification course at the Holistic Scalp Alchemy Academy taught by Holistic Scalp Educator Lori Huitron of Hui Hui Essentials. “What drew me to head spa services was the holistic side, I’ve always been drawn to the deeper connection between hair health and overall wellbeing,” Buckingham says. “My purpose was to create an experience that addresses clients unique scalp concerns, while guiding them toward a state of profound relaxation.”

Buckingham spent the following two months practicing what she had learned on hair models, while teasing tidbits of the new services she would start offering through her social media channels. “I started marketing before I even started offering the services,” she says. “I showed people how I was adapting my salon, used the models to capture images and video, posted my certifications, put together a goodie bag with a $20 off coupon for the new services for clients, and marketed a ‘wait list’ even though no one had signed up yet,” she laughs. “But it worked.”

She purchased a new shampoo unit, one she would use for color and scalp services, although she also uses a massage bed for scalp facials. “I chose the bed for better access to the upper body and neck for the massage portion of the service.” 

Other equipment Buckingham invested in included a trichoscope, a waterfall attachment from Minerva Beauty for her shampoo unit, a hot towel warmer, a UV light, a steamer, towels, wraps, robes, Jade eye masks, tuning forks, and waterproof Bluetooth earbuds and earbud liners. “I redid the décor in my salon and built my own countertops and shelves and included a custom shampoo holder,” she says. “There is a lot more, but you don’t have to do it all at once. You can modify your existing space to accommodate this service. I learned a lot as I went along, and I paid attention to what others were doing.”  

Buckingham was already using Innersense Organic Beauty products in her salon, and they worked well in the head spa services she developed along with the oils from Hui Hui Essentials. Her scalp facials always start with a consultation using a scope to determine whether the client is experiencing any scalp issues, such as psoriasis, eczema, dandruff, excessive oiliness or dryness, or thinning hair and hair loss. “It was really interesting when I started scoping clients, because my existing ones who were already using Innersense tend to have very healthy scalps. It’s the new clients who tend to have scalp issues,” she says. 

In the consultation, Buckingham also discusses nutrition with the clients, as well as reviews the medications they are taking. For example, taking a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic, can cause hair loss. “Many of my clients say their doctors never discussed this possibility with them, so they are surprised,” she says. 

She credits the new service with bringing in new clients. Buckingham estimates that 50% of head spa clients are interested in the services to address a scalp issue, while the other 50% are looking for relaxation. “It seems that many are busy, working moms who are constantly doing for others and find it hard to find time to sit and be pampered,” she says. But she notes the new clientele covers the economic spectrum, “Some are loaded, but most are middle class or those who don’t have a lot of disposable income.”

Headspa Service Menu Buckingham’s service menu ranges from a 75-minute Botanical Décolletage for $150 that combines a rejuvenating scalp massage with targeted tension release for the neck, shoulders and upper chest to a 120-minute Lux Botanical Renewal for $235 that includes the scope consultation, oil treatment, light, sound and vibration therapy, scalp exfoliation, double cleanse, deep hydration mask, lymphatic gua sha massage, scalp and decolletage massage, followed by hot stones, cryo globes and steamed towels. Clients can opt to customize the service with a haircut or blowout for an additional charge.

To date, Buckingham is averaging two to three headspa services per week, or about 10 a month. Most of all, she appreciates that the scalp facials have allowed her to reinvent her career after 20 years.

“I love doing hair color and scalp facials, and I can do scalp facials all day long because it’s a relaxing service for the service provider as well. It’s a combination of sitting and standing for the technician, and it’s not as hard on your hands as a deep tissue massage.”

Salons that excel with hair treatments tend to develop their own treatment cultures. Watch this related Salon Insider episode. 

Rind Head Spa, San Diego, California

Two former salon partners reunite to launch a new scalp-centered business. 

Best friends and business partners Kim Tran and Leeanne Heathcote were running a successful salon in San Diego before the pandemic struck. “We were into scalp therapy back in 2019 before it became sexy,” laughs Tran. “Leeanne literally has pictures of her with this janky microscope that connected to her phone through Bluetooth, examining people’s scalps. She was doing extensions and the time and was seeing the damage that could happen to the scalp.” 

With the forced prolonged closures in California due to the pandemic, the friends decided to sell their salon in 2021 and pursue personal growth individually. Heathcote who was already pursuing trichology, moved to Hawaii with her partner, where they slowed down their lives and had their first child.  Tran decided to go back to school and become an esthetician. Fast forward to March 2023 when Tran noted the increased conversations around scalp treatments. “Everyone was driving to LA or flying to New York to try them out, but there weren’t any dedicated head spas here, so I messaged Leeanne in Hawaii, told her I was thinking about opening oneinvited her to come back as a guest star.  She immediately said, ‘You’re not going to do that by yourself.’ She came back to San Diego, and we started scouting spaces.” 

The friends initially thought they would establish their new business in the Little Italy neighborhood of San Diego and were close to finalizing a lease when Tran was having her eyebrows nanobladed. The technician mentioned she wanted to move out of her space and was looking to have someone take over the lease. “I literally hopped up from the bed, started looking around with my one eyebrow done, and called Leeanne and told her she needed to walk down and look at the space,” says Tran. “It needed some work, but it used to be a standalone home, so it had that homey vibe versus a commercial feel. We eventually signed the lease, transferred, and started construction.” 

Rind Head Spa had its soft opening with a trained team of four scalp therapists plus Heathcote who was traveling back and forth between Hawaii and San Diego. “Since there were no head spas in San Diego we thought it would be a massive hit immediately,” says Heathcote. “I remember when we opened, we had a wait list over 200 clients long, and that would give me so much anxiety because we literally were running around thinking we needed more beds and more therapists.” 

“We didn’t do a lot of heavy marketing,” remembers Tran. “But Leanne and I do have a reputation within the community for excellent service, and we had old guests from the previous salon excited that the team was coming back together. But most of that early success was due to the fact that there were no other head spas in town.” 

The duo says that at the time, there weren’t many places to source head spa equipment, so their options were limited. They did manage to find some shampoo beds that would work, and they attached a halo/waterfall device and purchased steam caps. 

They were excited to invest in more sophisticated trichoscopes for the before- and after-consultations. “No matter how gross those images can be sometimes, people are fascinated by seeing the magnified images of their scalp,” says Heathcote. “That scope literally is the most important equipment to me.”

The business has two head spas in their head spa room and another in a private treatment room. Rind Head Spa services are intimate by design, with even the consultation happening in the private treatment room. “Scalp health can be an insecure subject that many people are embarrassed to talk about,” Heathcote says. “I’ve literally had people cry before, so keep a tissue box by my side.” 

Words of Wisdom 

Kim Tran and Leanne Heathcote believe the head spa business model isn’t overly complicated, but they offer some key advice. “Test out as many head spa beds as possible. It was limited when we got started, but now there’s more access to equipment. Before you invest, literally book services at multiple places and try out different beds from a client perspective.” Heathcote adds, “While the relaxation part of this service is truly wonderful, anyone going into it should understand scalp health. You need to feel confident enough to refer that client to a dermatologist if you discover a serious issue or suspicious mole. When you are addressing a client’s scalp concerns and you gain their trust, they are willing to come back for treatment when you recommend it.”

The duo is proud of their education-forward business based on trichology, especially of their JetPeel scalp treatment,a  pain-free technology that provides fast and efficient lymphatic drainage, exfoliation, and nutrient infusion. “Kim was going to use it in her separate facial business ( ) but I was like, ‘I need this!’ It’s like a mini pressure washer for the scalp, and it helps remove any stubborn buildup that we can’t get off with the wash and massage alone.”

Their service menu is simplistic by design, including the I Am Relaxed 60-minute service for $145, the I Am Rejuvenated 90-minute service for $215, and their JefPeel Scalp Renewal for $250. Because each client has a different hair type, scalp type and issues, the technicians visit the Remedy Room in the back of the salon after the consultation to customize the products they will use. “We have cabinets of shampoos, conditioners and exfoliants and they go and build each tray on their client’s needs,” says Tran. “But our hero lines are Oway, Innersense Organic Beauty and Cult & King.” 

Rind Head Spa also uses the massage oils from Hui Hui Essentials and says Lori Huitron attended the business’ second anniversary and customized a scalp oil for the occasion. 

A head spa service can add a little moment of wellness into any salon service. 

The Head Spa Sanctuary, Pineville, North Carolina

Personal adversity leads to a booming business for a husband and wife in North Carolina.

Kecia Purser, who owns The Head Spa Sanctuary in Pineville, North Carolina, with her husband David, had a roller coaster journey into the head spa realm. Kecia spent the last 15 years in corporate medical sales, with the last five years focused on selling IT to hospitals. 

At the start of the pandemic, she and her husband decided it was time to give their young son a sibling. Unfortunately, the couple suffered through a series of devastating miscarriages before turning to IVF, and eventually Kecia gave birth to a healthy daughter. “I tend to be ambitious, a real go-getter, but this was something I couldn’t fix myself,” says Kecia, remembering back to the miscarriages. “It took me on a dark journey, and I lost myself.” 

After giving birth, Kecia decided it was time to start taking care of herself again and began researching various wellness treatments. “I became obsessed with the concept of head spa treatments—authentic ones modeled after how they do it in Japan,” she says. “But no one offered them anywhere near me, and although I was willing to travel, the places I found in New York or California were booked out a year in advance. I was fascinated by that and started joking that I should launch my own. I have always wanted to have mt own business.””

The idea took root, and she discussed it with her stylist, Caycee, at Velvet Mane in Charlotte. “Everything was stacked against me. I’m not a licensed cosmetologist, I have no experience in the beauty industry, and I didn’t even know if the concept was viable here in North Carolina,” she says. “But I also had a strong feeling this was a path I was meant to go on, and I’ve always wanted to have my own business and mentor others.” 

Caycee suggested Kecia talk with her real estate friend, Kati, and her husband, Jeff. Kati took Kecia to look at potential buildings, but Kecia quickly became concerned. “We’re talking complete buildouts that would take six months to a year to get off the ground,” says Kecia. “I was uncomfortable with that kind of investment when I still didn’t know how viable the concept would be here.” 

Kati had another idea and showed Kecia a suite with two treatment rooms. Her husband, Jeff, helped Kecia with a business license, insurance, and getting a lawyer. In the meantime, Kecia was researching head spa education, but the classes she could find were sold out. “Finally, I got a call about a class in a few days in Charlotte that had a few spots open up, and I nabbed them for my husband and me.”

The class was hosted by Takara Belmont’s Karen Gordon, Yume Head Spa Education Lead, and Jeff Holmes, Southeast Regional Sales Manager. “Everyone else who was in the class had a cosmetology background, but we loved how the class taught you how you could really make it an experience, not just a hair wash. We quickly asked Karen and Jeff if they could do a training just for us,” she says. 

Simultaneously, Kecia started researching product lines, committing to finding the cleanest one she could. “The miscarriages I had were healthy genetically, but I kept losing them,” she says. “I learned that our environment and what we expose ourselves to in our everyday life, from body shampoos to laundry detergents, can be hormone disrupters. Unfortunately, many of the clean lines either didn’t smell good or work very well. Then we found Oway.” 

Kecia also got busy interviewing cosmetologists. “I’m sure they all thought I was a joke, because we didn’t even have a website at the time,” she remembers. “But after phone interviews, I brought the best candidates to the studio, and I offered them very competitive compensation plans,” she says. “A week before we opened, Jeff and Karen flew in, as well as a rep from Oway, and we conducted a two-day training course. I built out protocols, and the team spent the rest of the week practicing.”

When The Head Spa Sanctuary opened on April 15, 2024, it was already booked out two weeks in advance. “My husband and I have done a lot of traveling and we spared no expense on the decorating. Beautiful hand-made trees decorated the custom-made candle walls,” Kecia says. “As we decorated it, we shared it on Instagram and Tik Tok.  By May, we were so busy we couldn’t keep our heads on straight, and before long we were opening up a third suite for a room for a double headspa.”  

It wasn’t long before Kecia and David convinced themselves of the viability of the business concept, and in October 2024 they signed the lease on an old house built in the 1800s and started construction. “It was dark and dingy, but I had visions of candlelit walls and Pampas grass everywhere,” she says. “In September, we went to Italy, and we booked facials. The couple’s treatment room had a pocket door that could divide the space into two individual treatment rooms, and we brought that idea home.”

The new Head Spa Sanctuary has branched out into additional spa services and includes:

• A consultation room with three scopes that allow the service providers to examine the scalp and customize the service to each client’s needs
• The Reflection Room where two massages, two facial or two headspaces (or any combination) can be performed. A pocket door allows this space to be converted into two individual treatment rooms. 
• A triple head spa room designed to bring people together for a group experience
• The Ethereal Suite that invites couples to unwind together with side-by-side massages, facials or a personalized combination of the two. 
• A Zero Gravity Room with zero gravity recliners where guests can enjoy synchronized manicures and pedicures, as well as facials and lash services. 

Their 75-minute Head Spa Treatment is priced at $220, while the Rejuvenation 100-Minute Head Spa service retails for $275. The Sanctuary Six Service for $340 allows clients to indulge in a wellness experience featuring three experts working in harmony: a nail specialist delivering a deluxe manicure and pedicure, an esthetician performing a revitalizing express facial, and a massage therapist providing a 30-minute head and foot massage. 

The Sanctuary Society Membership programs and beauty banks encourage clients to make head spa services a regular part of ongoing wellness. The Head Spa Sanctuary developed The Sanctuary Society where guests choose their participation tier, contribute a regular amount to their bank each month and gain credits that roll over for up to 12 months. For The Foundation level, the client contributes $100 a month to receive an $110 account credit and enjoy 10% off retail and a complimentary upgrade each month. At The Essence level, the client contributes $200 a month, receives a $220 account credit and enjoys 15% off retail, two complimentary upgrades a welcoming towel ritual and a complimentary cold-pressed beverage each month; and for The Signature Level, a client contributes $300 a month to receive a $325 account credit and enjoys 20% off retail, a welcoming towel ritual, a cold-pressed juice, a complimentary charcuterie, and a ‘Finish and Go’ self styling each month, as well as a birthday gift in their birthday month.

Each of the head spa services includes a consultation with a scope and utilizes Takara Belmont’s Hair Mist with Oway’s Scalp Enhancer to lift the heavy buildup, followed by mechanical exfoliation, and double shiatsu shampoo with the waterfall rinse. The service ends with what Kecia describes as a Flower Fall, an Ayruvedic glass dome that directs a toner distilled with different herbs and citrus. She works with a clinical herbalist to custom-design an array of products used in the service. 

“I’ve never seen anything like it in my career,” says Kecia, who still maintains her job in IT sales. “We started with five technicians and had about $25,000 is sales each month that first year. We now have 52 employees and bring in $250,000 in monthly sales. We average about 1,000 head spa services each month.” 

Kecia and David continue to reinvest their profits into the business and plan to develop outdoor relaxation spaces with fire pits for their guests to enjoy. Kecia is also pioneering a head spa service for clients with dreadlocks. Last Mother’s Day, she ran a promotion in which clients could nominate someone deserving of a head spa service. 

“I had only been planning to give away one, but we ended up giving away nine. We didn’t publicize the giveaways, but the recipients were very emotional, there were a lot of tears. That goodwill gets put out in the community by word of mouth, and it comes back.” 

6 Strategies for a Successful Head Spa Businesses

While the three case studies provide the inspiration, we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer some expert business advice on designing your head spa business, so we tapped Karen Gordon, Yume Head Spa Education Lead for Takara Belmont for some words of wisdom. She lists six key areas to consider as you design your business: 

Access Your Available Space and Consider Layout

Gordon finds many salons eager to launch head spa services, repurpose an underutilized treatment room, or create a massage room. “I recommend it be a private, quiet space as this is a service built on quiet, calm, and sensory relaxation,” she says. “Consider if you have the space to make it a couples’ room. If you live in a city that’s a tourist destination, you will get couples, friends, or mothers and daughters who are looking for a unique experience and want to do it together. The beauty of it is you don’t have to limit the room to head spa services, you can also look to do facials, eyelash extensions, or massage in the same room with the same equipment. ” 

One of the biggest and most overlooked factors in building out the space is the plumbing, Gordon stresses. “Make sure you fully understand the plumbing requirements for your equipment before purchasing anything.”

Search for Quality Equipment that is Comfortable and Reliable

“I sit in a lot of online forums and see the complaints about equipment from people who bought cheap equipment that didn’t come with a warranty,” Gordon says. “If you’re going to do this, spend the money on good equipment and do it for the long haul.”

Avoid equipment purchased from unfamiliar overseas vendors that can arrive with poor instructions, unclear plumbing needs and no technical support. 

You also want to consider the comfort of the equipment for both the client and the technician. “Keep in mind the client will be reclined for 60-90 minutes and comfort is key, so you want equipment that is well-padded,” she says. “You also want good ergonomics for your technician. The bowls need to be at the right height so they can wrap their legs around it and work with a straight back.”

Gordon says that Canada and some states are beginning to crack down on head baths that recycle water, which can be common in low-cost devices.  Choosing equipment with fresh-water flow is essential for both guest safety and long-term regulatory compliance. 

Select the Right Technicians 

Not every fabulous stylist makes a good head spa technician. “They’re used to working at a quick pace, and sometimes it had to get them to slow down. It needs to be someone who really loves the service and loves giving off a beautiful energy to someone,” Gordon says. “It can be a transformative experience, and you’ll have some guests cry at the end of it.”

“I’m always of the theory that in today’s society, clients, particularly women, aren’t touched enough in a non-threatening way,” she continues. “When a client has a headspa service, they aren’t naked as they would be on a massage table, so they really relax. When a technician is really good, they lean into the guest’s energy and they give back.’

While the majority of the technicians Gordon trains are stylists, she sees more and more estheticians and massage therapists branch into the service. “They adapt well to this service but before you bring them to a class training, make sure they’ve done a few shampoos first—otherwise it’s like brining someone to a razor class whose never done a haircut and handing them a razor.” 

Design a Marketing and Pre-Launch Strategy

You can’t just launch the service and hope sales happen on their own. “I’ve seen many salons market beforehand and launch with full books,” Gordon says. “Tease the service in advance through social, organize events around it, and offer your existing clientele a pre-launch promo.” 

People are always searching for new experiences to try themselves or gift to others. “Head spa services lend themselves well to gift cards for the holidays, birthdays and anniversaries,” Gordon says. “Market it as an experience, but you want to be careful that it’s not viewed as a one and done.” 

Gordon says for salons that really embrace the service, understand scalp care and work with a trichoscope before and after the service are the most successful. “If you use a scope to show a client that she has an oily scalp or follicles are clogged, and scope them after to show them the difference, you create a believer.”

It’s a service that lends itself well to a membership program. “I don’t see that as much on the East Coast or the Midwest, but the West Coast is all about memberships.” 

Choose the Right Product Line

Most product lines today offer scalp care products, but you may want a designated head spa line that aligns specifically with your service philosophy, the sensory experience and treatment steps. Gordon always recommends working with a line that is more natural. “There are some that I see head spas using more than others, including the Japanese line Milbon, Oway, Innersense Organic, and Aveda.”

Gordon says retail sales are interesting because many start with a consultation using a trichoscope, which looks at the scalp at up to 50 times magnification. “You can show them the before and after, and that’s a natural selling point for your products. But it’s a softer sell, one based on education,” she says. “Keep in mind, though, that some people just want the service for relaxation, and they don’t want to be sold anything. If they ask about the products, I recommend pulling your recommendations and telling them you’ll leave them at the front desk.”

Design Your Post-Service Experience

First and foremost, Gordon does not recommend including a blowout as part of the head spa service. “It’s a secondary, add-on service, so don’t give it away—you never know when you’ll get someone with hair down to their waist that will take you another 45 minutes,” she says. “If you want to allow people to dry their hair on their own and you want to give them 10 minutes in the room, that’s fine, but be conscious that you’ll need to turn the room over for the next service. You could also consider a separate blow-dry station.”

In environments where it’s cold, you also don’ want to send clients out with wet heads. “You can offer what I call a tousle dry where you comb it out and dry the roots, but don’t bring out the brush unless you’re charging for a blow out.”