Should you be getting facials on your hair?
It's time to break out the hair mask
Lifestyle
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Hair facials are the new solution to hair care, but are they actually worth it? We put it to the test.
Over the past 10 years, skincare has basked in the beauty world’s undivided attention. Acids, moisturisers, masks and, at long last, sunscreen, have become stalwarts in every skincare savvy’s toiletries bag.
Routines have evolved as aided by science, rooted in nourishment and care rather than rigorous but ineffective forms of punishment, ones that apricot scrubs and three-pack skincare sets for the acne-prone encouraged us to follow.
Fortunately, our vocabulary has expanded, knowledge has grown, and as a collective, society’s skin has never been better looked after.
Now, it’s hair’s time in the sun.
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The skinification of hair
Hair has never been more of a focus in our beauty routines. Ingredients like niacinamide and retinol have joined shampoo ingredient lists, and scalp scrubs and serums aren’t just an in-salon treat, but a certified member of The Shower™.
Just as hyaluronic acid shot to the top of everyone’s shopping list, so too have hair masks, which, thanks to Sofia Richie-Grainge’s sleek bun tutorial, are now as covetable as a claw clip in the ‘90s, which, coincidentally, have also found themselves back at centre stage.
All this to say, that hair is as hot as it's ever been. Thus, while our preoccupation used to be with moisturisers and dry brushes, now it lies with shampoos, scalp brushes, and bond-building treatments.
Given the sudden fascination with our weaves, hair innovations have evolved too, creating treatments that nourish hair before styling it, and promoting products that look to give hair the same level of love our faces have become accustomed to.
Facials for your hair
At Koda Cutters, a luxury hair salon in Sydney’s CBD, that innovation has come in the form of a hair facial. Not a facial using a weird brush made of horse hair or some other form of nightmare fuel, but a facial for your hair. Just as luxurious an experience as it is for your face, and just as restorative.
Based on the Japanese concept of head spas, which have been doing the rounds on TikTok these past few months, Koda’s hair facial is a five-step highly sensorial process designed to cleanse, treat and hydrate the hair and scalp.
The stylists use products by luxury Italian hair care brand Davines, which is made from natural origin ingredients, and employ techniques to open the hair follicles just like a facialist would on your skin.
Dryness is the biggest concern the facial aims to combat, which is ideal for strands which have been bleached halfway to hell, or for people who spend a lot of time in the sun and surf. However, those with virgin hair will reap just as many rewards, with the treatment designed to leave hair soft, supple and hydrated for days and weeks after you leave the salon.
Anatomy of a hair facial
So how exactly does the hair facial work? Here are the steps, as Diane Gorgievski, creative director of Koda Cutters, shares with Body+Soul.
#1. Spray and massage
“First an ambience spray to take you into a deep relaxation, then a sensory massage with the signature Davines massage oil for the scalp, neck and shoulders”.
#2. Exfoliation
“Then you’ll move over to the basin to enjoy a clay scalp exfoliation tailored to your needs with different shampoo types available.” The mask is left on for 10 minutes, and once it “emulsifies it detoxifies the hair roots for a thorough clean”.
#3. Clean
“Using more of the Davines range your hair is shampooed and rinsed twice. Sometimes hair can feel incredibly dry after just one shampoo, but not with this range of hair products.”
#4. Mask
“A nourishing miracle mask is then applied which is designed to moisturise dry and brittle hair with an added keratin booster.”
The mask is designed to give the hair a glossy, hydrated appearance, perfect for those with dry hair. However, if you don’t suffer from dryness, there are a range of other Davines masks to choose from, be it volume or smoothing.
#5 Steam
“Before washing off the mask, you are then left to steam under the Valetti steam basin and finished with a scalp massage.”
“Just like when we have a facial for our skin with a steamer for deeper infiltration, it opens up the skin follicles of the scalp, and the cuticle of the hair and allows the treatment to soak in further,” says Gorgievski.
After the facial finishes, the stylists dry off your hair, styling the front so you look put together. You’ll leave feeling relaxed, well looked after, and with the bounciest, softest hair on earth.
Are hair facials worth it?
If you’re interested in levelling up your hair care, I highly recommend booking an in-salon hair facial, as they have all the equipment, all the products, and all the expertise.
At $100, it’s an indulgence, sure, but the benefits don’t just last until your next hair wash. The proper scalp cleanse, masking and steaming means your hair isn’t just being smoothed down with a conditioner, but altered in a more permanent way, as the product can penetrate deeper.
As a girl with lots of hair, but strands that are thin and prone to oiliness, I was shocked by the softness and healthy feel of my hair, which is currently riddled with split ends and in need of a break from the dye. But what surprised me even more was how my scalp felt – clean and hydrated, and not a lick of grease in sight.
This was a shock to me given my scalp isn’t something I think about that often, and I’m not alone in that regard. Scalp care has long been overlooked, but as haircare comes to centre stage, the scalp has reluctantly been brought along with it. And people are realising there’s been a very good reason for doing so.
“We all know great hair starts with a healthy scalp so scalp care is imperative for long and luscious locks,” Gorgievski tells Body+Soul. “An unhealthy scalp is often caused by a build-up of product”.
“Build up can occur when we over wash or under wash our hair - also the use of dry shampoos has accelerated this decade and added to layering of products like never before,” she says. “Not only does it cause build up, it strips our natural oils which can cause a dry and flakey scalp.
“We can look after our scalp by better brushing, using scalp brushes and prescription hair care to target scalp issues. A healthy scalp means healthy, shiny and strong hair,” she adds.
In addition to the health of your hair and scalp, the 30-minute process also affords a nice moment of self-care, which isn’t often paid to your hair. Or at least when it is, it’s usually being painted with colour and folded into foils.
Instead of purely aesthetics, the hair facial focuses on working towards healthy hair – which consequently makes hair look better too.
“Just like our clothes and skin, we wear our hair every day. It makes us not only look great but feel great when we have fresh healthy hair and scalp,” says Gorgievski.
“Often our scalp health is overlooked, so highlighting this with our incredible Davines targeted scalp range has added to the movement.”
5 tips for nailing an at-home hair facial
While the in-salon experience will be above and beyond what you can create at home, that’s not to say you can’t reap the rewards of a hair facial at home.
For those who favour DIY or don’t live in Sydney, just like the Koda team has done, you can curate a haircare routine that doesn’t just wash hair, but cleanses the scalp and nourishes the strands.
Here are some of the best ways you can pack your hair care routine full of goodness:
#1. Buy an at-home hair facial kit
If you’re looking to directly recreate the experience, Koda sells at-home packs of the Davines products for a hair facial in the comfort of your own bathroom. You can shop based on hair concern, such as blonde maintenance or ‘normal’ maintenance.
#2. Supercharge your ingredients
Nassim Belhaq, director of innovation of Coco & Eve, has taken the brand’s Youth Revive range to the next level with the inclusion of retinol.
“Gentle forms of retinol are very beneficial for the scalp. Retinol works the same way on the scalp that it does on skin; it has been demonstrated that the key to healthy hair starts with a good scalp environment,” he tells Body+Soul.
“Retinol has a strong seboregulator action removing excess oil and thus clearing scalps of impurities to maximise a better absorption of other actives.”
Think of ingredients that work hard for your skin and search for those in your hair care.
Davines Natural Tech Nourishing Vegetarian repair Miracle Mask, $57.95 from adorebeauty.com.au
#3. Invest in scalp care
Since scalp care is at the centre of haircare, why not invest in it? Brands like Straand have created products designed to improve scalp health, such as The Crown Fix Scalp Serum ($28 from straand.com.au) and their Scalp Care 101 Prebiotic Scalp Care Trio ($71.95 from straand.com.au), which includes scalp-targeting shampoo, conditioner and a scalp brush.
#4. Find the perfect hair mask
If you’re serious about hair care, you’ll know that hair masks are worth their weight in gold. Ultra-nourishing and targeting various hair concerns, you can use hair masks as a conditioner for a regular hit of hydration, or save it for a once or twice-a-week longer leave-in situation. Try out a tried-and-true classic, Georgiemane’s 10-minute mask ($49.99 from priceline.com.au) or Glow Lab’s intense Smoothing Hair Mask ($20 from woolworths.com.au)
#5. Buy a microfibre towel
Microfibre hair towels are great whether you’re doing a hair facial or not, as they’re gentler on the hair. But if you are doing the facial you absolutely need a good towel.
We suggest running it under hot water, then wrapping your hair up (when it’s not too hot to touch), and letting your locks steam inside for 10 minutes or so, just like a real head spa.
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