Published Aug 20, 2019

Don’t know what a head spa is? I went to one to find out

Just when I thought I'd exhausted K-Beauty's vast offerings, something called a "head spa" appeared. Here's what happened when I tried it.

Don’t know what a head spa is? I went to one to find out

Just when I thought I'd exhausted K-Beauty's vast offerings, something called a "head spa" appeared. Here's what happened when I tried it.

Published Aug 20, 2019

In Partnership With

Nioxin

Written by

Erin Bunch

Published Aug 20, 2019

In Partnership With

Nioxin

Written by

Erin Bunch

I thought that by 2019 we had finally dreamed up all the beauty treatments that could possibly exist. We have acupuncture facials, vitamin IV drips, and snail mucin serums. So I couldn’t possibly be surprised by another new one, right?

Not so. Enter the head spa, something I didn’t know existed until a couple weeks ago when I was introduced to both its pleasures and its purposes at Los Angeles’ landmark Korean salon, Kim Sun Young, by its owner Hun Lee.

Though I’m very much a fan of the vibe at Kim Sun Young, I’m a bit skeptical, TBH, of the premise around the NIOXIN Head Spa treatment I’m about to get (valued at $65), in much the same way I’m skeptical of things like fish pedicures. Like, is this really necessary, or have we officially jumped the shark in self care?

In response to my skepticism, Lee explains that the concept of a head spa dates back centuries in Korea, so it’s not some newfangled marketing ploy or frivolous salon add-on. Rather, it’s a long-standing tradition that provides your scalp with crucial TLC.

“Scalp care is very important because it provides the necessary environment for growing healthy, strong, beautiful hair,” says Lee, who recommends a head spa session every 30 to 45 days. This concept makes sense to me, especially when you consider the VIP treatment we give to skin elsewhere on our bodies, where we’re not even trying to cultivate luscious locks. (He is not alone among experts in this belief, either.)

“Scalp care is very important because it provides the necessary environment for growing healthy, strong, beautiful hair.”

After our educational chat, Lee passes me off to my personal head masseuse. His first order of business is to take magnified photos of my scalp, which are very gross and weirdly embarrassing. The skin is dry and flaky and a little inflamed-looking. I’m ashamed, but the head spa tech tells me that’s okay/normal.

He then has me answer a questionnaire, from which he devises a treatment protocol. Before I get into the nitty gritty of what the treatment entails, let me first say that paying someone to massage your head for an hour on a Friday afternoon is a good idea. I don’t care if it’s at a spa or at home and you have to slip your significant other a $50 to get it done. Just. Do. It.

My head spa technician starts with the NIOXIN Scalp Renew Dermabrasion Treatment. If you’re not familiar, NIOXIN is a scalp-centric hair-care line that’s been perfecting its formulas for 30 years. Its products clear follicle-clogging sebum and environmental residue, and have been previously recommended to me by my regular stylist for their potential to foster healthy hair growth.

When he begins the treatment, I almost immediately go into a trance similar to a cat deep in the throes of a purr sesh, so details get a little foggy from here. I know that after the dermabrasion, he shampoos and conditions my hair with NIOXIN’s 3-Part System in a formulation specifically selected for my needs.

Then, there is a scalp massage (purrrrrr), followed by NIOXIN’s Deep Protect Density Mask. Some other things happened next, but I’m too relaxed now to focus. I just know whatever he’s doing feels great.

By the time he washes out the mask, my tough work week has washed away with it. I am officially Jell-O. As he wraps my head in a warm towel, I’m offered a hand massage. I feel dangerously close to proposing. He then carefully dries and styles my hair… and pulls out his magnifying camera once more.

Normally when before and after photos are offered in treatments, I have to enact an Academy Award-worthy performance to feign that I can actually tell a difference. Not so here, as there is a clear change in my scalp. All the flakes and goop are gone, as in, completely eradicated. No longer weighed down by that junk, my hair follicles look as though they can breathe (and hopefully, grow hair) again. I’m impressed, and also sort of ashamed that I’ve been walking around for so long with a sad, filthy scalp.

As I find my legs to leave, I can’t help but admire the there-since-before-it-was-trendy Korean devotion to self care that my NIOXIN head spa experience revealed to me.

The treatment not only remedied important hygiene issues—no wonder my hair looked scraggly given the neglectful circumstances in which I was expecting it to grow!—and made me wish I had taken my stylist’s recommendation to use NIOXIN products more seriously, it also fully relaxed me in a way even massages can’t. I guess my next move is to finally give fish pedicures a try?

In partnership with NIOXIN

Photos: NIOXIN

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Beauty Hair

Published Feb 8, 2025

The Top Hot Tool Mistake You’re Probably Making—And How to Fix It, According to a Haircare Brand Founder

Published Feb 8, 2025

Written by

Maeve McCormick

Published Feb 8, 2025

Written by

Maeve McCormick

Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission

As someone who romanticizes every part of the getting-ready process, you’d think I love styling my hair. Think again—I dread it. Over the years, I’ve made every haircare mistake in the book, and I’m especially hopeless at using hot tools on my curls (no matter how many TikTok tutorials I watch). Halfway through every attempt at a sleek blowout or polished waves, I run to my roommates for help rescuing my over-fluffed, full-of-crimps disaster.

Apparently, I’m not alone. According to Maria McCool, hairstylist and founder of Calista, I’m making a mistake she sees *all the time* on the job: using professional tools that simply aren’t designed for me. This common issue dates back to the 1980s, McCool says, when people began buying the hot tools their stylists used on them and putting them to work without ever learning how to use them. The issue? “[The tools are] made for somebody who's standing on top—not us, underneath our hair,” McCool says. “It’s obvious that they're not made for the consumer. They're made for hairstylists.”

Hearing this was a major aha moment for me. (Finally: The awkward creases after straightening and the blowouts that make me look more electrocuted than effortless, explained!) McCool’s realization was a lightbulb moment for her, too, and it eventually led to Calista. All of Calista’s tools are designed specifically for people doing their own hair, eliminating the awkward mechanics that can make styling feel impossible.

FAUXblo Airless Thermal Blowout Brush

$110

Calista is one of a handful of popular hot-tool brands that has turned its focus to accessibility for the average at-home, DIY styler (um, me) in recent years. Unlike professional tools designed for the salon, many new devices are now built with intuitive features that take the guesswork out of styling.

If you, like me, have spent years struggling with hair tools, it might be time to stop pushing yourself to become an expert at a device that wasn’t made with you in mind. McCool recommends starting with user-friendly hot tools like the FAUXblo Airless Thermal Blowout Brush and Perfector Pro, which are designed to be simple, effective, and beginner-friendly.

And beyond user accessibility, McCool says that hair texture can be a major factor in the hot-tool struggle. A flat iron that glides through fine, straight hair may not have enough grip or heat to smooth thick curls, while a high-temperature curling wand built for coarse hair could damage delicate strands. Choose devices that cater to your texture, she says, and you’ll usher in a getting-ready process that’s smoother, faster, and much less frustrating.

I’m not claiming to be a wizard with the curling wand, now or anytime soon. But McCool has helped me realize that my styling struggles aren’t unique to me, and they don’t come down to my lack of skill. With that in mind, I’m replacing my made-for-the-salon hair tools with ones that are actually designed for me—and replacing my discouraged getting-ready process with a hair routine that actually works, isn’t complicated, and doesn’t come with dread.

Shop More Hot Tools for Your Hair Type Below:

Perfecter Pro Swap Top 3-in-1 Heated Round Brush w/ Pouch

$156

Body Waver Hair Styler

$77

TrianglPro Heated Detailer Brush

$88

AirGlide Pro Cool Breeze Styler

$99

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Beauty Hair

Published Jan 1, 2025

Wait—How Often Do I Really Need to Be Cleaning My Hairbrush?

Discover how often to clean your hairbrush to make sure you avoid germs and damage to your hair and scalp, according to experts.

Wait—How Often Do I Really Need to Be Cleaning My Hairbrush?

Discover how often to clean your hairbrush to make sure you avoid germs and damage to your hair and scalp, according to experts.

Published Jan 1, 2025

Written by

Jaime Osnato

Photo credit: Stocksy / María Soledad Kubat

Published Jan 1, 2025

Written by

Jaime Osnato

Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission

Real talk: your hairbrush is probably overdue for a cleaning. Between dead skin cells, oils, and leftover product, it’s a breeding ground for grime that can mess with your scalp. But how often should you be cleaning it? Spoiler alert: more often than you think. Here’s everything you need to know to keep your brush—and your hair—fresh and clean, including when it’s time to trade your trusty brush in for a newer model.

Experts in This Article

Lindsay Zubritsky

Lindsay Zubritsky, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in medical dermatology at Premier Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

How often to clean your hairbrush

As a general rule, you should clean your hairbrush every one to two weeks, but it really depends on a few things, says Lindsey Marie Zubritsky, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Pittsburg, PA.

Clean your hairbrush more often if:

You use heavy styling products
You have long hair
You deal with dandruff or an oily scalp

How to clean your hairbrush

The method for cleaning a hairbrush depends on the type, but no matter the brush, always start by pulling out the hair with tweezers, scissors, or just your hands, Dr. Zubritsky says.

If you have a brush with synthetic plastic bristles (which are easiest to clean, BTW), follow these steps, per Dr. Zubritsky:

Put some shampoo, dish soap, or body wash in a large bowl of water and soak your brush for 15 minutes
Rinse thoroughly afterwards, shake or squeeze the brush to remove excess water, and then allow to air dry
For extra cleaning, you can spray the brush with isopropyl alcohol for disinfecting.

If you have a brush with natural bristles and/or wooden handles, you need to handle them with a little more care. After removing all the hair from the bristles, follow these steps, per Dr. Zubritsky:

Add a gentle, mild shampoo or soap to a large bowl of water.
Only dip the bristles in the water (keeping the wooden handles dry).
Lather up the bristles (either with your hands or a toothbrush). You really want to give these natural bristles a thorough scrub since they have more nooks and crannies.
Soak for15 minutes (again, keeping wooden handles dry).
Rinse thoroughly afterwards, shake or squeeze the brush to remove excess water, and then allow to air dry.

What happens if I don’t clean my hairbrush?

If you’ve ever let a bunch of hair accumulate in your brush, you probably noticed it doesn’t work as well. But that’s not the only problem. A dirty hairbrush can also have consequences for your scalp.

1. It can clog hair follicles

Hairbrushes often collect dead skin cells, oils, and product buildup, Dr. Zubritsky says. This combination can clog pores and harm your scalp, leading to issues like scalp acne or folliculitis (i.e., when your hair follicles are infected or inflamed), she says.

2. It can lead to dandruff

“Your hairbrush is a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus, including Malassezia (a yeast known to trigger dandruff),” Dr. Zubritsky says. Even if you’re using anti-dandruff shampoo, yeast can still build up on your brush, and every time you use it, you’re basically putting that gunk right back on your scalp, she says.

3. It can irritate or damage your scalp

“Nothing good comes from using a dirty hairbrush, especially if you have a sensitive scalp,” Dr. Zubritsky says. “Dirt, debris, bacteria, old product, and dead skin cells can be transferred back to you scalp through your brush, leading to irritation and sensitivity issues.”

When to replace your hairbrush

We know–it can be hard to let go of your go-to hairbrush. But the health of your scalp depends on it. In general, it’s a good idea to replace your brush every six months. Here are some signs that your brush needs an upgrade, per Dr. Zubrtisky:

The bristles or handles are damaged, bent, cracked, or missing
Your brush isn’t working as well (when your brush isn’t working right, it creates more friction and traction on your scalp and hair, which can lead to damage)
Your brush has a persistent odor (despite regular cleaning)
Your hair appears more oily or greasy