I Looked at My Scalp Under a Microscope, and I Can Never Unsee It

Do you use dry shampoo? Or texturizing hair products? (Same.) Well then, your scalp might just look like it's covered in anthills of... gunk.

At least, that's what our video producer Ella Dove discovered about her own head when a scalp facialist took a very, extremely close-up (and personal!) look at it in our latest episode of What the Wellness, Well+Good's video series that explores whether the most out-there health practices are weird or worth it. This magnified head selfie is just the normal first step of getting a scalp detoxifying treatment, which Dove goes on to experience at Blow Me Away salon in Los Angeles.

These facials for your scalp are just what they sound like—a treatment meant to address buildup at the roots—and they're popping up all over the U.S. as we realize just how important having a healthy scalp is in order to have healthy (and pretty and shiny) hair. Head spas that provide treatments for your scalp have actually been popular in Japan for a long time, but we're just now becoming keen to the trend here.

During the 60-minute treatment, Dove's head gets cleansed, massaged, given its very own aromatherapy sesh, and then steamed and exfoliated. It's honestly a lot like what would happen in a facial for your face. As her scalp gets the TLC it deserves, we learn some pretty fascinating stuff about what it takes to have good hair. Watch the whole thing go down in the video above, where you'll witness what a scalp facial entails, learn #hairhealth facts like why shampoo is overrated, and see the big reveal... which, I must say, is probably the shiniest, most luscious head of hair I've ever laid eyes upon. (You're welcome, Ella!)

To see what else is out there in the wide world of wellness treatments, here's what happens in a crystal light therapy treatment that supposedly aligns your chakras. And this is an inside look at cupping therapy and how it can help your wellness game.