Are you tired of having an itchy, flaky scalp, and dull hair? Need a boost in hair growth? It’s time to unlock the secrets of a Japanese scalp treatment.
In this post, I’ll give you a complete guide on how you can do this treatment right from the comfort of your home to get gorgeous hair.
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You’ve seen the luxurious looking Japanese scalp treatments on social media. You’ve heard people talk about how amazing their hair and scalp looks and feels afterwards.
If you’re wondering if there’s a way you could get those same results at home…there is!
You might be experiencing dandruff, an itchy scalp, and flakes that just won’t go away.
Maybe your hair is feeling lifeless and looking dull, or you’ve got excessive oiliness on your scalp. All of these are signs your hair needs some TLC!
Doing a DIY Japanese scalp treatment can help solve all of these issues, promote hair growth, and relieve stress!
Whether you’ve tried going to a head spa or not, maybe you want a cozy self care day at home.
I’ve got you. Keep reading to learn how to transform your hair from scalp to tip.
Get ready to pamper yourself and be prepared to turn heads with your healthy, radiant locks! This is the ultimate Self Care Sunday routine. Here is your guide on why and how you can do a Japanese scalp treatment at home.
Japanese Scalp Treatment: What You Need to Know
In Japanese culture, the scalp is considered the foundation of healthy hair. Just as a strong and stable foundation is essential for a sturdy building, a healthy scalp provides an optimal environment for hair to grow and thrive.
With an emphasis on natural ingredients and mindful practices, this scalp care treatment goes beyond your every day hair care routine.
It’s a more holistic approach to hair care that takes into account the health and balance of the scalp.
This type of treatment is typically done at what’s called a head spa.
Head spas have been popular in Asia for a very long time, and in the past few years they’ve become more popular and well-known here in North America.
Before we go over the steps of the treatment, let’s get into some of the questions you may have.
What Is a Japanese Scalp Treatment?
It’s a multi-step scalp and hair treatment that focuses on nurturing the scalp through a combination of gentle cleansing, exfoliation, and nourishing treatments.
It also incorporates Japanese massage techniques for an ultra relaxing experience.
The number of steps and time the treatment takes will vary depending on the head spa you go to. For this DIY treatment, we’ll be following 7 main steps.
What Does a Japanese Scalp Treatment Do?
These treatments have many benefits for your hair, scalp, and general wellness. Here are some of the awesome things you can expect:
- Improves blood circulation to the scalp, encouraging hair growth
- Thoroughly cleanses the hair follicles, eliminating buildup
- Eliminates excess oil on the scalp, restoring balance in oil production
- Releases scalp tension – great if you hold stress in your head!
- Gets rid of sebum plugs and dead skin cells, and prevents clogged hair follicles
- Moisturizes and nourishes the hair and scalp, preventing dryness and flakes
- Delivers refreshing and hair growth boosting ingredients to the hair follicles
These treatments are amazing for creating a healthy environment for your hair to grow and thrive!
What Products Do You Need?
Now that you know what this scalp treatment will do for you, you may be wondering what you need.
Before starting the treatment, you’ll want to have a some products on hand. All of these play an important part in improving your scalp and hair health.
1. SCALP EXFOLIATOR: You can either make a DIY scalp scrub, or purchase one.
The Grow Gorgeous Scalp Detox Scrub removes buildup, refreshes the scalp, and contains caffeine for an extra boost in hair growth.
Grow Gorgeous Scalp Care Scalp Detox Scrub
This scalp scrub by Philip B contains sea salt to exfoliate, and avocado, peppermint and eucalyptus oils.
Philip B Peppermint Avocado Scalp Scrub
2. SHAMPOO: Choose your favorite shampoo that cleanses well and doesn’t leave your hair feeling stripped and dry. Go for sulfate-free if you have dry hair.
This one by Virtue is a clarifying shampoo that gently removes dirt, excess oil and environmental pollution, while leaving the scalp refreshed.
VIRTUE Purifying Shampoo
If you’re dealing with dandruff, go for a flake-fighting shampoo like this one by Oribe. It contains ingredients like salicylic acid and caffeine to alleviate the itch while rejuvenating the hair follicles.
Oribe Serene Scalp Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
3. SCALP MASK: You’ll want to choose a mask full of ingredients that will help soothe and revitalize the scalp.
This Philip Kingsley scalp mask is perfect for all hair types. It help balance the scalp’s oil, and contains caffeine to promote hair growth.
Philip Kingsley Density Stimulating Scalp Mask
4. CONDITIONER: Choose a conditioner that hydrates, gives your hair a lot of slip for detangling, and leaves your hair feeling soft.
Rahua oil and aloe vera are just a couple of the nourishing ingredients in this conditioner. It’s great for hydrating, smoothing and strengthening the hair.
Rahua Hydration Conditioner
5. SCALP MASSAGING TOOL: A scalp massaging brush will stimulate blood flow to promote hair growth, loosen flakes, and enhance relaxation.
The Briogeo scalp massager helps to encourage hair growth and scalp health, and relieve scalp tension. You can use it on either wet or dry hair, with or without product.
Briogeo Scalp Revival™ Stimulating Therapy Massager
6. LEAVE-IN SCALP TREATMENT: A non-greasy scalp tonic or serum is a great final product to use in your scalp care routine. It can deliver rejuvinating and hair growth boosting ingredients to the hair follicles.
This tonic by Grow Gorgeous can be used on dry or damp hair and contains caffeine to stimulate the scalp, and there’s no need to wash it out.
Grow Gorgeous Scalp Care Energising Scalp Tonic
Virtue’s scalp serum is lightweight, and helps to calm the scalp, and get rid of dryness and irritation. It contains peptides and hyaluronic acid, and helps create a healthy environment for hair growth.
VIRTUE Topical Scalp Supplement
7. DETANGLING COMB OR BRUSH: You can use a wide toothed comb or a brush, depending on your preferences and hair type. I love the WetBrush, and it comes in many fun colors.
Briogeo Wide Tooth Detangling Comb
WetBrush Original Detangler Metallic Marble Bronze Brush
8. HAIR TOWEL/WRAP: Hair is delicate when wet, so it’s important to be gentle when drying it. Using a soft microfiber hair towel reduces friction and breakage.
This hair towel by T3 is microfiber so it’ll be gentle on your hair and prevent frizz, while decreasing drying time.
T3 Luxe Turban Towel with Waffle Microfiber
OPTIONAL ITEMS: If you want to take this to the next level, you can add these into the routine. I’ll include them in the steps below so you’ll know when to use them.
- A hair steamer: for increased moisture
- A hair rinse: to soothe the scalp and seal the hair cuticles for smoother, shinier strands. You can either make your own with apple cider vinegar and water, or use a product like this dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse.
dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse
How to Do a DIY Japanese Scalp Treatment
Now that we have all of the information and products that we need, it’s time to pamper yourself!
Follow these steps to turn your home into a head spa. You can do this treatment once a month to keep your hair and scalp healthy.
If you want to set a relaxing mood, there are a few things you can do before you start. Light some candles or turn on your essential oil diffuser, and put on some relaxing music.
Take the opportunity to indulge in self-care and create a soothing ritual for yourself, you truly deserve it!
Then go ahead and start with step number 1.
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1. Exfoliate
This step is vital for getting rid of dead skin flakes, sebum plugs and removing buildup on the scalp.
- Wet your hair, and apply a scoop of your exfoliator evenly to your scalp
- Massage gently in small circular motions
- Rinse
2. Cleanse
Cleansing sets the stage for the rest of your scalp care routine by washing away impurities, excess oil, and product buildup from your scalp and hair.
When your scalp is clean, it can better absorb the nutrients from your scalp care products, allowing them to penetrate deeply and work their magic!
- Apply shampoo to your scalp and massage it in with your scalp massaging brush, using gentle circular motions
- Rinse thoroughly
Optional Step: Steaming
- If you have a hair steamer, after cleansing is the time to use it! You’ll want to use it on freshly washed hair to provide moisture to the hair and keep the scalp hydrated.
3. Scalp Mask
Nourishing your scalp is an important factor in maintaining scalp and hair health. Using a scalp mask can soothe irritation, provide hydration and key ingredients to support hair growth.
- Apply a small amount of your chosen scalp mask to your fingertips and distribute it evenly over your entire scalp. And then it’s time for…
4. Scalp Massage
Scalp massage is a great way to encourage blood flow to the scalp, loosen flakes, and as a relaxation technique. It will also help work your mask into the scalp so you can get all of the benefits.
- With your scalp massager, apply gentle pressure in small circular motions starting at the base of your skull
- Move slowly upwards towards the top of your head, paying extra attention to areas that feel tense
- Gently massage the scalp for a few minutes, then rinse hair thoroughly
You want to apply just the right amount of pressure – firm enough to stimulate the scalp, but not so hard that it causes discomfort. Be gentle and mindful of your scalp’s sensitivity.
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Optional Step: Hair Rinse
- Apply your apple cider vinegar rinse evenly to your scalp and hair. Leave it on for a minute or two, then rinse with water.
5. Condition
Conditioning the hair is key to ensure the hair stays hydrated. It will also help to decrease frizz and make your hair look shinier.
- Apply the conditioner to your hair (avoid the roots if your scalp gets oily fast)
- While the conditioner is still in your hair, gently detangle it starting from the ends and working your way up
- Rinse with water
6. Hair Towel Wrap
- Gently squeeze the water from your hair, then secure it in your hair towel
- Leave on for several minutes so it can absorb excess water
7. Leave In Scalp Treatment
- When your hair is no longer soaking wet, remove your towel and evenly apply your scalp serum or tonic on your scalp
And you’re done! Continue with your usual post-wash hair styling routine and enjoy your clean, refreshed, rejuvenated scalp.
By pampering your scalp, you’re not only improving the health of your hair, but also embracing a tradition that values the connection between mind, body, and beauty. Try this ritual on your next self care Sunday!
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