Scalp cleanings have NYC women spending up to $500 for trendy analysis, treatments
Now this makes NYC’s infamous $70 blowouts seem affordable.
Stressed-out New Yorkers battling increased air pollution and hair loss or those just bored with basic wash and dry are turning to scalp cleanings — paying up to $500 in posh uptown salons for the trendy treatments.
Combining ancient massage techniques with cutting-edge technology, it’s become winter’s hottest must-have for the ‘do.
Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa on the Upper East Side is a top destination for fans of the au courant cure. Here, stylists say they’ve seen “a lot of increased interest” in a pampering package that twins the $235-and-up treatment, using exfoliant toner, mask, shampoo and setting spray, with a blowout.
“Think of this like growing grass. If you nurture the soil daily, new grass will grow in thicker and fuller,” master stylist Paul Labrecque told The Post.
Alex Murphy, 52, goes to Labreque’s Palm Beach, Florida, salon outpost every few weeks for the special $150 “purifying hair and scalp treatment” — using cult luxury product Biologique Recherche Lotion P50.
“I see my hair as an accessory,” the philanthropist told The Post. “I consider it like a facial for my hair.”
Also, Big Apple women are flocking en masse to budget options in Queens — where you can get a taste of the good life for just $50.
Kala Raj, 26, went to Guifei Spa in Flushing last November after seeing online videos of women boasting about affordable, cleansing and relaxing scalp sessions.
“I do my own hair and nails and everything, but this is something that I would rather have a professional do,” the Queens resident told The Post of adding scalp cleaning into her maintenance routine every few months.
“It’s just relaxing for me. It’s a good therapeutic experience.”
Guifei, where services begin at $48, has become so popular that it’s opened another location in Bethpage, Long Island, to accommodate a growing client list.
Here, and at most head spas, 60-minute sessions begin with a microscopic consultation analysis using a tiny camera to inspect the scalp — giving a view of product build-up, dandruff and more, with results revealed on an iPad-sized screen.
As guests lie down with their heads set in a sink basin, they’re given a long deep shampoo cleanse with acupressure massage.
The serums are then rinsed out with more massage, brushing and hydrotherapy techniques. Most salons use a golden rainbow-shaped water spout that sits around the head, continuously shooting water onto the scalp throughout the session like a “car wash” — and makes a great visual for viral videos.
Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post
A plastic shield is then raised to cover the head for a steaming session, followed by an herbal soup bath where warm tea is soothingly poured onto the scalp. The hair is then briefly blow-dried.
To display the full transformation, guests are seated back in the salon chair for another scalp viewing to show how clean and healthy it is.
And the benefits extend beyond shiny locks and less hair-washing: Scalp cleaning boosts blood circulation to the body, aids relaxation and helps with issues like psoriasis, alopecia and migraines, according to experts.
Interest in head spas comes as the “skinification” of hair has been projected to be one of the biggest beauty trends of 2025 — meaning people are adopting multi-step routines to benefit the scalp, the same way they have for the face.
Lush, a cosmetics brand founded by a trichologist — an expert on hair and scalp issues — said sales of scalp care have increased 264% year on year.
And although scalp cleansing is part of a growing trend, the treatments are nothing new. Head spas originated in Japan centuries ago and finally caught on in the US in recent years.
Ritsuko Borges opened Masa.Kanai, one of the first head spas in NYC, 20 years ago — aiming to bring the practice from her homeland of Japan.
Since moving her practice from downtown to the Upper West Side seven years ago, Masa.Kanai has become one of the most elite in the city.
Services begin at $300 for 60 minutes or $330 for 90 minutes and can be elevated with additions, including an $80 blowout, $40 Tansan carbonated beauty bath or $65 Milbon premium gold line treatment. The whole shebang is $515 before tax and tip.
And unlike the most popular head spas making the social media rounds, phones are prohibited.
But even without joining in online chatter, the Masa.Kanai team reported a recent uptick in interest in its services.
“People come in more for their well-being, for relaxing stress relief,” she told The Post. “They just want to feel good.”
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