Hair Treatments You Need Right Now
You know your chemically-treated, limp and frizzy hair needs some love when you can no longer run a brush through it without pulling a face. Our island’s perpetual humidity and the worsening haze conditions aren’t doing it any favours either. Which is why you need to check yourself into hair rehab and restore your clowning glory with these specialised hair treatments, pronto.
Branché Hair & Nail Head Spa Scalp Treatment
What it is: I was ushered into a private room, seated in a chair that cost more than $10,000, covered with a plush blanket and given a bolster to hug. The stylist first scanned my scalp and the results on a reconfigured tablet showed that it was yellowish, which meant I was tired and stressed. Next, he reclined my seat flat and shampooed my hair in an adjoining basin. He used the salon’s in-house brand of paraben- and silicon-free shampoo as well as carbonated water, which supposedly keeps the scalp healthy. The fizzy water produced a loud gushing noise – an unusual experience. An in-house brand of fruit-scented scalp cream was applied and massaged in for about five minutes. This was followed by a hot water rinse-off, which was tortuous on the stylist’s hands as the water produced a lot of steam. The purpose? To make the rinse-off more comforting for me. Funnily, I didn’t feel any of the heat, just a sleep-inducing warmth. Lastly, he sprayed scalp water all over my head to prevent hair loss before giving my temples, neck and back an invigorating massage. My hair smelt fragrant the rest of the day and was fluffier too.
Price & place: $180 for about 60mins, excluding GST. At #B1-33 Capitol Piazza. Tel: 6702-3036
Kérastase Avant Garde Ritual
What it is: This began with one of the most detailed scalp and hair scans that I’ve ever had. I was told that I had slight thinning at the crown and what sounded like combination skin on my scalp: it was dry at the back, irritated on the sides and oily in general. I even learnt that my hair strands were thicker than the Asian norm. In a private room where most of the treatment steps took place on a comfy seat, my stylist gave my neck a hot-towel wipe and brushed my hair to relax the scalp. A water jet was used to blast off dead skin residue, after which she applied a skin-purifying product. Next, she hooked up the water hose to a machine and gave me what she terms a bubble wash – something akin to a really foamy rinse but without shampoo – to rebalance my scalp. A very relaxing head massage and rinse followed, after which the stylist applied a minty anti-hair-thinning cream on my scalp and used an infra-red light to stimulate hair follicles. My fave part: a lengthy neck and shoulder massage with essential oils and a galvanic heat gadget. After another rinse, a hair density-boosting ampoule was “injected” onto my scalp from a special device for a more precise application. My hair stayed soft and voluminous for a few days, and my head and shoulders also felt a lot lighter.
Price & place: $228 for 90mins. At Salon360, 2 Bayfront Avenue, #B1-02/03/04 Galleria Level Tel: 6688-7666/6688-7667
Aveda Botanical Therapy
What it is: For our tester, the stylist recommended the Aveda Scalp Remedy Intense Detoxifier, which is said to exfoliate and purify the scalp, and remove excess sebum and product build-up. After a relaxing head, neck and hand massage, the Aveda Damage Remedy Penetrating Protein lotion and the Damage Remedy Treatment Masque were applied to make hair shinier, stronger and more hydrated. This was followed by another head massage and the final application of a hair tonic for further strengthening benefits. Our tester’s hair felt fresher and softer, and it also appeared fuller for the next few days.
Price & place: From $238 for 90mins. At The Scene at Robinsons, Level 3, 260 Orchard Rd. Tel: 6235-99
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This story was first published in L’Officiel.
