The blurb
The latest haircare trend to hit salons is ‘scalp facials’, treatments designed to purify the skin on the head, which experts say is important for maintaining healthy, beautiful hair. Is this just a clever way to sell us more products, or is it time to up our mane game?
Aveda has added its signature Ayurveda-inspired touch to the concept and launched Pramāsana, a cleansing head massage treatment that aims to boost circulation as well as balancing and nourishing the scalp. We put it to the test at the Gina Conway Aveda salon and spa in Wimbledon, a favourite with well-groomed southwest Londoners, and the swishy-haired tennis crowd bringing added glamour to the area every summer.
The process
After the customary consultation and relaxing head, neck and shoulder aromatherapy massage that begins every Aveda appointment, salon assistant Laxmi Tulachan began the Pramāsana treatment by gently brushing my scalp with an exfoliating looped bristle brush in circular motions. This is a sensitive area of the body where many of us store tension, and I found it deeply relaxing.
Next, Laxmi used a purifying cleanser with wintergreen-derived salicylic acid on my scalp to further exfoliate it, then shampooing and applying a nourishing masque, which she left on for five minutes and combed through the hair before rinsing and finally adding a dab of lightweight leave-in serum.
The Pramāsana products have a refreshing scent of grapefruit and neroli, with hints of cypress and rosemary. They contain a blend of natural ingredients, including seaweed extract and tamanu oil, designed to help balance the scalp’s protective oil barrier and shield it from pollution.
It is this natural ethos that I love about Aveda, and it is fascinating to think that the brand, which now has 8,000 hair salons in 35 countries and is synonymous with eco sustainability in the industry, started out with one man’s vision to connect beauty, environment and wellbeing. Austrian-born Horst Rechelbacher, who founded the company in 1978, was inspired by the holistic philosophy he encountered at Indian health retreats and decided to integrate it into his concept.
To this day, whenever I visit an Aveda salon I am met with the same passion and down-to-earth approach, and my hair stylist Kasia Kirkpatrick was no exception. She understood perfectly what I wanted from my cut, and carefully trimmed and shaped my hair with the “less is more” style of a true pro.
I also had my eyebrows waxed and tinted by beauty therapist Leah Thynne, who did a stellar job (not a hint of redness).
The results
The Pramāsana treatment left me feeling invigorated, and more aware of the importance of showing my scalp a little love every now and then. As for my haircut and perfectly groomed brows, I couldn’t have been more pleased.