Howdy! I'm Dannica, and I am easily allured by internet beauty trends. I recently used rice water on my skin for a week, and now I'm back again, trying out another Asian beauty trend that's been making its rounds around the web: scalp massages. The scalp massage buzz quickly took over TikTok, with the conversation surrounding the beauty treatment garnering over 650 million views. In one TikTok, which has more than 600,000 views, a TikToker films herself going to her monthly treatment, which she says "is supposed to help with hair growth and blood circulation to the scalp."
In another video, which has over 3 million views, TikTok users in the comments were expressing how relaxing and luxurious the treatment looked, with one user saying, "I can approve that this scalp massage is the best thing ever."
To get more insight into the potential benefits of scalp massages, I spoke with Annie Chiu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of the Derm Institute. According to Chiu, though scalp massages may aid with blood circulation to the scalp, relieve stress, and possibly stimulate hair follicles, there isn't enough rigorous scientific evidence to prove the cause-and-effect relationship between scalp massages and hair health.
"The effectiveness of scalp massages can vary from person to person," Chiu told BuzzFeed. Though some people may find them to be more of a novelty, others might view scalp massages as a form of self-care. "Some [people] believe [scalp massages] genuinely help with hair growth," Chiu continued. "Ultimately, the perception of their efficacy may depend on individual expectations and experiences."
In the scalp massage TikToks, people show themselves lying down with their head hanging over a shampoo bowl while their entire head and neck are given a good rubdown. They then get their hair washed and a thorough rinse, with more massaging, and some people even receive a basic facial along with a simple body massage. Depending on the salon and the package you pick, you can get a hot-oil treatment, along with a blow-dry and styling.
Not going to lie to you guys, I'd been influenced in the past to buy a scalp brush because I remember some video telling me it helped with blood circulation and dry scalp. TBH, I didn't use it consistently enough to see if it actually did, BUT when I realized that people were going to actual head spas for their scalp massage treatments, I was so on board. So naturally, I booked myself a scalp massage appointment.
But before I get into it, here's a picture of my hair prior to the scalp massage. As you can see, I have a lot of hair. I have wavy hair that grows kind of quickly, but my main issue is that my hair gets oily seemingly way faster than I feel it should (like by day 2). Yet at the same time, my scalp gets flaky from being so dry?! I use some products to style my hair (mainly just a foaming mousse and curl cream), so my theory is that I just have a lot of buildup. That said, I booked the scalp treatment in hopes that it would give my scalp the deep cleanse it seemed to be yearning for.
My friend Bailey came along with me for the ride, and we booked a place in Orange County, California, called Mimosa Head Spa. We were super excited and only a tad nervous because we didn't know what to expect, but the women who worked there were so nice and made us feel extremely relaxed.
The package we got was called "the Royal," and it was a 75-minute scalp treatment that included a hair wash, a scalp massage (obvi), a facial massage, a neck and shoulder massage, plus a hot-oil treatment. The price was $105, which, for all that, seemed to be fair. The package didn't include a blow-dry, but if you did want to get your hair dried or styled, there were add-ons available for an extra fee.
OK, let's get to the scalp massage!! I'm gonna keep it real with y'all — I wasn't sure if it was less weird if my eyes were open or closed in the photos, so I just went with eyes closed a majority of the time. So first, the woman giving me my scalp massage brought me into this dark room with soothing piano music in the background. I lay down in a comfy chair, then brought my head back so that my hair was in the shampoo bowl. Before I knew it, this wonderful woman had her hands in my hair.
Then she rinsed my hair with warm water and massaged it for maybe another five minutes. After that, she shampooed my hair with this amazing tea tree shampoo that made my brain feel as if it was melting (positive). That stuff seemed to seep into my scalp and made my parietal lobe dance, and I loved the smell.
Next up was my favorite part of the entire experience. I have never had a hot-oil treatment done before, so I had no clue how the process was going to go. Had I known earlier in my life that I'd get to wear this silly little the-aliens-are-coming cap, I'd have gotten this treatment a lot sooner.
At this point, my hair was kind of just left in the hot-oil whirlpool bath for a while. During this time, though, I started receiving my facial massage! The woman started off with cleansing my face to get rid of any excess makeup, and then I was lathered up with facial oil. I looked like a glazed donut.
After the little facial massage came the anti-aging collagen face mask. It had a jellylike texture and was cool to the touch, and after it was put on me, I was left alone for a bit to give the mask time to set. Mind you, I hadn't seen what I looked like in a hot minute. So imagine my initial shock when I opened up my camera and saw...
As my sister best described it:
By now I was afraid my head was gonna burst open and popcorn was gonna start spilling out. But eventually my face mask was washed off with a warm towel, and the hot-oil cap was taken off as well. While my hair was being washed from the oil, I could almost sense how soft my hair was without touching it. Like, from the way the water was coming off my hair, I knew it was gonna be ~silky~. Then, after my hair wash (which was the last hair wash of the treatment), my face was met with the cool kiss of a jade roller.
After moisturizing my face, the woman wrapped up my hair and gave me a five-minute neck and shoulder massage that actually extended a little to my upper mid-back! Not gonna lie, I felt as if I was getting beat up (she was very heavy-handed), but I figured it was one way to loosen up my muscles for sure. Then I was taken to the salon chair and my hair was brushed through. I said I didn't need my hair to be blow-dried (it was an extra charge), but the women were so nice and gave me one anyway!
Here's what my hair looked like straight out of the head spa vs. what my hair looked like two days after the head spa:
Overall, receiving the scalp massage treatment was a nice, relaxing time. Some notable moments were the hot-oil treatment and, of course, the scalp massage itself. Honestly, I feel that receiving a scalp massage could very much be a DIY, girls' night–type thing if you're looking for a similar experience without the price. Though I did thoroughly enjoy the experience and was happy with how my hair felt, I did end up wondering if receiving a scalp massage was more about the self-care aspect of it rather than any long-term benefits it may have — especially if one doesn't choose a service that comes with a hot-oil treatment.
Revisiting what Chiu said, the efficacy of the treatment really does appear to depend on personal experiences and circumstances. And whether or not there are benefits, it's certainly a great way to get some TLC. With all that said, Chiu does say that when it comes to viral beauty trends, it's important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another. "It is wise to approach beauty trends that go viral on social media with a certain degree of skepticism," she urged. Because many viral trends may not be based on solid scientific evidence, Chiu advises doing research using credible, scientific sources and consulting with professionals if necessary.
So was this scalp massage going to cure my oily hair–dry scalp situation? Maybe not. But was it an experience worth trying at least once? Absolutely! I think receiving a scalp massage treatment is definitely a great way to relieve stress and give yourself a little TLC. And even if there may be no benefits in the long run, at least my hair looked, smelled, and felt amazing for a majority of the week!
