{"id":340762,"date":"2026-06-01T00:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T00:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/340762\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T00:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T00:18:10","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-japanese-style-scalp-massages-catching-on-in-the-us-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/340762\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about the Japanese-style scalp massages catching on in the US"},"content":{"rendered":"

By HAVEN DALEY<\/p>\n

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 Getting a scalp or face massage is often a relaxing highlight of getting a haircut or a facial.<\/a> Now, head spas are popping up across the country offering deep cranial and facial relaxation.<\/p>\n

\u201cTypically, when you go get a massage, the focus is always like your back, and I always wish there was more on my head, on my face especially, on my neck,\u201d says Karena Kong, a frequent customer of Nen Head Spa in San Francisco. \u201cWhen I saw that they give 90 minutes of just head, face, shoulder massage, I felt like it\u2019s a great way to just focus on the areas that I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to expect from a head spa<\/p>\n

Head spas originated in Japan, rooted in centuries-old practices that combine massage and herbal tinctures. Modern versions began gaining popularity in Japanese salons in the 1990s before spreading throughout Asia and now the U.S.<\/p>\n

A typical session lasts 60 or 90 minutes and often begins with a scalp inspection, followed by deep cleansing, exfoliation, steam, and extended head, face and neck massage. Many services also include essential oils, conditioning masks, and aromatherapy in a quiet setting with dimmed lights and soft music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe core part of it is actually getting your hair washed,\u201d said Peter Tham, owner of Nen Head Spa, where head massages cost about $100 an hour. \u201cThe feeling of getting your head washed<\/a>, especially on a hot and humid day, feels really good. Combine that with, facial, scalp, neck and shoulder massages, which is kind of where most people, especially those who sit in front of a computer all day, suffer a lot of tension.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to make of head spa claims<\/p>\n

Some head spas make health and medical claims about some of their services, suggesting they can offer stress relief or treatment for scalp skin conditions, hair loss or even alopecia, an autoimmune disorder<\/a>. Experts caution that people with skin or hair conditions should see a dermatologist or other appropriate doctor for advice and possible treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to know and differentiate something that\u2019s done for a health reason or relaxation from seeing a medical expert, a dermatologist, if you are having hair loss,\u201d said Zakia Rahman, a dermatology professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

Rahman has noticed the rising popularity of head spas and says they are generally fine as a compliment to actual medical treatments if needed \u2014 and for people who like the way it makes them feel.<\/p>\n

\"Head<\/p>\n

Head spa specialist Ha Truong, right, uses a Red and Blue light brush on Liz Evans to help with hair growth and reduce bacteria while massaging the scalp to help the scalp serum absorb during a treatment at Sunday Headspa Thursday, April 16, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\n<\/p>\n

\"Head<\/p>\n

Head spa specialist Ha Truong, right, applies a halo waterfall device to Liz Evans during a treatment at Sunday Headspa Thursday, April 16, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\n<\/p>\n

\"Head<\/p>\n

Head spa specialist Ha Truong, right, uses a Red and Blue light brush on Liz Evans to help with hair growth and reduce bacteria while massaging the scalp to help the scalp serum absorb during a treatment at Sunday Headspa Thursday, April 16, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\n<\/p>\n

\"Liz<\/p>\n

Liz Evans, bottom, wears a warm misting cap, which produces nano mist that hydrates the scalp and hair, as head spa specialist Ha Truong performs a treatment at Sunday Headspa Thursday, April 16, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 4<\/p>\n

Head spa specialist Ha Truong, right, uses a Red and Blue light brush on Liz Evans to help with hair growth and reduce bacteria while massaging the scalp to help the scalp serum absorb during a treatment at Sunday Headspa Thursday, April 16, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a>
\nHead spas can be relaxing and rejuvenating, fans say<\/p>\n

At Sunday Headspa in San Francisco, each session starts with a technician inspecting hair follicles with a magnifying device and assessing their condition. Then customers get a deep clean, said Jolly Mac, the spa\u2019s coordinator.<\/p>\n

Many of their clients first discovered head spa services in Asia and are looking for similar services, which start at about $200 an hour.<\/p>\n

Customer Crystle Vitari, first visited a head spa while visiting South Korea and finds it \u201crejuvenating\u201d \u2014 and relaxing.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time, I fall asleep and take a nap, actually, because it\u2019s so relaxing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez contributed to this story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By HAVEN DALEY SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 Getting a scalp or face massage is often a relaxing highlight…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":340763,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[127754,140327,101,103,102,140328,104,106,105],"class_list":["post-340762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-head-spa","tag-japanese-head-spas","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-scalp-massage","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340762\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}