Let me tell you about a little something here in Bangkok called “head onsen.” Onsen is the term for a traditional Japanese style bath house. For Americans, the thought of bathing around strangers is really weird, but I have to tell you, the few times I’ve gone to them, they’re amazing and you get over the awkwardness of it really fast. Difficult to be worried about much when all your muscles are releasing in a giant pool of super hot water. But that’s another post for another time…
Anyway, this concept of a spa-like bath house has been applied to people’s heads, hair, and scalps. Now I’ve never seen anything like it in the US, but Instagram apparently has me pegged quite well in terms of advertising because I saw this come up in a sponsored post and immediately looked it up because it looked amazing. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few start popping up in some urban centers in super bouge neighborhoods. The water and climate here in Bangkok make my skin love life (even if it does mean sweating a lot more), but my hair and scalp often end up crying out for help. So I thought I’d give one of these places a try and see what it was about.
In looking at a few different places’ websites, basically, you’re in for a 1-3 hour treatment (depending on the package you select) intended to treat your scalp and hair to the equivalent of a day with cucumbers on your eyes and mud on your face. For those who are in heaven the minute a hair stylist begins washing your hair, this is like that but bumped up about ten levels. I opted for the 100 minute “Discover the New You” OMAKASE Program at Head Onsen Bangkok. Yes, it’s a little pricey, but I’m all about spa experiences, and it’s still far less than anything like this would cost in the US, Japan, or South Korea. Combined with Thailand’s vast experience and care in spa treatments, it is the place to get something like this for sure.
Upon entry, you are given a nice hot tea welcome drink (as is common practice at many establishments in Thailand) and a cool wet towel (as is custom in Japan, which is what this particular places was modeled to feel like – some go more Korean or Thai). They then used a super close up camera to look at my scalp, which actually was a little gross. I have been using a clarifying shampoo once a week for a while now, because you know, Bangkok water is gross – my scalp told me so. This means when I went in, there was not much build up, but there was some redness. They also looked at my hair and asked a few questions about how I manage it, if it’s been dyed, etc. Based on this information, they recommended a few different products to help with skin irritation and hair hydration. Sounds perfect.
Next, they take you to another room where you change into a robe and are given a foot bath – again, pretty standard here in Thailand. Then the real show begins. They started with two women brushing my hair and applying a cooling scalp mask. I’ve never had multiple people working on my hair at the same time. Aside from feeling a little awkward at such attentive treatment, I thought this must be what it must feel like to be a princess. Then one of them left and the other gave me a bit of a shoulder, neck, and upper back massage. Yes please! And then they washed my SO so thoroughly. There was steam, and oils, and cleansers… It seemed like it must have been 3 shampoos or something. I don’t really know, I lost track at this point because the shampooing also equated with relaxing head massage. They also used an uber hydrating conditioner and some other stuff, and then finished my time at the sink with yet another massage.
Finally, about an hour later, my time laying down at the sink had come to an end. Here I am with the towel on my hair. They wrapped the whole experience up with a blow dry – nothing fancy, but a bit of a curl with the dry. Again, two people at once working on my head. By this point I’m more used to it and have grown accustomed to my new princess status. I can never go back.
Once this is done, you are given a another drink (yet again pretty standard – yes, Thailand hospitality is amazing and shames almost the entirety of the rest of the world if you cannot tell by this point) and some Thai sweets.
So how did I feel afterward? Is it worth the cost? I did see and feel a notable difference in my hair and scalp for a few days. My hair was shinier than it had been in ages and my scalp felt less itchy and irritated. I am very interested to do it again at a few other places to see how the experience compares. Is this a regular routine item to introduce into my life? Probably not. But it is worth doing again as an occasional treat when I feel overly stressed, my hair and scalp need a little extra love, I just want to do something nice for myself, or when others are visiting and want to feel like princesses too!
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