Mind, Body and Scalp at Ellie Frankie Hair Spa
It’s been described as “the viral wellness trend you need to try”, and you can experience it right here on the Sunshine Coast – in a gorgeous hinterland salon, no less. Rebecca Jamieson Dwyer discovers the buzz behind the Japanese Head Spa.
I’m sitting in a chair in the stunning Ellie Frankie Hair Spa in Ninderry – a tranquil, calming space decorated with green tones that mirror the leafy hinterland outside.
But rather than cutting my hair today, owner and stylist Ellie is taking high-res images of my scalp using a special device called a trichoderm camera, while I watch on the iPad, equal parts stunned and enthralled. I can see each individual strand of hair clearly, as well as my scalp itself, which looks flaky, scaly and quite red in patches – no surprise to this longtime dry and itchy gal.
This is the first step in Ellie Frankie’s brand-new Japanese Head Spa Treatment: a holistic wellness experience that combines massage, aromatherapy and water rituals as a special treat for your scalp, your strands and your stress levels.
Ellie says I’m a prime candidate due to my dryness, but the treatment can be tailored to any scalp concerns – oily, sensitive, hair loss and more – and is also highly beneficial (not to mention enjoyable) for those with healthy scalps.
“Scalp congestion can build up over time, either from natural oils, product buildup, pollution or hormonal changes,” she says. “This is a refreshing and rejuvenating treatment that leaves your scalp looking fresh and your hair looking healthier. Plus, it is a beautiful, relaxing and holistic experience.”
After inspecting my scalp, Ellie applies a calming, cooling herbal mask with a brush (imagine the sensation of getting your roots done, but with a clay-like product that feels and smells divine). She uses Oway products, which are crafted on a biodynamic farm in Italy from pure, botanical ingredients and are designed to naturally soothe and balance.
We move through to the purpose-built treatment room, where I lie down on the bed and don a rose quartz crystal eye mask (fancy!). Ellie covers me with a cosy towel, spa style, before giving me a blissful head massage, which has the double benefit of sending me into a dream-state and making sure the product is fully worked into where it needs to be.
Next comes the cleansing hair bath, before the scent-sational treatment is sprayed onto my hair and scalp and left to do its thing while Ellie treats me to a head and shoulder massage – the occasional sound of her rooster crowing in the background reminding me that I am indeed in the countryside.
This next part you’ve no doubt seen in your social media feed and saved to favourites: halo water therapy, where my hair is immersed under a curved waterfall attachment that cascades rose-petal-infused water evenly around my head. I love the feeling, and experiment with moving around so the spray hits in different spots, from forehead to crown.
A rich hair and scalp mask is then massaged in gently, before Ellie uses a special device to stimulate my scalp to aid absorption.
As if that’s not enough, the Japanese Head Spa treatment concludes with the ‘flower fall’, where essential-oil-infused water drips through a hydra-dhara (think a giant bulb-shaped vase but upside down) onto my forehead in an Ayurvedic-inspired process that’s said be both anti-ageing for the hair and calming for the mind.
I’m floating on a cloud by the time Ellie brings me back through to the salon and gives me the best blow-dry I’ve ever had in my life (seriously: I didn’t know it was possible for my hair to look and feel this silky-smooth).
Ellie says it’s important to her that she finishes the Japanese Head Spa experience with a styled blow-dry.
“Firstly, I want my clients to walk out of the salon not only feeling amazing but looking amazing,” she enthuses. “And secondly, to truly see and feel the difference the treatment makes to your hair’s health and texture, we compare the scalp through the camera at the end of the session – and the results are even clearer once the hair and scalp are dry.”
It’s time for the big reveal, and it’s no exaggeration to say I’m truly shocked when I see the images on screen. Where previously my scalp was congested, flaky, and dare I say it, looking kind of yellow in parts (eww), now it’s white, clean and shiny-looking, the root of each hair clearly visible and gleaming.
I’m a convert, and ask how often I should be having this done to maintain this enviable level of scalp health.
“It’s totally fine to experience the Japanese Head Spa as a one-off treatment. However, for those with a healthy scalp, visiting at the change of each season is ideal to maintain optimal scalp health. If you’re experiencing scalp concerns, treatments every 6 to 8 weeks are recommended until those issues have cleared,” Ellie says.
You’d think my visit couldn’t get better, but as I’m leaving Ellie takes me to pat Patrick the Highland cow – just one of the menagerie of animals she shares her property and life with. It’s safe to say that from the tempting treatments to the fluffy friends, a visit to Ellie Frankie Hair Spa is sure to de-stress and delight.
Book yourself in for the Japanese Head Spa this summer – your mind, body and scalp will thank you for it.
