Ayurvedic Head Massage: My Experience With One - Mane Addicts

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I’ve never been too big on massages (ouch, pain), but when a new wellness opportunity or development floats my way, I’m always open to trying. I wrote an article earlier this year about trichotillomania (a compulsive hair-pulling disorder), and the founder of Headspa EN in Beverly Hills read it. She reached out to me and asked if I’d want to try one of her services. Because the services focus on giving new life to the scalp (therefore, stimulating hair growth), I can see why someone who suffers from trich would opt for this type of massage. Additionally, it’s said to decrease anxiety—and nervous behaviors and trich go hand-in-hand. For context, I don’t personally have an issue pulling at the hairs on my head. But whatever the case, I was intrigued by the offer.

(Image Source: Getty / StockPlanets)​

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About the Expert

Sayuri Tsuchitani is a Japanese scalp care specialist who launched her Headspa EN Beverly Hills location in 2018. In the fall of 2022, she launched her second location, in Pasadena.

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What Is an Ayurvedic Head Massage?​

Before I get into the facets of my particular services (the head spa’s founder, Sayuri Tsuchitani, gave me quite the experience), let’s first touch on the definition of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a holistic East Asian alternative medicine system. One aspect of Ayurvedic treatment says that there are channels (srotas) that transport fluids, and that the channels can be opened up by massage treatments, using oils and Swedana (fomentation). Unhealthy or blocked channels are thought to cause disease.

I received two services during my visit: The first was Shirodhara ($250), a signature Ayurvedic treatment that incorporates oils to provide soothing relief for stress and anxiety. The next was the Japanese Headspa ($110 to $180). Tsuchitani tells Mane Addicts that these “effectively promote the health of your scalp and hair, which in turn provides numerous benefits such as deeper quality sleep, scalp health, promoting hair growth, stress relief, and a natural facelift.”

The other option (which I want to try at a later date) is the Deep Scalp Cleansing. This is a detoxification of the scalp that removes buildups and toxins accumulated inside the scalp and on the surface of it. Special shower heads and cleansing blends are used to purify the scalp from deep inside. Tsuchitani compares it to a teeth cleaning you’d get at a dentist’s office, but for the scalp.

My Ayurvedic Head Massage Experience​

Tsuchitani launched her Beverly Hills location in 2018 and has been thriving since—so much so that she just opened the same spa in Pasadena.

Located in Rodeo Drive’s coveted Rodeo Collection, the whole setup of the Beverly Hills location I visited was relaxing, and Tsuchitani greeted me with open arms (literally—so sweet). I took my hair out of its bun and slipped into a silk, Japanese robe. I laid back in a chair while Tsuchitani poured sesame oil all through my strands and gave my head a deep massage. I expected the oil to be hot, but it was room temperature, on the cooler side than otherwise. The massage aspect was a little uncomfortable at points, kind of how a full-body massage has its moments. But that’s because you’re stimulating pressure points that are supposed to help alleviate stress, head tension, and other related issues. Interestingly enough, I could feel some discomfort in my back after the process, likely because of head tension trickling out of my body.

“The head spa concept is everywhere in Japan,” Tsuchitani says. “It’s a very simple method, but effective for wellbeing. Japan is the country known for the number one worst sleep in the world. We tend to believe hard work and a short sleep is the way to be productive, but it’s actually quite damaging. Karoshi (death from being overworked) was big news in Japan a while ago, but the U.S. has a similar mentality. People are suffering from mental health because of not sleeping. Many kids are diagnosed with ADHD, but often their problems are not sleeping. I truly believe quality sleep will improve mental health and well-being, and that’s why I decided to bring Head Spa to the states.”

@dgidahvz have you tried an ayurvedic head massage popular in japan? thank you @Sayuri Tsuchitani for the royal treatment in beverly hills #headmassage #mentalhealth #ayurveda #wellnesstok #japaneseheadspa #stressrelief ♬ Moon – Fernan Birdy

For more on Ayurvedic head massages, HERE’s what to know about Champi!​