The Japanese Head Spa treatment went viral for a reason — Emily Cotterhill tries out the experience at Cloud Twelve in Notting Hill and finds that it really is as good as it looks.
After watching countless videos of this luxurious treatment — a cleansing scalp massage paired with gua sha sculpting and a halo-like waterfall shower — I couldn’t wait to try it for myself. Fortunately, Cloud Twelve in Notting Hill has a new Head Spa, expertly curated by trichologist Tiffany Hall and herbalist Jenya Di Pierro. Nestled in a mews behind a quaint string of boutiques and cafes, the cobalt blue frontage at the end of the row beckoned me inside.
Cloud Twelve is a combination of lifestyle services: a luxurious spa, a boutique hair salon, and an interactive children’s club, so the kids can play while you pamper upstairs. As I swept around the curved spa hallway, inspired by the free-flowing energies of Feng Shui, I soaked up the personal feel of the space. Even the changing room lockers have intricately carved wooden doors, opening up to fluffy towel robes and slippers waiting for each guest. With a little time to spare before the treatment began, I had a chance to explore the spa facilities: a dark relaxation room with reclined loungers and meditation headphones; a purifying Himalayan Salt room with a wall of rosy-hued quartz; a cold plunge bath to reinvigorate the senses, and a sauna and steam room with air so thick that you can’t help but slow down your breath.
Feeling suitably serene, I was led to the treatment room, where the experienced therapist started the extensive 17-step Head Spa process with a scalp and hair consultation. We discussed the desired results, mine being hydrated and shiny locks, and I selected my preferred oil, which coordinated with the products she went on to use throughout. Next was the introduction of the Dermascope camera, a gadget that, when dragged across my scalp, showed microscopic images of its condition. The analysis showed it was relatively healthy, but seeing the effects of product build-up around the hair shafts was eye-opening. Most of us, me included, live our lives rigorously shampooing and conditioning, unaware of how it can accumulate on the scalp and make our hair lose volume. It was a wake-up call to be mindful of each product’s impact and to wash the scalp regularly too.
I lay down and rested my head on a suspended basin, preparing for the three-in-one treatment that focused on the head, scalp and face. The lights dimmed, and as clouds of herbal humidity enveloped me, I was lulled into a zen-like state. The therapist began with a gentle application of hair oil, followed by invigorating scalp cleansing techniques using a firm brush, pulsating LED combs, and a soothing spider massager to loosen dandruff and stimulate circulation. Next, the sweeping strokes of the pebbly gua sha and a hot face mask melted away facial tension, easing me back into meditative bliss. The variety of motions was an immensely relaxing journey from start to finish, and I didn’t want it to end.
As the ritual came to a close, she rinsed my hair with the waterfall shower, towel-dried its lengths and used the camera to reevaluate the health of my scalp. The results were clear to see — all the product had gone and the scalp was squeaky clean, making the whole treatment feel productive as well as restorative. For those with hair loss, thinning, or scalp issues, the treatment is also said to be truly transformative. In the adjacent hair salon, I soon found myself sipping on a cup of herbal hair tea while a stylist carried out a professional blow-dry, leaving my locks bouncier than ever. As I descended back to street level from heavenly Cloud Twelve, I still felt as though I was floating, with a renewed spring in my step, in my mind and in each strand of my hair.
The 70-minute Bespoke Head Spa Experience starts from £190. To book your Cloud Twelve Head Spa treatment or to gift it to a friend, visit cloudtwelve.co.uk.
