On a recent trip to Korea, a scalp clinic based in Seoul was recommended to me. The Lee Moon-Won Korean Medicine Clinic & Medical Head Spa & Hair Loss Center is well-regarded in the beauty capital as the place to go for herbal-based solutions to scalp issues ranging from dandruff to skin tightness.
Blending science with naturally-derived remedies, the clinic can get booked out, so I confirmed my appointment well ahead and waited to experience scalp nirvana.
Inside A Leading Korean Scalp Clinic
Looking like a cross between a doctor’s waiting room and a spa sanctuary, the clinic definitely feels like a mix of science and indulgence. The first step in the lengthy session is a meeting with
Dr Lee Moon-Won, who examines your scalp, follicles and hair quality under a microscope. Even without a medical degree, I could tell that my scalp was dry.
“Are you feeling itching at all?” he asked, pointing at a zoomed-in image of my scalp on the screen.
“Well, yes,” I replied, referring to the pinpoint itches that ping around my scalp at random.
“It is very dry and tight, which explains that,” he said, and my thoughts went to wanton dry shampoo use and texture spray.
During the session, the doctor also measured my hair density (fairly high), hair thickness (medium) and any hair damage (pretty healthy).
The Importance Of A Deep Clean
Diagnosis done, we were ushered upstairs to where the scalp magic happens. This is no slap-dash treatment: two to three hours of heavenly scalp-reviving techniques lies ahead.
I lie flat on a bed and my scalp and hair are treated to everything from a thorough exfoliation (involving gently scrubbing with a firm little sponge on a stick between seemingly every row of hair on my head) to deep cleansing, the application of herbal scalp potions, a hydrating mask and one of the best head massages I’m likely to have in my life.
Two lovely women blow dry my hair after my treatment is done and I exited the building not only with healthy, shiny hair but also a revived, hydrated scalp – and, honestly, a new appreciation for keeping my scalp in peak condition.
Scalp Care In Australia
Of course you don’t need to burn up your frequent-flyer points to get your head and hair looking and feeling healthy. There are plenty of great locations on our own shores. One good place to start would be a Kérastase salon.
They have a device called a K-Scan, which performs the diagnosis the Korean doctor did for me from the comfort of your salon chair. The camera and app duo measures dandruff, the scalp’s microbiome, hair diameter and root density and it is able to give you product recommendations to help address issues such as tightness and flaking.
Think Of Scalp Care As Skincare
Our scalps have become as important as our hair. And brands are developing more and more products boasting ingredients traditionally used in skincare to help turn around our concerns. Take Ouai’s leave-in Scalp Serum for example. Containing hyaluronic acid, siberian ginseng and peptides, this serum is applied to the scalp on either wet or dry hair to help reduce irritation
and boost hair health.
Oribe, meanwhile, has a Serene Scalp Soothing Leave-On Treatment. It contains beta hydroxy acid to gently exfoliate the scalp, as well as sugarcane extract and mullein flower to hydrate and nourish scalp and hair.
Kérastase has a fortifying hair serum, which is dosed with edelweiss native cells and ginger root extract to help strengthen weak, damaged strands prone to breakage.
Then there is Typebea’s cult-favourite G•1 Overnight Boosting Peptide Hair Serum. It contains a patented active called Baicapil, while peptides help to fortify and rejuvenate hair follicles.
Yes it can feel like another step in your routine but treating your scalp like an extension of your face can pay off. Some experts believe relieving tightness can also help to address facial issues such as tension in our foreheads, cheekbones and jawlines. So think about adding a head massage whenever you get the opportunity.
Find the The Lee Moon-Won Korean Medicine Clinic & Medical Head Spa & Hair Loss Centre here.
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