Updated
Is a head spa
worth it?
$130 · 60 min · frequency set by your scalp, not a calendar
Reviewed by Fiona, owner of Fiona's Day Spa — registered nurse, advanced practice esthetician and massage therapist.
— Who it suits
Who gets the most out of a head spa?
Three groups get an outsized amount out of the same 60 min: scalps carrying weeks of product, scalps that dry out between October and April, and anyone who has never had an hour of scalp massage. For those three the scalp is still noticeably different the next morning, and the hair with it.
Scalps carrying weeks of product
Dry shampoo, texture spray, hairspray, leave-in conditioner and the oil your scalp makes on its own build up a film; a home wash takes off the top of it and leaves the rest. The staged cleanse in a head spa works in more than one pass, section by section, into what has collected around the follicles — which is why a scalp can feel coated on the afternoon of a morning shower.
The AAD's healthy-hair guidance starts with washing frequency matched to how oily your scalp gets. A head spa is that principle applied by somebody who can see the scalp, once every couple of months, with the products chosen after the looking rather than before it.
Scalps that itch from October to April
Indoor heat runs for six months here, and a scalp that behaves all summer can start flaking and tightening by February. An hour of deep cleanse, exfoliation and a hydrating treatment is aimed squarely at that, which is why the winter gap between appointments is usually shorter than the summer one.
Persistent flaking that keeps coming back is a different matter — the medical name is seborrheic dermatitis and the AAD sets out how it is diagnosed and treated. A head spa is a wellness treatment, so a scalp that never settles is worth a dermatologist's opinion as well as an appointment here.
Anyone who has never had sixty minutes of scalp massage
The scalp, the hairline, behind the ears, the base of the skull, the neck and the shoulders all get worked in one pass, and the massage takes up the largest share of the hour. A salon basin gives it two minutes. The NCCIH lists massage among the approaches studied for stress, pain and sleep, and the scalp is the part of the body almost nobody has ever had massaged properly.
— The hour
What does $130 buy for sixty minutes?
Seven stages and a blow-dry. Your scalp is looked at, cleansed in stages, exfoliated, massaged, treated with a serum, mask or oil, rinsed slowly under warm running water with your head supported, and dried before you leave. No part of that is an upsell taken during the appointment — nothing is added to the bill once the hour has started.
What you carry out is a scalp that has been cleaned in a way a shower cannot reproduce, hair that is soft because the scalp it grows from is clean, and the loose-shouldered feeling that follows any good massage. Hair usually looks shinier for a few days afterwards for the same reason.
What it does not do
A head spa is not medical care, and it is not sold as a treatment for hair loss. Keeping a scalp clean and comfortable is a reasonable thing to want on its own terms. If you are shedding noticeably, the AAD explains how hair loss is diagnosed and that appointment is the one to make first.
— Value
Is an hour of head spa better value than an hour of anything else?
It is the only hour on this menu that treats skin, works muscle and sends you out groomed. A 60 min relaxation massage at $95 is $35 cheaper and does far more for your back; a 60 min customized facial at $135 is $5 more and does far more for your face. The head spa is the one that covers the scalp, the hairline, the neck, the shoulders and the hair inside the same 60 min.
| Booking | Price | What the hour works on |
|---|---|---|
| Korean–Japanese Head Spa | $130 | Scalp skin, hairline, neck and shoulders — finishing with a wash, treatment and blow-dry |
| Relaxation Massage | $95 | Whole body at an even, comfortable pressure |
| Deep Tissue Massage | $110 | One or two areas, slower and deeper |
| Hot Stone Massage | $110 | Heated stones through backs and shoulders braced against a Minnesota winter |
| Customized Facial | $135 | Facial skin, chosen after your skin is looked at |
Where the combinations do better than either
$185 for 85 min puts the head spa and a full-body massage in one booking, and $185 for 90 min does the same with a facial. Either is cheaper than the two treatments booked apart and shorter than driving in twice — the head spa and facial pair costs $265 as two separate appointments against $185 together.
— How often
How often is it worth coming back?
Frequency depends on your scalp, hair, product use and goals, and your scalp decides where in that range you land. An oily scalp or a lot of styling product pulls it toward four weeks; a scalp that behaves itself is comfortable at eight.
The winter cadence
Anoka County runs its furnaces from October to April, and scalps that are fine on an eight-week gap in July often want six in February. Booking the next one before you leave is the practical move in winter — the head spa room is the first thing on the booking system to fill, and Tuesday is a full closure, so a week has six bookable days in it.
One visit, on purpose
A single head spa before a wedding, a holiday, a birthday or a run of photographs is a completely normal booking, and gift cards are written for exactly that. Nothing about the treatment depends on a course of appointments to be worth the hour.
— Two at a time
What makes it worth booking for two?
Both head spa tables sit in one room that joins, so two people take the same hour at the same time. A full-height privacy curtain divides the room when two guests would rather not share it, so the same space works for a couple, for a mother and daughter, and for two colleagues who have never met outside work.
Two 60 min head spas booked together come to $260, with no supplement for the room. No other studio in Coon Rapids, Blaine, Andover, Ramsey, Fridley or Champlin publishes a couples or group head spa, so two people who want the same hour are choosing between this room and a much longer drive.
The head spa page sets out the hour in detail, the menu carries every price and duration, and the contact page has the map, the suite number and the free parking in front of the door. To place two bookings side by side, call (763) 317-6018.
— Common questions
Asked & answered.
Is a head spa worth it if I already get regular massages? +
Yes, because it covers ground a table massage does not. The scalp, the hairline, behind the ears and the base of the skull are worked for most of the hour, then your hair is cleansed, treated and dried. At $130 it is $35 more than a 60 min relaxation massage and is the only appointment on the menu you leave looking groomed.
Is a head spa worth it for short hair? +
Yes — short hair pays the standard $130 and gets the whole treatment. The higher $152 row exists for long or thick hair because it takes longer to cleanse and rinse, so short hair is the one length that never touches the upper price.
Will one appointment make a difference, or do I need a course? +
One appointment does the whole job: the buildup is lifted, the scalp is exfoliated, hydrated and massaged, and your hair is dried before you leave. Coming back at the interval your provider suggests is about keeping it that way.
Is a head spa worth it for a flaky scalp? +
For a scalp that gets dry and tight in winter, an hour of deep cleanse, exfoliation and hydrating treatment is aimed exactly at that. Flaking that keeps returning whatever you do has a medical name — seborrheic dermatitis — and the AAD explains how it is treated; a head spa is a wellness treatment and works alongside that advice rather than replacing it.
Is the head spa and facial combination worth the extra? +
$185 for 90 min, against $265 and two hours if you book a head spa and a customized facial separately. The combination saves $80 and half an hour, which is the argument for it when the drive in is the expensive part of the day.
Does a head spa make hair look better or just feel better? +
Both, for the same reason. Hair usually feels softer and looks shinier after a head spa because the scalp it grows out of has been properly cleaned and hydrated, and because it is blow-dried at the end.
Will it affect colour-treated hair? +
A standard head spa should not noticeably affect professionally applied colour, though deep cleansing can contribute to fading over time on any hair. Say when you were last coloured and the cleanse is adjusted for it.
Is a head spa a good gift? +
It is an hour in which nothing at all is asked of the person receiving it. Gift cards are sold in any amount through the booking system and delivered by email, so one can be written for the $130 head spa, for the $185 combination, or for a round number that leaves the choice to the recipient.
Is it worth booking in the middle of a Minnesota winter? +
Winter is when a scalp has the most to gain from it. Furnaces run in Anoka County from October into April, scalps dry out and tighten, and a gap that sits comfortably at eight weeks in July is often better at six by February. Book the next appointment before you leave — the head spa room is the first thing on the booking system to fill, and the studio is closed all day Tuesday.
— Research & references
A head spa is a wellness treatment, and the parts of it with published background are the massage and the scalp itself. Worth reading in their own words: the NCCIH on massage therapy , the AAD on seborrheic dermatitis — the medical name for scalp dandruff , healthy hair and scalp care and when shedding is worth a dermatologist's opinion . These are general references on the subject, not statements about what our treatments do. Treatments at Fiona's Day Spa are wellness and beauty services. They are not medical care and they do not diagnose, treat or cure any condition. If you have a scalp, skin or health concern, see a physician or a dermatologist.
— Keep reading
Related guides & services.
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Guide
How much does a head spa cost?
The north-metro price band, what moves it, deposits and gratuity.
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Guide
What happens during a head spa
Stage by stage through the 60 minutes, and what to do before you arrive.
- Open
Service hub
Korean head spa in Coon Rapids
The treatment page, the room that joins for two, and the booking link.
- Open
Service page
Massage at Fiona's
Relaxation, deep tissue, hot stone and sports massage, 60 and 90 minutes.
Ready to feel it for yourself?
Book a Korean head spa at Fiona's Day Spa, 3183 Northdale Blvd NW in Coon Rapids — sixty minutes, in a room with two tables if you would rather not come alone.