“Take off your shoes,” Kimmy Russo tells me.
I’m at Tranquil Escape at Salon Boutique in Mentor, founded by Russo and her colleague, Michelle Kremiler. It’s among the first salons in Northeast Ohio to offer the Japanese head spa, a service that has gone viral. A single bed, ocean-inspired wall art and Zen music occupy the space, illuminated only by candles and teal-blue ambient lighting.
And here I am, getting a foot scrub at a treatment supposedly focused on my head. I’m confused, but not complaining.
It’s science, Russo explains. Head spas promote detoxification and blood circulation so that follicles can grow healthier hair. Starting that process at the feet helps it work its way up.
While my feet soak, a digital microscope placed at my head projects close-up, jarring footage of my scalp onto a screen. Russo walks me through what I’m seeing: red spots indicating irritation and cloudy white spots indicating buildup of dirt, dandruff and dead skin. She uses this information to choose a shampoo for my wash, mixing two that will tackle each issue. Clients may find a shampoo for other issues, ranging from oily hair, dry hair or even hair loss. The experience is catered to your needs before it even starts.
This translates as I pick an essential oil to use during my upcoming aromatherapy treatment. Today’s winner is a chamomile blend.
(Courtesy Tranquil Escape)
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I make my way to the heated massage bed, where I will spend the next hour and a half getting the best hair wash of my life. I tuck myself under a plush blanket.
“I feel like I’m about to take a nap,” I say.
“Most people do,” Russo laughs.
I keep myself awake for the sake of journalism, though it gets increasingly harder. Russo begins by massaging my hairline, scalp and temples using my chosen oil. Then, she paints a detox shampoo onto my hair to clean her canvas. When she scrubs it in with two hard-bristled brushes, I feel every itch leave my body. She rinses the suds with a halo-shaped shower that cascades my head with gentle streams of water.
I watch steam rise from the bath. Heat aids in the head’s oxygen flow. Russo keeps my hair detangled with two wide-tooth, rounded combs that practically glide across my hair, an oddly satisfying experience.
My customized shampoo comes next. Russo massages it into my hair with a device she calls “turtle feet,” which literally gives the sensation of a critter crawling across my head. It works into my roots with a unique twisting motion.
At this point, my head feels tingly. Blood is certainly circulating.
She transitions into hand, arm and foot massages and a face mask.
This part is a perk, not a science. “If you’re coming for relaxation, you may as well get it all,” Russo says.
After another rinse, my hair is dried and styled.
(Courtesy Tranquil Escape)
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My scalp feels light. We check the camera. The skin under my follicles is noticeably brighter. No debris in sight. No wonder.
Tranquil Escape is a milestone for Russo and Kremiller, who have been cosmetologists for 20 years. In tandem with their work as stylists, the head spa is an alternative solution to their clients’ hair and scalp issues.
“We figured the glitz and glam of the spa world must go hand-in-hand with the expertise to solve those problems,” they say.
And glamorous it was. Though not a luxury one enjoys regularly, this spa is an ideal pick-me-up for days I need a true reset, from my head all the way down to my feet.
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