— Issaquah · E Sunset Way
Head Spa in Issaquah, from $50.
Eight formats between 30 and 90 minutes. Every one of them starts with a look at your scalp on a monitor, and every one from 45 minutes up ends with a blow-dry.
Quick answer
A head spa is a professional scalp treatment of 30 to 90 minutes that combines a digital scalp analysis, a deep double cleanse, an extended scalp and shoulder massage, a reclined warm-water rinse and a blow-dry finish. At Aura Beauty & Head Spa, 575 E Sunset Way in Issaquah, WA, head spa treatments run $50 to $150, and the shortest format with the full wash and blow-dry is the 45 minute Classic at $78. Open every day, 9 AM to 8 PM.
- Formats
- 8 on the menu
- Length
- 30 to 90 minutes
- Price
- $50 to $150
- Open
- 7 days, 9 AM – 8 PM
— 01
What happens in a head spa at Aura?
Six stages, in the same order every time. You are on a treatment bed with your head in a shallow basin for most of it, and the part people remember afterwards is how long the massage goes on.
It starts with your scalp on a screen
A handheld camera magnifies one patch of your scalp onto a monitor, and you see it at the same moment your therapist does. Oil sitting between the follicles, flaking along a part line, residue that a home wash never shifted — it all shows. What comes next is chosen from that rather than from your hair type, and a studio in Redmond charges $30 as an add-on for the same step.
Then two shampoos, not one
The first lifts styling product, sunscreen and whatever the week put there. The second is the one that reaches skin. People who use dry shampoo regularly tend to be surprised at this stage, because the starch does not rinse away the way the can suggests.
The massage is the longest part
Slow, repeated pressure across the scalp, then down through the neck and the tops of the shoulders. On the 60-minute Signature at $90 this stage alone runs about twenty minutes. A fair number of people fall asleep in it.
Warm water, a mask, and a blow-dry
You stay lying down while warm water runs through your hair from the ring above the basin. Then a scalp treatment matched to what the camera showed, and a blow-dry — so a 6 PM booking in January does not mean walking out into the wet with a damp head.
— 02
Which head spa should you book?
The eight formats differ in two ways: how long the massage runs, and how much is done to the scalp itself. Length is the easier of the two to choose by.
If this is your first one
Book the 45-minute Classic at $78. It covers all six stages and is the shortest format that includes the full wash and blow-dry. The 60-minute Signature at $90 adds scalp exfoliation and a longer neck and shoulder stretch, which is the one to pick if the massage is the reason you are coming.
If your scalp is oily or feels heavy
The Chinese Herb Scalp Ritual, $100 for 60 minutes, is built for scalps that turn greasy by the second day. The Purifying Scalp Revitalize Treatment at $150 for 90 minutes goes further, with a deeper cleanse and an essence infusion. Our guide to an oily scalp covers what to change at home afterwards.
If your scalp feels tight or dry
The Signature Ginger Scalp Ritual is $100 for 60 minutes and is the warming one. From October through April, when Issaquah collects most of its 62 inches of rain and the heating runs indoors, it is the format that gets booked most — see the dry scalp guide.
If your hair has been processed hard
Bleach, highlights and daily heat leave hair that behaves differently. The 90-minute Luxury Milbon Restorative Head Spa at $150 adds hot steam and a bonding treatment, and is aimed squarely at that.
If you want your face done too
The 75-minute Aura Scalp Treatment with a mini facial, $120, is the most booked service on the whole menu. It is the only head spa that also treats the skin on your face. Beyond that, the packages pair a full facial or a massage with a head spa in one 90-minute appointment from $140.
— Head spa prices
Eight formats, 30 to 90 minutes. All but the aromatherapy include a shampoo wash and a blow-dry finish.
| Head Spa | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| TCM Head Aromatherapy Scalp oil and massage, no shampoo wash — the shortest way in. | 30 min | $50 |
| Classic Head Spa Deep cleanse, double shampoo, scalp care, shoulder massage, blow-dry. | 45 min | $78 |
| Signature Head Spa & Upper Shoulder Massage Adds scalp exfoliation and a longer scalp and neck massage. | 60 min | $90 |
| Chinese Herb Scalp Ritual Herbal scalp care for oily, buildup-prone scalps. | 60 min | $100 |
| Signature Ginger Scalp Ritual Warming ginger treatment for tight, easily fatigued scalps. | 60 min | $100 |
| Aura Scalp Treatment + Mini Facial The most-booked service: scalp detox, singing bowl, mini facial. | 75 min | $120 |
| Luxury Milbon Restorative Head Spa Milbon treatment with hot steam for over-processed hair. | 90 min | $150 |
| Purifying Scalp Revitalize Treatment Deep cleanse plus a revitalizing essence infusion. | 90 min | $150 |
— 03
How often should you come back?
Every four to six weeks suits most people. That is a maintenance rhythm rather than a rule, and it is worth saying that a single appointment is a perfectly good thing to book on its own.
Scalps carrying months of buildup sometimes start closer together — two or three sessions a few weeks apart — and then stretch out once things settle. Someone booking purely to switch off might come once a season and get exactly what they wanted. A run of sessions close together does more for a scalp than one booked in isolation, which is worth knowing before you choose between one 90-minute treatment and two 45s.
When to see a doctor first
Hair coming out in patches, a scalp that is sore, bleeding or crusting, or flaking that has not settled with over-the-counter treatment — book a dermatologist for any of those. A head spa is a beauty treatment and does not diagnose or treat any of it. Once you have been seen, the quiet hour is still here, and the two work well together.
Finding us
Look for the sign, not a shopfront
Open every day, 9 AM to 8 PM — a lunch hour, an evening after work, or a weekend morning all fit.
- Come off I-90 at Exit 18 and follow E Sunset Way east. We are about a third of a mile past Front Street, on a block of converted houses.
- Watch the curb for a dark monument sign reading House of Layo and Aura Beauty. We share the site with the salon, so that sign is the landmark.
- Come a few minutes early on a first visit — there is tea by the fireplace, and your head spa starts with a look at your scalp on the monitor.
— Head spa questions
Asked & answered.
What does a head spa include?
Which head spa should I book first?
How long does a head spa take?
Is a head spa safe for color-treated hair?
Can a head spa help with hair loss?
Do I book a head spa or a scalp treatment?
— Research & references
NCCIH — Massage Therapy: What You Need To Know
Lists massage among the approaches studied for stress and muscle tension, and describes it as generally safe in the hands of a trained practitioner.
Mayo Clinic — Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to lower stress
Places hands-on approaches alongside breathing and meditation as practices that can bring everyday stress down.
NCCIH — Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know
A neutral overview of the tradition the herbal and ginger scalp rituals take their technique from.
Citations are summarized — please read the original sources. Aura is a beauty and relaxation studio: nothing here diagnoses, treats or cures anything, and hair loss, a sore scalp or flaking that will not settle is a question for a dermatologist. See one first, then book — the two go together well.
— Keep reading
Guide
What is a head spa?
The long version, including where the ritual comes from.
Guide
Your first visit
What to wear, whether to wash first, and how to find us.
Choosing
Head spas in Issaquah
What to look for, and where we sit against the other option in town.
Pricing
Every price
All 16 treatments and 7 packages, nothing held back.