In my 25 years of personhood, I’ve not once experienced a massage or visited a salon. Hard to believe — I know — yet true. Thus, nothing could have prepared me for my first visit to Soulo Hair Spa, which broke both streaks in a single visit.
Ambience
Tucked away in a small Chinatown strip mall, Vegas’ self-proclaimed first Japanese-style hair spa hits you with a quintessentially zen feeling as soon as you walk in the lobby — bright and airy furnishings, friendly staff, and spa music await. Once you’ve checked in and filled out a few questions about your hair type and troubles, you’re whisked off to a tiny, candlelit room and invited to relax in a reclining chair. To prep you for your hair wash, your masseuse lays the chair back, resting your neck against the sink, and drapes a blanket over you. Then, the magic happens.
Treatment
I chose the basic hair wash and scalp massage ($45), which began with a thorough (and somewhat intense) shampooing, using products from Japanese haircare line Milbon, available for purchase at the spa. Supplementing the shampoo are deep scalp and aromatherapy massages following principles of head reflexology to ease tension. A word to the uninitiated: This is a transcendent experience beyond description.
Wash and massage done, I was escorted to a hands-free blow-drier, where my masseuse gave me yet another massage (this time on my neck and shoulders), before combing my hair and leaving me with the hottest cup of green tea I’ve ever drunk, alongside a mochi snack, which I immediately dropped on the floor so cannot review. Altogether, it lasted more than 40 minutes — a steal at less than 50 bucks.
Result
My normally straw-like strands, which have suffered through a two-year pixie cut grow-out process, were left feeling miraculously soft and smooth — I couldn’t stop running my fingers through them. And the delicious Milbon smell … it was as if I were back at the spa every time I flipped my hair, and this lingered until my next hair wash (days later).
But my attitude change was the real takeaway. The girl who went 25 years without having herself pampered has decided that she won’t go more than a few months before her next visit to Soulo — a testament as glowing as my silky tresses.
