Is The Answer to Flakey Scalps a Follicular Facial?
I'm going to cut to the chase: having a flakey scalp is never a glamorous look. It's high up on the list of the beauty woes that many of us struggle with, but just don't ever want to admit. But the fact of the matter is it's not something anyone should be ashamed of. While flakes, dandruff, and dead skin on the scalp are often associated with poor personal hygiene, in reality, it can happen to anyone for a multitude of reasons. Be it a dry climate, excessive shampooing, or product buildup, there are several factors that can contribute to the mane problem no one wants to talk about. Here to try and help break that stigma is me, someone who's had her fair share of scalp issues over the years.
As people who know me will tell you, I get my unruly curls blown out once a week. It's a self-care moment I savor every time I sit in the salon chair. The only problem is that as much as I love the sleek finished look, the constant heat of a blow dryer on my scalp also results in incessant itchiness and itty, bitty white flakes around the crown and front of my head. Gross. And now add hair shedding caused by the stressors of the last two and half years and all the creams, serums, dry shampoo, and hairspray I use on top of that, and there I have a head of hair that is just begging for a detox.
Enter HydraFacial Keravive: it's the cousin of the all-in-one "hydradermabrasion" treatment that cleanses and removes dead skin cells and impurities from skin, while simultaneously infusing moisturizing serums into it. Keravive, on the other hand, is essentially like that OG facial but for your scalp. Being that I was experiencing more than usual flakes and hair loss, I decided to give HydraFacial Keravive a go and treat my scalp with much-deserved spring cleaning ahead of summer at the recently-opened Ever/Body location on the Upper East Side.
Ahead, the full breakdown of the treatment, what to expect, and how much.
What is the HydraFacial Keravive treatment?
Like the original HydraFacial, Keravive is an innovative treatment designed to cleanse, exfoliate, nourish, and hydrate the scalp for healthier and fuller-looking appearance" explains Mercedes Doan, Ever/Body's Manager of Aesthetic Services & Education.
Doan says it involves a 3-step process that includes an in-office component for cleansing and removing dead skin cells from the scalp, in addition to a 30-day take-home spray to extend the results. Depending on your hair type and texture, the treatment can be between 45 and 60 minutes.
What to expect during the HydraFacial Keravive treatment?
The treatment begins with a licensed aesthetician using a medical-grade suction-like device to gently vacuum up any gunk from pores in small sections. According to Doan, this process uses a special HydraFacial Vortex Technology with an exfoliant solution to extract dirt, oil, and impurities from your scalp and hair follicles.
Next, with a new attachment, the aesthetician deposits a Keravive Peptide Solution onto the scalp. Doan says the soothing formula features a proprietary blend of growth factors and skin proteins used to help hydrate the scalp and promote hair growth.
During the final step, the aesthestian spritzes a generous amount of the take-home Peptide Complex Spray into the scalp and massages it in. "It delivers a hyper-concentrated blend of growth factors and skin proteins that hydrate and nourish the scalp and support the appearance of fuller, healthier-looking hair," explains Doan, noting that the “growth factors” contain Vitamin B5 and Arginine. "While vitamin B5 hydrates the scalp, attracts, and retains water, arginine builds keratin and skin collagen proteins."
Doan recommends clients use the Peptide Complex Spray at night for the next 30 days to extend the results. "Daily use enhances your in-office treatment and delivers daily hydration and nourishment to your scalp and hair follicles," says Doan.
Who is the right candidate for HydraFacial Keravive?
Good news: if you have hair, you're likely a good candidate for the treatment. It's effective on all skin and hair types and will work wonders almost instantly. But Doan notes that while the treatment works for anyone looking to improve their scalp health, it’s particularly effective if you’re experiencing scalp irritation, itchiness, thinning, or dryness.
How much does HydraFacial Keravive cost?
As with most treatments, it depends on where you get it done. Ever/Body offers it for $495 for a 45-minute treatment. Most people will feel like their scalp is refreshed after just one treatment, says Doan, but "optimal results are generally achieved with one treatment every four weeks." After your primary visit, your provider can help craft a personalized treatment regimen that is right for you.
My thoughts on the HydraFacial Keravive treatment:
To say I am pleasantly surprised by the HydraFacial Keravive is an understatement. It's been two weeks since I've gotten the treatment and the results are already very visible. Every night, after misting the peptide-packed spray onto my hair, I've been examining my problem areas in the mirror and haven't been able to spot one pesky flake. None. Zip. It's also worth noting that my scalp not only looks squeaky clean, but it feels it—which in my opinion is really more important than that flakey appearance we all dread. Another plus: I've been experiencing less hair loss and I only know that because I haven't been constantly picking up stray strands off my bed, clothes, and in every crevice, corner, and crack of my room.
I will say HydraFacial Keravive falls on the pricier side of treatments, but it's well worth the splurge. Whether you're struggling with product buildup and a flakey scalp as I was or you're biggest concern is hair loss, this three-step process can address any and all of those problems when a clarifying shampoo or scalp scrub isn't cutting it anymore. And who doesn't love to have their hair played with for 45 minutes long? That will always be a win-win in my book.
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