If your algorithm is anything like mine, your current feed likely features a seemingly disproportionate number of selfie-style clips of influencers getting a head massage. If you’re wondering who’s responsible, I’m here to fill you in.
Tokyo Headspa first popped up in Bondi Junction’s new beauty precinct – Salon Lane – back in June of this year, after making its Sydney debut in St Leonards in November 2022. Since opening, the Japanese-style head spa has gone from strength to heavily-Instagrammed strength. After being fed content about Sydney’s new wellness “must” for weeks, I decided it was time to try out the experience for myself, and I have to admit – it was pretty damn dreamy.
My therapist met me at the entrance to Salon Lane after a busy day at work and a hectic cycle through the city, and her presence alone made my shoulders drop. Chisato – who worked as a physiotherapist in Japan before relocating to Sydney – has a divinely calming aura, and a truly masterful touch.
I’d booked in for Tokyo Headspa’s 'Dream Labs' treatment – a new treatment designed to dramatically improve sleep by regulating the autonomic nervous system and helping you drop into a deep sense of calm.
Reclined back on the ridiculously comfy chair, surrounded by curtains illuminated by projections of a slowly-moving solar system and soundtracked by an ethereal soundscape, the seventy minutes slipped past in a surreal, transcendent blur. Using the super-luxe Oribe lotion that I’d chosen as my favourite (you’re offered the choice of three scents), Chisato expertly and delicately massaged my scalp, neck, shoulders and arms with gentle, tender pressure. I have to admit to falling asleep several times, which Chisato assured me was the sign of a successful treatment.
Though my sleep wasn’t noticeably improved that night (sleeping is my superpower at the worst of times, so I’m perhaps not the best test subject), I can attest to leaving the salon feeling like I was floating on a cloud.
The price-point here is high, and in a cost of living crisis, it’s hard to justify spending $150 on a 70-minute massage for yourself. But if there’s someone in your life who deserves to be transported to another realm – a Dream Labs session makes for an incredible gift.
You can learn more and book a Dream Labs experience here.
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