SuffolkNews visits The Kejoraku, in Hillside Road, Bury St Edmunds, to try its new Japanese head spa therapy

Having travelled to the land of the rising sun this summer, when I heard of a new Japanese head spa therapy in Bury St Edmunds I was the first to volunteer to try it out.

The treatment has been launched at The Kejoraku – which translates to ‘my morning star’ in Indonesian – which is located within Belle Rose Beauty Academy, in Hillside Road.

On arrival I was warmly greeted by Yana Sheppard, who is originally from Indonesia and lived in Bali before settling near Bury.

Described as a ‘a full luxury reset inspired by Bali healing and serene grounding care rooted in Japanese love and calm tradition’, I was excited to experience my first Japanese head spa.

Japanese head spa therapy has its origins in traditional wellness practices from the nation, such as onsen (hot springs).

By the late 20th century, hair salons had started offering specialised scalp treatments and it is recognised for promoting scalp health and hair quality.

Before starting, Yana and I talked about my hair, scalp and general health. She then used a specialised camera to view my scalp in detail, enabling her to decide on the best treatment and products.

Seeing my hair follicles close-up on a video monitor was my first new – and fascinating – experience of the day. The second was climbing on to the comfortable treatment bed, with a cosy fleece blanket to snuggle under and help from Yana to get correctly positioned under the halo-shaped shower ring.

The lighting was dimmed, a comfortable rose quartz mask was placed over my eyes and then the session started with gentle breathwork and the sounds of a singing bowl.

What followed was one of the most relaxing and unusual treatments of my life.

I couldn’t tell you what order everything took place in as I felt totally immersed in the sensory experience. What I do know is my scalp enjoyed double deep cleansing, conditioning, a hair mask and a detox steam treatment.

A variety of tools, each creating a different sensation, were used across my scalp, followed by the soothing halo waterfall therapy – a gentle cascade of warm water flowing over the head through a halo-shaped shower ring.

Blissful head and neck massage also added to the mix, while my sense of smell tingled at the wonderful aroma of the products used.

My thoughts swam throughout the calming treatment, which never felt rushed yet I also lost all track of time. I do remember my internal voice questioning: “Why have I never paid any attention to my scalp before?”

And that is part of the beauty of the Japanese head spa. It is an opportunity to pause, to allow yourself to stop and offer attention to an overlooked part of your body. But not just that, it feels good – really good.

There is also something very special about Yana. A warmth exudes from her, while I could sense her passion for the Japanese head spa and enjoyment of the treatment through every aspect of the experience.

“Can I guess your personality?” she asked me after the head spa had finished and my hair was dried.

Of course I said yes, but also questioned how she might judge her guess. Her answer? That the texture of hair gives clues to a person’s soul and nature.

I won’t share her appraisal of my character as it feels quite personal, but what she said aligned with what other similarly spiritual people have told me in the past.

I walked out of The Kejoraku with an overwhelming feeling of wellbeing – feeling lighter of step and as though every single hair on my head was singing.

That night, I enjoyed the best sleep I’ve had for weeks and was only woken the next morning by another new experience – that of my cat licking and trying to eat my hair.

If that’s not proof that the products Yana used smell absolutely delicious, I don’t know what is.

For more information or to book, go to https://thekejoraku.bookinbeautiful.com/

The Kejoraku is suitable for those aged 12 and over.