It’s nothing new to want long, lush hair—but what is new is the global beauty market’s bullish emphasis on hair and scalp care. Coherent Market Insights projects that the global scalp care market will surpass $20 billion by the year 2030 with a forecasted compounded annual growth rate of 7.1% in seven years. The report specifically cites a surging demand for treatments targeting hair, follicle and scalp health; a category of beauty product that seeks to optimize hair fullness and quality while preventing or delaying the need for more invasive procedures.
Though Turkey is the most well-known of medical tourism’s destinations for hair aesthetics, aesthetic doctor Eduardo Lastra, M.D., considers Spain to be the "unsung hero" of hair rejuvenation. While visiting Madrid for a class on hair restoration techniques, he explains via message that “doctors come to Spain from all over the world to train in hair restoration.” Dr. Lastra explains that the reason why is that the country is also a world leader in baldness, referencing an article featuring the Mediheal finding that "44.5% of the [Spanish] male population suffers from androgenic alopecia.”
This statistic is downright shocking; anecdotally speaking, the men's hair in Spain appears particularly full and lush—noticeably more so than in the United States, France or Italy. I asked whether it could it be the nutrient-density of their soil, the mineral content of their water, or perhaps even their famous affinity for the siesta? "No—it's because everyone gets hair surgeries," Dr. Lastra counters with a laugh. “Spain is one of the countries where the most hair surgeries are performed in Europe."
Spain certainly embraces the culture around hair wellness, with global soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo co-owning multiple clinics for hair transplant surgeries in Spanish cities like Madrid and Marbella. Because scalp- and haircare products also serve the important function of maintaining post-treatment results (including surgically), it should come as no surprise that the culture possesses an abundance of knowledge when it comes to hair and scalp care. In fact, the Rosewood Villa Magna—one of Madrid’s most-esteemed, five-star hotels—houses its own Claudia DiPaolo Hair Wellth Spa within their ultra-luxury Sense Spa.
Below, learn what it is like to receive a luxury spa treatment for the hair and scalp at the Rosewood Villa Magna in Madrid, Spain. Then, keeping reading to find out the latest in non-invasive hair optimization.
The Claudia DiPaolo Hair Wellth Spa at Madrid’s Rosewood Villa Magna
Offered alongside their extensive menu offerings from facials to massages and an on-site Turkish hammam, the Rosewood’s seamless integration of the luxury haircare experience demonstrates Spain’s embrace of the “hair longevity” concept. Offering 60- and 90-minute treatments to their discerning guests, the experience begins inside a treatment room adorned in minimalist neutrals.
The first distinguishing feature from a traditional spa experience is at the head of the bed, where a pillowed headrest sits above a bespoke sink. This is where the products are applied to the hair and scalp and where the hair is rinsed. The holistic treatment seeks to not only apply the line’s actives to the hair but to reduce overall bodily stress—after all, stress to the body impacts the hair follicle. Thus the treatment begins with deep breaths and a mini sound bath to settle the senses. Once the products are applied and the hair begins to absorb the actives, time is devoted to relaxing the body with massage in order to promote the relaxation response and allow for regeneration.
The products used come from Claudia DiPaolo’s luxury haircare line, a three-step set of cleanser, conditioning cream and a molecular haircare essence that costs just over $200. Designed with ingredients like wheat germ, vegetable keratin, hyaluronic acid, vitamins B5 and E, minerals and enzymes, their formulation is designed to promote the repair and strengthening of the hair fiber.
At the end of the treatment, the therapist explains that this treatment is akin to a hair reset; however, as with all wellness modalities, turning it into a practice is where transformation can truly occur. She recommends blow drying and even flat-ironing your hair that day so that the heat can help enhance the effect of the active ingredients. Following the treatment, it is advised that you avoid washing again for roughly twelve hours.
The Global Shift To Hair Optimization
For years, hair loss was more closely associated with men. Yet womens’ interest tends to pique in hair thickening and regrowth during times of hormonal flux. Postpartum, perimenopausal and other phases of heightened bodily stress can all impact the thickness, fullness, health and texture of the hair. Naturopathic doctor Nadia Musavvir specifically focuses on hormone optimization for her patients seeking to improve their hair quality, as well as offering a bespoke vitamin blend, Healthy Hair, $60, and scalp treatments using platelet-rich fibrin (PRF).
The wellness sector’s longevity’s focus has also helped to re-frame “hair loss” into hair “optimization,” a shift that can make less-invasive hair and scalp-care modalities appealing to virtually anyone. Longevity’s impact on beauty is apparent in the buzzy longevity supplement spermidine’s rise, which has made its way into notable hair supplements like Agent Nateur Calm (Beauty), $72, due to its substantiated ability to minimize hair shedding and stop hair greying.
Ever-popular at-home beauty tools are also spanning into haircare. The FDA-approved LED brand, CurrentBody, sells an LED Hair Growth Helmet, $859, to provide circulation-boosting and cellular ATP-promoting red light therapy to the scalp. Meanwhile, the Laduora DUO 4-in-1 Pod Based Scalp & Hair Care Device, $299, combines micro current, LED therapy, massage and heat to stimulate the hair and scalp in one compact, at-home device.
One of the most promising new in-office developments comes from the field of regenerative aesthetics. A non-surgical procedure called platelet hybridized adipose therapy (PHAT) combines patient stem cell-rich nanofat with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which are both harvested from the patient and injected into the hair follicle. While still moderately invasive—after all, the small sample of fat is harvested via cannula—it is what the double board-certified Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Ben Talei, calls “one of the best treatments for hair growth” available.
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