With its exclusive Head Spa, a chic salon nestled in the French capital stands alone as the epitome of luxury in the Parisian hair game.
Written by: Anetta Nowosielska
I arrive at the salon tucked away in a courtyard near Place Vendome 20 minutes late with knots in my stomach and tears in my eyes. The traffic in the French capital just before the Olympic games is not for the faint of heart. Neither is the stress that comes from making anyone wait for your arrival, especially if that someone is Delphine Courteille, the hair guru of the who’s who of fashion, culture, and politics. To be clear, Pharrell Williams trusts her with his multi-color hair journey, as do Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bundchen, and Sofia Coppola, to name a few. I apologize profusely for my delay, expecting to be rightfully scolded for holding up her busy agenda. To my surprise, I’m greeted with a smile and the Zen-like energy of a woman who’s been around the world of crazy celebrity schedules and the capriciousness of her well-heeled clientele. Not to mention the traffic on Rue de Rivoli.
Delphine Courteille is one of the few salons in Paris offering a curated list of head spa modalities that aim to pamper and rejuvenate the scalp and hair. This protocol refers to a Japanese methodology that uses steam, deep washing, detox brushing, and shiatsu massage of gentle kneading of pressure points to regulate pH and sebum production.
Other treatments promise to bolster glow and hydration.
The hour-plus signature treatment begins with a probe into my scalp with a camera to diagnose the root of its problems brought on by hair coloring, misguided product enthusiasm, and the stress of life in general. The scan, which ends up looking like an abstract expressionist painting, is followed by micro-needling to rejuvenate and stimulate hair roots. The slight discomfort quickly dissipates when Eleanore, my therapist, begins one of the many mini-massages I will enjoy during this session. Before my head gets wrapped in a cosmically looking hair steamer, a concoction of Courteille’s own Nourishing and Fortifying Mask and Hair Dry Oil is diligently applied to my hair that, by the look of it, is as thirsty as can be. The good news is that Delphine, a nature lover, formulates her products from natural sources. Her deeply nourishing line uses baobab, barbary fig and organic aloe vera, wheat proteins, BS, and micro-nutrients to reinforce the hair structure. This alchemic application is followed by another massage that targets cranial nooks and crannies, delivering a big “head in the cloud” sensation.
The final touch comes courtesy of a water fountain suspended over my head that trickles warm water inspired by the Indian Shirodhara treatment, which inevitably puts me under the spell of Hypnos. A quick nap ensues. Fans of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) seek out these head spa treatments for their triggering audio or visual stimuli qualities. After an hour in Eleanore’s hands, I can understand why.
Delphine treats me to a trim and a blowout, which magically restores my highlighted hair to a freshness and bounce I’ve not seen in weeks. Naturally, this is a full-service salon with cut and color on its menu. I recommend calling ahead should you make your way to Paris this summer and would like Delphine to tend to your mane needs. For quicker solutions with zero stress in their application, try Delphine Courteille products, especially the Hair Dry Oil. With its unique combination of vegetable oils, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides, this 100% Ecocert and Cosmos Natural certified dry oil magnifies hair, leaving no trace of its passage except for a subtle glow. I delphinecourteille.com
