Your first visit, gently explained.

Booking your first head spa is easy. It is the hour before the appointment when the questions arrive: Should I wash my hair first? What do I wear? Will my hair be wet after? Do I tip? This guide answers all of it, so the only thing left to do when you arrive is relax. If you are still deciding whether a head spa is for you, start with what a Japanese head spa actually is and come back.

Before you arrive

Bring nothing. Truly. Your hair will be washed during the session, so there is no need to shampoo beforehand, and product in your hair is fine - part of the treatment's job is to clean all of that away. Come straight from work, from sightseeing, from the gym. The state of your hair on arrival does not matter.

• Wear something comfortable. You will be reclined for most of the session. A top you do not mind getting slightly damp at the collar is ideal, though towels do most of the protecting.
• Skip elaborate styling. Whatever you walk in with will be washed out. Save the blowout for after.
• Arrive a few minutes early. A small buffer lets you settle in, use the restroom and start the consultation unhurried.
• Book ahead if you can. Booking online takes about a minute and guarantees your time. We are open daily 10am to 10pm at 2909 1st Ave in Belltown, so evening appointments are very much on the table.

The consultation

Your visit typically starts with a short conversation. Expect a few easy questions: how your scalp feels day to day, whether it runs oily or dry, any sensitivities, where you hold tension, and how firm you like massage pressure. None of it requires preparation or vocabulary. "My shoulders are concrete and my scalp gets itchy by Thursday" is a perfectly complete answer.

This is also the moment to mention anything practical: contact lenses, a headache, pregnancy, a preference for silence over small talk. Say it once at the start and the rest of the hour arranges itself around you.

The session itself

Details vary by studio and by service, but a classic first session usually flows like this: you recline at a wash basin, warm water is worked slowly through your hair, and the cleanse gradually becomes a massage that covers the scalp and, in most rituals, the neck and shoulders. Conditioning care follows, and the session closes with a rinse and a gentle dry.

Your only job is to do nothing. Guests regularly fall asleep, and no one has ever been judged for it. If pressure ever feels too light or too firm, say so - adjusting is normal and welcome, not an imposition.

For a first visit, the 60 minute Refresh Head Spa ($98) is the classic starting point. If you are short on time or want a low-commitment introduction, Scalp Care is 30 minutes for $55. Coming with a partner or friend? The Couple / Twins Head Spa is $176 for 60 minutes, side by side.

Your hair afterward

You will leave with clean, freshly washed hair that typically feels softer than usual. Depending on the service and your preference, hair is towel-dried or dried off before you go, so you are presentable for dinner, though perhaps not styled for a gala. If you have a big event, schedule the head spa before your styling appointment, not after it.

The other thing you will carry out is slowness. Many guests describe the hour after a head spa as pleasantly foggy, in the best way. If you can, avoid scheduling anything sharp-edged immediately afterward.

Tipping and booking etiquette

Tipping: in American spas, gratuity for good service is customary, much like at a massage studio or hair salon. It is appreciated, never demanded, and entirely your call.

Booking: reserving online ahead of time is the considerate default, for you and for the studio. If your plans change, give as much notice as you can so the time can go to someone else. Running late? A quick call to (206) 889-7778 beats arriving flustered.

Phones: silent or off. This one is really a gift to yourself.

What NOT to worry about

• Greasy or unwashed hair. Expected, and honestly ideal. The cleanse is the first act of the treatment.
• Falling asleep. Common, normal, quietly considered a five-star review.
• Not knowing the terminology. You do not need to know what anything is called. Describing how you feel is enough.
• Wet hair ruining your day. Your hair is dried before you leave. Plan a soft evening rather than a windswept photoshoot and you will be fine.
• Doing something wrong. There is no wrong. You recline, you breathe, someone skilled takes care of the rest.