Full steam ahead! The newest development in the haircare industry.

It’s widely acknowledged that using heat on your hair leads to damage, while constant blow drying, curling, and straightening leaves hair dry and brittle. Hair can be repaired using masks, oils and regular cutting to remove broken ends, so why not go a step further and boost the effectiveness of repairing products by adding steam?

It seems counterintuitive to use heat to restore strength to the hair but as opposed to dry heat, steam helps open up the hair shaft resulting in a deeper permeation of moisture and repairing hair products. Just as during a facial, the therapist may use steam to detoxify and cleanse pores, treating the hair with steam can have a similar effect.

With the increased rise and popularity of hair oils and repairing products available, it’s obvious that shiny and lustrous hair radiates a certain youthfulness that is to be desired. The irony of smoothing hair into sleek and shiny looks is evident when one considers the damaged caused by using heat to tame your tresses. Smooth and glossy hair is just as desired as ever and the salon industry has noted and acted accordingly. By adapting innovative procedures from skin care and spa, hair treatments are going far beyond a simple shampoo and conditioner to keep hair healthy.

Spa techniques such as steam have been adopted by Carol Joy London, a British luxury skincare, haircare, and spa treatment brand, and adapted for hair treatments. At their flagship hair salon within the iconic luxury hotel, The Dorchester, Carol Joy London has developed an intensive steam treatment for the hair, drawing upon the beneficial effects of nourishing steam traditionally used in skin treatments. This treatment signals a new direction in beauty where skincare meets haircare, adopting materials and techniques from the spa industry and applying them to the hair.

In this state-of-the-art treatment, hair is washed as usual before being enveloped by Carol Joy London’s own formulated hair mask and hair oil. The next step is where the steam plays its central role. The scalp is covered by a large cap which inflates as steam is channelled in. 20 minutes of constant nourishing steam is followed by a couple of minutes of cold air to seal the product into each strand.  Clients then receive a relaxing acupressure scalp massage before the hair is rinsed and prepared for the salon’s Signature Blow Dry. Hair is left thoroughly conditioned with increased shine and strength thanks to the combination of repairing products and moisturising steam.

Carol Joy London was born in Britain out of one woman’s quest for the answer to age defying skincare. The founder, Carol Joy Hatton, travelled the world and invested over £10m into discovering her solution. She returned to the UK armed with Refined Golden Millet Oil and Pure Medical Grade Collagen. With expertise drawn from leading Swiss manufacturing and German engineering, combined with quintessential British refinement and service, a skincare collection was sympathetically created to allow all women to recapture their skin’s vitality and radiance.

Carol Joy London’s flagship hair salon is located at The Dorchester on Park Lane, where they also provide the hotel’s signature facials. Behind the façade of tradition that exudes from The Dorchester, the services on offer utilise pioneering techniques and ingredients including Hyperbaric Oxygen, Pure Collagen, Caviar Algae and 24 Carat Gold, combined with Myofascial massage, Nourishing Steam and Diamond Microdermabrasion.

Carol Joy London also operates in premier locations on an international scale including Fairmont Monte Carlo, Four Seasons Hong Kong, and The St Regis Dubai, to name just a few.

www.caroljoylondon.com