Head spa as a permanent service in your salon: how to build a loyal customer base
The short answer
A regular head spa client visits a salon an average of 3 to 4 times a year and spends 60 to 120 euros per visit. By actively positioning head spa as a recurring treatment — rather than a one-time experience — you build a stable revenue stream that is less susceptible to new customer acquisition.
Acquiring new customers costs money. Getting existing customers to return costs much less. This is no secret, but it is hardly utilized in the practice of many beauty salons.
Head spa is a treatment that lends itself particularly well to repeat visits. Not because you have to impose it on your clients, but because most people who have experienced it once spontaneously ask when they can come back again. The question is: what do you as a salon do to facilitate that second, third and fourth visit?
Why do head spa clients naturally return
A head spa is not a one-off curative treatment that you need once and are then done with. It is more comparable to a massage or a facial: the effects are clearly noticeable afterwards, but the benefit is temporary. Stress builds up again. The scalp produces sebum again. The nervous system once again needs calm.
This makes head spa structurally different from, say, a hair dye or a keratin treatment. With those services, a customer only decides to return when the treatment has grown out or faded. With head spa, the moment of return doesn't depend on visible wear and tear, but on how the customer feels.
Many clients book a new appointment on their own, but only if they know that this is the intention. If you say “great, see you next time” after the treatment, then no next time has been booked. If you ask “would you like to schedule another appointment in 5 or 6 weeks?”, the chance that they come back is considerably higher.
How to incorporate a head spa routine for your clients?
The first step is not to present your treatment as something special, but as something routine. That may sound contradictory: don't you also want it to feel special? But “special” and “regular” are not mutually exclusive. A good massage is special too, and yet many people schedule one every month.
Specifically, you do that like this:
- After each treatment, use the opening sentence: “To see the best results, we recommend returning every 4 to 6 weeks.”
- Also, record this in writing, for example on a small card that you include, or in a confirmation email.
- Give customers the choice between two times for their next appointment — not whether they'll return, but when.
These are small adjustments to your communication that make a big difference to your occupancy rate.
Head spa packages: more security for you, more value for the customer
Another way to get customers to return more often is by working with packages. Instead of individual treatments at 65 euros each, you could offer a package of 4 treatments for 230 euros, for example – a 10 euro discount per session.
For the customer, that feels like a deal. For you, it's guaranteed revenue and guaranteed occupancy. When selling the package, you already know that customer will return three more times.
| Formula | Price |
|---|---|
| Individual treatment (60 min) | € 65 |
| Package 4 treatments | € 230 |
| Package 6 treatments | € 330 |
| Monthly subscription (1x/month) | €55/month |
These prices are examples — you know your market best. But the structure is correct: the benefits increase as the customer commits more. That’s fair to everyone.
“A customer buying a 4-session card has already said ‘yes’ three times before they leave. You never have to have that conversation again.”
What do you do with clients who don't return after the first treatment?
That's the reality: not every customer comes back. Sometimes it was due to timing, sometimes due to price, sometimes due to an expectation that wasn't quite met. It makes sense to send a short follow-up email after 6 to 8 weeks to customers who haven't booked a new appointment.
No extensive marketing text, just something human:
“Hi [name], we haven't seen you since your head spa treatment with us. Is everything okay? We have an opening on [date]. Let us know if you'd like to come by.”
That one email takes you 5 minutes and regularly brings back a customer who simply forgot about their appointment. In an Antwerp salon we know, such a follow-up email ensures 15 to 20 percent re-bookings from lost customers.
For those who want to automate this: connect your booking system to an email platform like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign, and set up an automatic follow-up email 45 days after the last treatment. Set it up once, get long-term results.
Combine head spa with other services for a higher average transaction value
Head spa stands strongly on its own, but it also fits well alongside other services in your salon. A client who books a hair colour treatment may be interested in a 20-minute scalp treatment as an add-on. A client having massage therapy may be open to the relaxing aspect of a head spa rhythm.
That's not upselling in a negative way. It's introducing your customer to something that's relevant to them. As long as you're honest about what the treatment does and doesn't do, that's just good customer service.
Want to know which device is best suited for combination treatments in a smaller salon, check out The Mobile HeadSpa Deluxe — compact, professional, and without a fixed water connection.
For which salons is customer retention through head spa less effective?
Honesty is in order here. A head spa as a recurring service works best in salons with a more or less regular customer base—people who already come to you for other treatments and who trust you. If your salon relies heavily on tourist or one-time customers, the retention dynamic is different.
Even for salons that use head spa as an occasional promotional treatment—“only available in May”—structural customer loyalty is more difficult. The treatment needs to be part of your standard offering to create repeat business.
Finally, customer loyalty through head spa requires a certain follow-up capacity. If you're already struggling to keep up with your current customer contact, it makes sense to get that in order first before introducing an additional return service.
Want to know more about how to be a strong business professional with a head spa? Check out our information about Business Purchases at MediRelaxa for beauty salons and therapists.
