Mane Attraction: Hair Care Ideas In line with the Specialists
SHHH founder and hair stylist Marvin Lin, and Zeva Hair Spa’s Brenda Leung get to the root of hair problems: proper hair care starts at the scalp.
Although hair stylist Marvin Lin has worked with many celebrities and fashion clients in her two-decade-long career, when I meet her at her beautifully clean and cosy Hollywood Road salon, she’s more interested in showing me images of a middle-aged uncle, whose hair transformation shaved years off his face. Lin tells me, her voice rising in glee, about how a client had given her father an OMG Scalp shampoo and conditioning treatment set, and that he was so amazed by his hair growth he asked his daughter to restock them.
Lin founded her salon SHHH in 2016 and developed her own hair-care line in 2017 after realising how few products there were that addressed hair wellness. Seeing how much hair damage her models and clients suffered led her to thinking about ways in which she could improve hair care. Lin herself claims to do an “insane amount of damage” to her own hair as well, from swimming in pools and in the ocean, and constantly bleaching and dyeing her head an electric blue.
She spent five years finding the right people to develop her products, eventually settling on a laboratory just outside Tokyo that brought her vision to life. Active ingredients in her OMG line include argan-fruit stem cells for their anti-ageing qualities, hydrolysed keratin protein and collagen that fortify and replenish hair strands, and sea minerals from Canada and Japan that nourish and heal. These ingredients may not be exactly foreign to our ears, but perhaps until now we’ve associated them with skin rather than hair care.
“Since we opened, SHHH has always advocated a skincare approach to hair, a concept not many people were familiar with, but there’s truly little difference between the two,” says Lin. To prove her point, she’s massaging the OMG Ready to Glow Leave-in Treatment into my hand. The product was developed with stem-cell technology and formulated to hydrate the scalp – or in this instance, the back of my hand – as well as smoothing and defrizzing hair and protecting it from heat, UV and oxidative damage.
Lin’s latest line is KORE, a high-performance, next-generation cosmeceutical hair-care solution that’s targeted to treat everyday needs at the cellular level. Whereas OMG and OMG+ products are formulated with anti-ageing actives, KORE is powered by the latest scientific breakthroughs in biotech, further pushing the boundaries of hair care. The KORE Regenerative Scalp Toner is formulated with a patented biotech and powerful bioactive complex to support the scalp environment and promote hair regeneration. Lin goes further than the hair on the scalp this
time, with additional KORE serums targeted at lash and brow health.
High-end hair care is increasingly in demand. “This is a reflection of people paying more attention to their hair than before,” explains Lin. “They want result-driven hair-care products and the industry is responding with more innovative and better-quality formulations. It’s a great phenomenon that drives progress in the hair industry and we’re excited to be part of this pioneering movement.”
Coincidentally, Brenda Leung also established Zeva Hair Spa in Hong Kong in 2017 when the niche was still relatively new. Leung experienced hair thinning while undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy for breast cancer, and her own hair journey spurred her to go back to school and study trichology. “I was amazed to learn about the abundance of non-invasive treatments available that can aid hair growth and wanted to bring them to Hong Kong,” she recalls. It was no easy feat, as Leung realises most people had no clue what a hair spa entailed, having only ever come across salons offering haircuts and colour treatments.
But taking good care of your scalp leads to the overall wellbeing of your hair, even if it’s healthy to begin with. At Zeva, Leung works with certified trichologists who give clients a professional scalp analysis at the start of an appointment, so they can offer professional advice and personalised treatments that improves hair health
more effectively.
“By consulting a trichologist when your hair and scalp are healthy, they can evaluate its condition, assess the overall health of your hair follicles and provide recommendations on preventative care strategies to support the long-term health and wellbeing of your hair and scalp,” says Leung. It’s also a good way to get a baseline assessment of your scalp, as it can provide a valuable benchmark for future comparisons and enable early detection of potential issues.
Treatments at Zeva include a range of non-invasive treatments such as laser therapy, micro-needling and stem-cell serum infusion therapy. JetPeel therapy is a basic revitalising treatment that deep cleans the scalp, removes toxins and rejuvenates hair follicles. Micro-needling is great for those who experience hair loss. And for those who often colour their hair, a weekly caviar or keratin hair treatment can do wonders to replenish and repair the damage. It isn’t a spa without a good massage, so every treatment ends with a soothing wash and a scalp and neck massage.
Sharing her own hair care tips, Leung says we should’t overlook the importance of a scalp serum. “Just as we use serums to address specific skin problems on our face, using a scalp serum tailored to your needs can provide targeted benefits, from balancing, moisturising, anti-dandruff and even anti-hair loss,” she says.
For Lin, having a hair care routine at home is key, and choosing the right products to restore your scalp with collagen, hyaluronic acid and anti-ageing argan-plant stem cells. “We always reiterate the message: what our hair treaments do to hair is akin to what a good facial does to skin,” she says. “The more hair treatments are incorporated into your hair-care regimen, the more you see and reap the benefits. The proof is in the pudding – it’s as simple as that.”
Editor’s Picks: Skinify your hair care routine
Aveda Scalp Solutions Overnight Scalp Renewal Serum
An overnight solution that hydrates and fortifies the scalp barrier.
Olaplex N9 Nourishing Hair Serum
Its gel-like texture ensures your hair stays lightweight and soft.
Leonor Greyl Sérum Énergisant
Use this multi-functioning hair serum day and night to delay the ageing of hair follicles.
Aesop Sage & Cedar Scalp Treatment
A pre-shampoo treatment enriched with botanical oils, one pipette can do wonders and ensure smooth locks.
Oribe Gold Lust Hair Oil
A beautifully fragrant hair oil, apply though damp hair to control the frizz and add shine.
Source: Prestige Online
