Beauty and Health Intrinsically Connected

By Louise May

Gabriel Skalic’s journey in the wellness and head spa industry began with a fascination for how beauty and health are so intrinsically connected. She has always been passionate about holistic approaches to well-being and how seemingly small actions can have a profound impact on your overall vitality and confidence.

As a hairdresser with over 40 years of experience, Gabriel has had a long-term interest in scalp and hair health and has often spoken to clients about various health concerns they might be experiencing and how these can present via the head and scalp. This is really what inspired her to create Atama Head Spa.

Gabriel knew she wanted to learn from the source, so she travelled to Japan, where the concept of Head Spa was widespread, but not the service she had imagined. Head Spa existed as an add-on service to many hairdressing treatments, but there were very few standalone head spas that specialised in the service at that time.

Gabriel trained extensively with some of the world’s leading practitioners in Japan, learning traditional methods of shampooing and massage.

Then, in 2019, she launched Atama Head Spa, which at the time, was the very first head spa in Australia. Gabriel was so inspired by what she’d learnt in Japan and wanted to bring her vision to life, of what she imagined a head spa to be. She felt there was an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to the beauty, hair and wellness industries locally. Gabriel really wanted to focus on the head and scalp as they are often overlooked but play a crucial role in ageing, posture, and even mental clarity.

Over the years, she spent more time learning from master’s overseas, like Tatsuya Yamasaki, and has incorporated elements of their practices, such as Zudo head lifting into the Atama menu, alongside her own technique, The Skalic Method - which focuses on the shoulders, neck, face, head and hair. The Skalic Method has been developed to bring stillness to a busy mind, keeping the client on the edge of consciousness as they gently awaken the senses.

Mocha Hair Editor – Louise May chats with Gabriel about Atama Head Spa.

Can you tell us about the Salon, and what inspired you to open a Head Spa?

The inspiration to open a head spa came from a realisation that the head and scalp are often overlooked in traditional wellness and beauty treatments, despite their vital role in overall health and ageing.

I wanted to bring that philosophy to Australia, in a space where clients could experience the same transformative benefits, so I opened Atama Head Spa in New Farm QLD, in a space I felt I’d envisioned for years. I always wanted people to feel like they were stepping into a sanctuary where wellness meets beauty in a truly holistic way.

The design of Atama was created to be minimalistic, calming, and intentional, offering clients an escape from the busyness of everyday life. Every element, from the white interiors to the quiet ambience, was chosen to create an environment of stillness and restoration. It’s not just about relaxation; it’s about empowering clients to feel healthier, more confident, and rejuvenated from the inside out.

Our head spa treatments are designed to go beyond relaxation and address deeper issues like dormant muscles, blood flow, and posture while promoting skin health and overall rejuvenation. Clients can come in to enjoy a personalised experience that includes a sensorial head, shoulder, and neck massage, deep cleansing shampoo and mist treatment, soothing towel bath, rejuvenating facial and massage, and blow dry and style, all concluded with a final consultation.

For those after something that focuses more intensely on activating the muscles of the scalp and head, the Zudo by Skalic treatment is available, offering a powerful, deep pressure point technique.

Can you tell us about the collaboration and why you chose to partner with Tatsuya?

Collaborating with Tatsuya Yamasaki was a natural choice for me and for Atama Head Spa. Tatsuya is a globally recognised head spa master whose methods have revolutionised the way we approach beauty and wellness. In researching the head spa industry, his Zudo method immediately caught my attention due to its precision, the way it was rooted in science, and its ability to produce such transformative results.

His philosophy aligns perfectly with ours at Atama in that beauty is holistic and that true rejuvenation starts with restoring balance and strength to the body. Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of training directly under Tatsuya in Japan and hosting him here in Australia and have become the only Australian head spa practitioner to be trained in his specialised method.

What is the difference with Japanese techniques and how have you incorporated them into your offerings?

Japanese techniques in head spa are all about precision, tradition, and holistic understanding of wellness. What sets them apart is their focus on the interconnectedness of the body and how small, intentional treatments can have a profound impact on the body and mind. It’s this mindset that we have only really started to see considered in the Australian beauty landscape in the past five years.

Unlike conventional beauty or relaxation treatments that often prioritise surface-level results, Japanese head spa techniques focus on activating dormant muscles in the head and neck, improving blood flow, and targeting pressure points with meticulous care. These methods rejuvenate and restore balance to the body as a whole, bringing quite a scientific approach to a head massage.

The Zudo method, for instance, uses deep pressure point techniques to target specific muscles like the fascia, temporalis, and frontalis, which are often neglected but play a crucial role in ageing, posture, and vitality.

I’ve adapted these techniques to suit Australian clients by blending traditional Japanese practices with a personalised approach. For example, our offerings include both the Zudo method for intensive results and more gentle treatments that combine scalp-cleansing rituals, aromatherapy, and soothing hot towel techniques.

The result is a unique fusion of Japanese expertise and tailored care, which gives our clients the benefits of these transformative methods in a way that aligns with their lifestyles and needs. Our goal is to make the head spa a part of Australian wellness culture, where people appreciate and value the benefits of head spa as a necessity in their self-care routine.

What can clients expect when they visit the Head Spa for an appointment?

My goal is to provide an experience of calm and transformation like nothing else.

From a personalised consultation at the beginning of our sessions to really understand what a client is looking for, to a tailored treatment that provides unparalleled relaxation and rejuvenation, the entire experience aims to feel personalised to each person. Regardless of the treatment, whether an express dry head spa, classic head spa experience or the Zudo head spa - which is available exclusively at Atama – each client will leave feeling refreshed, revitalised, and relaxed.

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