This S’porean spent 1.5 hours in a Japanese salon in Boat Quay & left feeling like a J-pop idol

I don’t have the greatest relationship with my hair.

For as long as I can remember, it’s been the way it is: frizzy, untameable and quite immune to any attempts to coax it into a semblance of neatness.

As one of my secondary school teachers put it:

But we’ve made our peace, my hair and I.

I’ve stopped trying to beat it into submission, and it has stopped doing its best impression of a broom.

Still, I admit that even at 26, I’m prone to feeling an occasional pang of envy when I see photos of my silky-tressed friends on social media.

So when my colleague encouraged me to go for a hair treatment, I found myself sold with the following hooks:

• It’s a Japanese hair salon staffed by Japanese stylists
• The treatment is currently at a discounted price of S$111
• There will be a free gift (So I’m an auntie. Sue me.)

Like a ryokan

For the treatment, I made my way down to Hair Salon Covo’s newest Boat Quay outlet.

The place was minimalist and reminded me a bit of a ryokan, with its tasteful wood-based decor and partitions between the chairs.

My colleague reached first, and it was immediately clear that the whole Japanese thing was not a gimmick.

Fortunately, my stylist, Natsumi, spoke excellent English.

She shared that she worked in Canada for three years prior to coming to Singapore, where she has now lived for the past eight years.

I had no trouble communicating my hair problems with her, which she patiently listened to.

It was a good sign that she didn’t immediately promise to solve all the hair problems I’d suffered since my unfortunate youth.

Rather, the first thing she asked was what my primary concern was: the frizziness, or the damage.

The former was genetic, while the latter was the result of a fair bit of abuse (read: cheap box dyes and some aggressive blow-drying).

The result of the damage was that my hair had taken on a dull, dry, and rough kind of appearance.

Case in point:

Since I’d long since come to terms with the frizziness, I decided to try and tackle the damage.

The treatment I eventually went for was mystifyingly dubbed “X Treatment”.

How very Powerpuff Girls.

While I’ve heard of some other treatments on the menu like the trendy Tokio Inkarami and the Kerasilk Keratin treatment, I had never heard of X.

“It’s from Japan. Not many local salons have it yet,” Natsumi explained.

Sure enough, when I tried to Google it later on, all I could find was a Japanese website with a smattering of English words.

I decided to take Natsumi’s word for it.

Salon experience

I was quickly ushered into a plush leather chair to get my hair washed.

As I lay down, Natsumi offered me a comfy fleece blanket for my legs and a paper eye mask, so I wouldn’t have to go through that awkward should-I-open-my-eyes-or-not dilemma.

While she washed my hair, she explained a few key details of the treatment.

As I’d opted to prioritise damage recovery, the treatment wouldn’t have any harmful heat applications — a step which would help with defrizzing, but which might not be great for long-term hair health.

The whole treatment would also include four different steps administered over the course of an hour and a half.

Not too bad at all.

After that, I was whisked back into my chair, where Natsumi efficiently applied layers of product to my dehydrated hair, using a variety of different tools to ease the product in.

Such as this cool ultrasonic wave iron, which looks like a heat iron but isn’t.

Instead of heat, it uses millions of tiny little vibrations to inject the treatment nutrients deep into the hair.

And this colourful RGB hair processor.

After the first part of the treatment, I was escorted back to the wash basin for the second half.

This time, after applying the product, she used steam to lock the treatment in.

Natsumi explained that the steam would help open up the hair follicles, allowing for deeper penetration.

“It’s also very comfortable,” she added. “Some of our customers fall asleep at this part.”

“Isn’t it hot for you though?” I asked.

“No, it’s like going for facial steaming,” she quipped.

After leaving the treatment to sit for a while, she returned to do a final wash — and a head massage as well.

And then another neck massage after I went back to the chair for the final blow-dry.

Not gonna lie. I could get used to this lifestyle.

End result

At last, the treatment came to an end. Here’s the before:

And here’s the after:

No offence to my wedding hairstylist, but my hair has never looked better in my life.

I mean, just check this out:

And here I am doing my best impression of a J-pop idol in a shampoo commercial:

Truth be told, as someone who grew up firmly working class, I’ve never been big into self-care.

I mean, sh*t’s expensive, okay?

Even though I’m now gainfully (ha) employed and earning a living wage, it’s hard not to feel a little stab of guilt whenever I buy something that’s not strictly necessary.

Going for this treatment, however, reminded me of how nice it is to treat myself once in a while.

It’s been a busy period at work.

So I really appreciated being able to settle into a comfy chair for an hour and a half, and let my hair be washed, moisturised, and blow-dried into the silky-smooth waves of my Instagram dreams.

Not only did I leave with good-ass hair, I left feeling more confident and relaxed than I have in weeks.

Even if my husband did insist he couldn’t tell the difference.

Treat yo’self

If you’re a fellow budget-conscious adult looking to treat yourself, here are the details of Covo’s 11th anniversary promotions.

The following hair treatments will be available at S$111 in the month of November:

For dry and damaged hair

• X treatment (U.P. S$210)
• Tokio Inkarami Treatment (U.P. S$180)

For frizzy hair

• Advante Smooth Treatment (U.P. S$300)
• NOV treatment (U.P. S$240)
• Inkarami Advance Treatment (U.P. S$280)
• KERASILK keratin treatment (U.P. S$330)

If treatments aren't your thing, Covo is offering 11 per cent off other hair services* to Mothership readers. Just flash this article.

As the icing on the cake, all customers who visit for hair services in November will get a free egg-shaped hair brush so you can continue to keep your mane in check after you leave the salon.

Don’t forget to continue your hair care routine at home with Covo’s hair care products.

*Except fringe cut, wash and blow, hair arrangement, makeup service, and kimono dressing.

Salon locations

• Outram Park: 43 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089147
• Katong: 87 East Coast Road, #01-01, Singapore 428789
• Tanjong Pagar: 31 Duxton Road, Singapore 089495
• Boat Quay: 81 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058711

More information here.

Writing this sponsored article made this writer feel like she was living in a shampoo commercial.

Top photos by Covo and Mothership