HydraFacial Keravive Is Like a Facial for Your Scalp

Many of our daily habits—like using styling products, skipping washes in favor of dry shampoo, and even the water we use to wash our hair—can contribute to buildup on the hair and scalp. Scalp buildup can leave hair feeling at once dry and greasy, trapping natural oils at the roots and preventing necessary hydration from nourishing your strands.

One treatment that aims to target this problem is HydraFacial Keravive, a three-step scalp facial designed to deeply cleanse and hydrate your scalp, ultimately creating the optimal environment for new hair growth.

A hydrated, deeply-cleansed, healthy scalp sounds like a dream come true. But are the claims supported by experts? To understand the truth behind the HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment, we turned to dermatologists Michele S. Green, MD, and Ava Shamban, MD. Below, we break down everything you need to know about the HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment.

What Is the HydraFacial Keravive Scalp Treatment?

The HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment is a three-step protocol that combines modalities that work in tandem for scalp health and benefits to create a more optimal follicular environment for hair growth, says Shamban. It utilizes the same vortex technology as the HydraFacial facial treatment, making it ideal for those looking for a deeper cleanse and added hydration, explains Shamban: "It is literally a facial for the scalp."

"Often we forget that the scalp is a part of our skin and requires the right skincare to help maintain hair growth and proper scalp health," shares Green. Shamban agrees, adding that our dermis does not stop the hairline: The scalp skin is thicker, more sebaceous, and has hundreds of thousands more pores and follicles, but it is part of the skin organ shared over the entire body.

"HydraFacial Keravive cleanses and exfoliates, lifting off debris, dead skin cells, product build-up, and plenty of [accumulated] environmental sludge," explains Shamban. "Then, [it] infuses a proprietary blend of growth factors and antioxidants that simultaneously hydrate, nourish, and stimulate the scalp while hydrating the follicles."

Benefits of a HydraFacial Keravive Scalp Treatment

• Hydrates the scalp
• Clears clogged hair follicles
• Removes dead skin buildup and scalp congestion
• Boosts circulation in and around the scalp
• Reduces dryness, itching, flaking, and inflammation
•  Creates a more optimal follicular environment for hair growth

The HydraFacial Keravive treatment is designed to address myriad scalp issues, including "general and more intensive scalp care and conditions," explains Shamban. These general concerns include low scalp hydration, clogged hair follicles, dead skin buildup or scalp congestion, poor circulation in and around the scalp, dryness, itching, flaking, and inflammation, she tells us. It can also provide a boost to generally dull, dehydrated hair that lacks density and luster. More intensive scalp conditions that can benefit from the HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment are general atopic dermatitis and eczema, according to Shamban.

Does the HydraFacial Keravive Scalp Treatment Help Hair Grow?

The HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment is not itself responsible for hair growth. "It does not regrow hair or reverse genetic or hormonal pattern losses per se, but it will create [a better] environment for hair, clean the playing field for growth, and support our strands of keratin protein to look healthy and lush," says Shamban.

Green explains that the HydraFacial Keravive Peptide Complex Solution delivers nourishing ingredients with growth factors and skin proteins to promote a healthier scalp and fuller-looking hair. "From a healthier scalp grows healthier hair," adds Shamban. "When the scalp is well hydrated and nourished and is free of debris, sebum, and the buildup that prevents ideal oxygenation and circulation to the follicles, we find the best conditions for our most optimal hair growth." She adds that because it cleanses the scalp, it also works well as a precursor or supplement to PRP/PRF exosome therapies or topicals like minoxidil, as it helps to clear the field for better absorption.

How to Prepare for a HydraFacial Keravive Scalp Treatment

HydraFacial Keravive for the scalp is a quick in-office treatment, making it a perfect "lunchtime" procedure, explains Green. Little to no preparation is required before the treatment. "For best results, we counsel patients to come to the treatment with clean, dry hair free of any styling products," says Shamban. "They can wash [their hair] the day before the treatment and do not necessarily need to wash day of, as long as no styling products are added."

What to Expect During a HydraFacial Keravive Scalp Treatment

In general, the HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment is quick (usually about 30 minutes) and painless. Green calls it "a relaxing facial for the scalp" and says you will feel a gentle suction from the vortex technology and a mild cooling sensation as the solutions are administered during the treatment.

The treatment itself is very similar to the HydraFacial for the face. Shamban says the practitioner takes a small hand applicator (similar to a vacuum) and works in small sections. "They move the wand over the hairline in a rhythmic method, allowing their vortex technology to extract the debris, impurities, and dirt, which is suctioned into a depository, while the device uses a methodology to deliver a peptide complex infusion to the dermis," explains Shamban.

Green shared the three steps of the HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment:

• Step 1: Cleanse & Exfoliate: This is where the unique HydraFacial vortex technology extracts dirt, oil, dead skin cells, and other impurities to clean the scalp and hair follicles while stimulating scalp circulation. Green says that by stimulating circulation, essential nutrients and oxygen are efficiently delivered to the scalp to maintain scalp and follicle health.
• Step 2: Stimulate & Nourish: Next, the HydraFacial Keravive peptide complex solution is delivered to the scalp. This contains a proprietary blend of growth factors and skin proteins that hydrate hair follicles and improve the appearance and health of a dry scalp and dull hair.
• Step 3: Extend & Enhance: The third and final step is actually done post-visit as an at-home treatment. "The results of the HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment are optimized through continued at-home care," explains Green. Patients use the HydraFacial Keravive peptide complex spray for daily stimulation. She recommends continuous use of this take-home spray for three to four weeks post-treatment, as daily use will enhance the success of the HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment.

Potential Side Effects

There are few to no potential negative side effects from a HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment. "Generally, there are none," says Shamban. "It can work for almost all types of hair and skin." Green agrees, adding that it is a very safe and non-invasive treatment with minimal side effects. "Rarely, some patients may have some minor itching or redness which resolves without treatment," she says.

The Cost

In general, you can expect the treatment to cost between $500-$750 (not including the cost of the at-home spray to use after the treatment).

Both experts explain that the cost of a single HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment can vary depending on several factors, including where you live and where you get the treatment, such as a medspa versus a dermatologist's office.

Aftercare

Your hair should be allowed to dry naturally following the HydraFacial Keravive treatment, and Green says it is best to wait six to twelve hours before washing your hair. Patients should use the HydraFacial Keravive take-home spray daily beginning the day after treatment, says Shamban. "Simply apply one to two sprays per area of concern daily, putting the spray nozzle less than an inch to the scalp before bed. Massage the solution for 30-60 seconds with fingertips," she explains.

Shamban says that using the take-home spray regularly will extend the benefits of the treatment and maintain the health of the scalp. "A slightly different blend from the in-office treatment, the home care will normalize pH, protect the barrier, provide ongoing scalp cellular turnover and soothe any inflammation or irritation," she says. "Additional or extended scalp massage for added circulation is excellent, which you can do yourself or ask a partner—just five minutes with the serum or alone."

According to Shamban and Green, patients looking to optimize the benefits of the treatment should aim to have it done once a month for three months, using the at-home spray between.

The Final Takeaway

The HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment is a low-risk and minimally invasive scalp treatment that has many benefits to the health of your scalp and hair. While it does not directly influence hair growth, the HydraFacial Keravive scalp treatment can help to promote new growth by creating an optimal environment for follicles and improving the appearance of existing hair.