Signature head spa services such as The Alchemist and The Retreat start at $180 for 60-minutes. (Courtesy Elysian Head Spa)
Laura Kirby and Katie Wills co-founded Elysian Head Spa in November 2024 to optimize scalp and hair care. With four head spa rooms and a dedicated hair restoration suite, a team of cosmetologists and estheticians is bringing personalized treatments to Central Austin.
How it started
Wills comes from a background in critical care, ICU nursing and work in a cardiology and heart failure clinic. After spending 15 years in traditional medicine, she was looking for a way to transition into a new role. Wills discovered head spas in 2024 during a trip to Japan and hoped to bring the experience back to Austin.
Kirby has a background in sales and always wanted to venture into the wellness and beauty industry. When Wills introduced her to the concept of head spas, the pair became business partners and friends, teaming up to open Elysian.
Katie Wills (left) and Laura Kirby co-founded Elysian Head Spa in November 2024, before moving to a new location in spring 2026. (Courtesy Elysian Head Spa)
“[Head spas are] very big in Eastern culture, [including] India [and] Asia,” Kirby said. “It's common practice ... A lot of people go weekly. There's a reason for that. It's rooted in a kind of ritual and how it impacts your hair health.”
The features
The head spa was born from four pillars: advanced technology, personalized and holistic wellness, eco-friendly products and an emphasis on education. Treatments range from a complimentary hair growth consultation to one-hour and 90-minute head spa services and skin care treatments such as professional peels and facials.
Wills and Kirby created the head spa for people to feel empowered, confident and seen. (Courtesy Elysian Head Spa)
Each appointment starts with a consultation where providers look at a client’s scalp with a microscope to formulate a customized treatment plan. Head spa services include scalp exfoliation, deep conditioning, a pressure point massage and hair waterfall. The spa also has FoLix laser therapy to support hair density.
Providers may suggest that clients return for additional monthly appointments depending on a person’s concerns and needs.
“We found that whenever clients come in during four sessions in a series of months, they see a visible improvement in their hair, and the way it feels, and the things that used to bother them about how their scalp have resolved,” Wills said.
Elysian’s product lines feature Oway and KNESKO, which the owners chose for their high-quality ingredients. (Courtesy Elysian Head Spa)
Tips and tricks
Some at-home hair care tips that can help improve hair health include brushing the scalp, thoroughly shampooing the nape of one’s neck and developing a hair-wash schedule based on personal needs.
“People think that the less they wash their hair, the less hair they will lose and the more acclimated their scalp will be to having oil, and neither are true,” Wills said. “So, wash your hair.”
The founders began a blog to continue educating clients and answering questions about hair health and postpartum hair loss. Now, it has grown to include articles about the newest research in clinical hair care.
One more thing
The head spa recently relocated from its original location in Clarksville to a new spot in Central Austin. While the team is still adjusting to the move, Kirby and Wills expect to continue expanding in the future, potentially with additional locations in South Austin, as well as Houston and Dallas.
