It’s common knowledge that the best hair comes from a well maintained scalp. It is no surprise that in this era of beautiful and healthy hair, scalp treatments have become one of the hottest services in salons today. 

MODERN turned to the Rene Furterer brand, pioneers in the scalp treatment arena, to learn more. Founded in Paris in the mid 1950’s, stylist Rene Furterer created his products and treatments after acknowledging that hair could only be repaired and revitalized from the roots of a healthy scalp. A botanical expert, Furterer created plant based hair care products designed to heal hair in a more natural way. The Rene Furterer philosophy of “Beautiful hair grows from a healthy scalp, like a plant in fertile soil,” first noted more than 60 years ago, resonates today more than ever.

The Rene Furterer story began in Provence, France when the young Furterer became fascinated with botany while working on plants with his grandmother. He observed that the most carefully cared for soil created the healthiest plants. Years later, when he entered the beauty world, he brought his beliefs with him, developing scalp treatments and massages to develop a cared for and nurtured base for better hair.

The innovative Furterer eventually found himself working in Paris in his wife’s salon. He was challenged, not just by scalps, but by the hair compromised by the Marilyn Monroe bleach-outs popular at the time. There were no products available to repair the damage, so he decided to create something himself. His solution became what is now known as the Karite Nourishing Mask and Complexe 5, both designed to revitalize and repair damaged hair. Then, in 1957, he opened his first hair spa, using these products and other new developments in a three-phase customized ritual of “Prepare, Cleanse, and Treat.” Using his masks and oils, Furterer was quoted as saying, “I turned towards nature to try formulas that seemed likely to improve the general state of hair. I worked on the assumption that nature, with all of its riches, would provide me with inexhaustible resources.”

There are 70 products in 21 ranges in the line in the United States (there are other products in other countries), including treatments , shampoos and styling products, all with the goal to address scalp health, thinning hair and all other hair and scalp needs and conditions. Primarily processed at the Gaillac site in France, key ingredients, including Argan, lavender, pfaffia, okara, Asteraceae, carob, Shea butter and Shea oil, are transformed and then blended to create the formulas. Committed to the planet, all the products are created with the environment in mind and applies a fair trade, supportive and accountable sourcing approach for the procurement of plants.

There are 4000 Rene Furterer Salons and spas throughout the world but the main spa in Paris is in a townhouse at 15 Place de la Madeleine in the heart of the 8th arrondissement. It is there that the brand receives all the French and international customers. An academy, for full training on both practical and technical for salon professionals and pharmacists, is on the 4th floor.

Each ritual is simple but intense, and highly personalized. Every visit begins with an diagnosis. Two private analysis rooms are right off the entrance, a beautiful reception area featuring a lovely retail display and elegant furnishings. A treatment specialist examines the hair and scalp using a patented diagnostic tool called a Capilliscope to determine the individual needs of the scalp and hair.

Once analyzed, the guest is escorted to the second level (via an elegant staircase) to a private treatment room which is dark and comfortable. There, based on the diagnosis, the client is "prepared" and treated to a lovely scalp massage where specific nutritional oils and stimulants are used on the scalp to activate circulation to leave the scalp receptive to treatment. This treatment can last anywhere from 45 to 120 minutes which is followed by a customized shampoo and conditioning rinse, the "cleanse" phase. Any issue is addressed including thinning, frizz, curl, dry scalp, dull, aged, weakened, fine/limp, coarse, damaged, color treated or oily prone. The last phase of "treat" takes place in the salon, just beyond the treatment rooms. The client is finished and styled with serums, creams, leave-ins and finishing sprays designed to purify, hydrate, nourish or desensitize; or beautify by either smoothing or enhancing texture or shine.

This service, along with the and scalp treatments - condensed versions of the Paris Institute rituals - are now taking place in the any of the 500 Rene Furterer salons and spa affiliates in the United States. The brand offers its own program for any salon professional to become a “Certified Scalp Therapist” – a perfect title for a perfect service.