Scoop: Uptown salon Kenna Kunijo expands with viral Japanese head spa
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Kenna Ehman (L) and Lauren Kunijo (R) are the founders and owners of Kenna Kunijo Salon in Uptown. Headshots by Drew Furr, courtesy of Kenna Kunijo.
Kenna Kunijo, one of Charlotte's best-known hair salons, is evolving into a full-service beauty and wellness destination with the addition of a Japanese head spa.
Why it matters: The new service is the latest step in the salon's yearslong expansion of services, part of a growing trend of businesses making it easier to stack multiple wellness appointments into one visit.
Driving the news: Kenna Kunijo will open bookings Aug. 4 for its head spa, with appointments starting Sept. 1.
What to expect: Think of it as part spa treatment, part hair appointment. The luxury experience combines a heated massage bed, water therapy and a scalp massage focused on scalp health before finishing with a blowout.
The intrigue: Japanese head spas have become a viral wellness trend, with several studios popping up around Charlotte over the last couple years.
- Kenna Kunijo's co-founder Kenna Ehman says her goal was to create a more streamlined version of the traditional Japanese head spa, which can often take upwards of two hours.
- "We wanted something that still gets great results but is quicker and more efficient," Ehman says.
- Introductory pricing starts at $150 for a 60-minute experience with a blowout or $75 for a 30-minute express service without one.
The big picture: The head spa is just one piece of the salon's transition from a traditional hair salon into a full-service self-care hub.
- Today, clients can pair a haircut with a facial, get Botox while their hair color processes or finish a head spa treatment with a blowout — all without leaving the building.
- The idea is to trade one longer appointment for fewer trips across town. It's being high maintenance for a day so you can be low maintenance the rest of the time, Ehman explains.
Yes, and: The salon's expansion is the latest example of Charlotte's growing "one-stop wellness" trend, with businesses combining fitness, recovery and beauty services under one roof, from gyms adding recovery spaces to cold plunge studios, like Sauna House expanding into massage services.
Flashback: Friends Kenna Ehman and Lauren Kunijo opened Kenna Kunijo in a 900-square-foot South End space in 2018. Growing demand led them to relocate last year to a 6,000-square-foot space inside Uptown's Ellis Building.
- The salon has built a reputation as a go-to in Charlotte while staying rooted in community, donating a portion of monthly sales to rotating local charities.
- Ehman says the idea to expand into beauty and wellness services came after years of clients asking for recommendations on Botox, facials and other treatments — or requesting they be offered in-house.
How it works: Injections and facials are done by two separate local businesses working out of the space.
- The Modern Aesthetic offers services like Botox, lip filler and facial balancing.
- SaskiaMyre Atelier provides a range of facials, peels and other skincare treatments.
- Kenna Kunijo's own team will operate the Japanese head spa and will only be available Fridays and Saturdays to start.
What's next: Massage therapy is also coming soon, says Ehman.
The bottom line: Charlotte's wellness economy is increasingly operating on the idea customers want more services in one place and fewer appointments on their calendars.
Stop by: Find Kenna Kunijo at 525 Ellis Ln Ste 105.