The Hair Play Method
Japanese Head Spa Training & Certification for Cosmetologists
When I decided to open a head spa, I couldn't find anyone to teach me.
There was no course. No certification. No manual.
So I spent years and thousands of clients building one.
Jordan Dorris
Licensed Cosmetologist · Master Instructor, Cosmetology & Barbering
Licensed since 2021 · Oklahoma City
The gap
You can learn to wash hair anywhere. Nobody teaches you the scalp.
Here's what nobody tells you before you open a head spa. Everything you touch is scalp. And scalp is skin.
That means the person in your chair might have simple buildup. Or they might have seborrheic dermatitis, a chemical burn from a box dye, a fungal infection, or the early edge of something that needs a dermatologist.
They can look similar. They are not the same. Treating one like the other is how clients get hurt and businesses get sued.
Cosmetology school doesn't cover it. YouTube shows you the massage and never the analysis. And the weekend "certifications" run by product reps are selling you a product line.
That's the gap. I fell into it myself.
Real clients, real scalps
Four different scalps. One method.
Every one of these is a single service. Same protocol each time, adjusted to what the analysis found. Different hair types, different scalp tones, same result. This is what you are learning to do.
Buildup, cleared in one service. The course teaches you which scalps this works on and which ones get referred out.
The founder
I'm Jordan. I built this because I needed it and it didn't exist.
I'm a licensed cosmetologist and a master instructor, and I've been doing this a long time.
But when I decided to open a head spa, there was no course. No certification. No manual. So I built it. From the scalp up.
Years and thousands of clients later, I know what actually works and what just sounds good. I know what a scalp is telling me before the client says a word. I know which conditions you treat and which ones you send out. Getting that wrong is the mistake I see most often.
And I know the business side, because I learned it the expensive way. I grew too fast. I hired for the schedule instead of the heart. I went from twelve staff to three to fix it.
Everything I got wrong is in here so you don't have to pay for it twice.
Licensed since 2021. Thousands of scalps. One method you can repeat.
The method
The Hair Play Method is not a shampoo service with a nice name.
01
A real scalp analysis
A systematic sweep, done the same way every time, that tells you what you're actually looking at before you touch anyone.
02
A protocol built off what you find
Not one service for everybody. The analysis decides the products, the pressure, and whether you do the service at all.
03
A standard you can hold a team to
Written down, teachable, repeatable. That's the difference between having a skill and having a business.
Technique
See it done on a real head.
One clip from the nineteen technique videos, filmed in my own treatment room.
Inside the course
Eight sections. Sixty-nine lessons. Filmed in my own room, on a real head.
Section 1
Start Here
How the course works, what you need before you begin, and your download of the 141 page textbook.
Section 2
Foundations
Scalp anatomy, the hair growth cycle, why scalp is skin, and how sebum and buildup break the barrier.
Section 3
Consultation & Analysis
The systematic sweep, what you are looking for, the conditions and how to tell them apart, and exactly when to refer out.
Section 4
Setting Up the Room
Bed prep, implements, product layout, and preparing the client before anyone sits down.
Section 5
Performing the Head Spa
The full service, start to finish. The jade comb, the scalp massager, water and Halo technique, both cleanses, the scrubber, conditioning, and the finish.
Section 6
Professional Practice & Client Care
Sanitation and infection control, contraindications, and the scope of practice line every licensed professional needs to know.
Section 7
Building Your Head Spa Business
What to charge, what one service actually costs you to deliver, your service menu, capacity, rebooking, and hiring and paying a team.
Section 8
Certification
The 50 question exam, your certificate, and how to use it honestly.
Plus the full written curriculum, The Hair Play Method, 141 pages across 14 modules, with illustrated figures you'll come back to when you're standing over a real scalp and can't name what you see.
The toolkit
Sixteen downloads you will actually use.
Twelve reference cards sized for the treatment room, and three working spreadsheets for pricing and market research.
Pricing
Four ways in.
Certification and the credential are only included with The Hair Play Method Course and above.
The Hair Play Method e-Book
$299
The complete written curriculum. 141 pages across 14 modules with illustrated anatomy figures. Study the method at your own pace — the credential is not included with this tier.
- 141 page illustrated curriculum, 14 modules
- Scalp anatomy, the growth cycle, and the science
- Professional scalp analysis
- The full head spa protocol, bed prep to final rinse
- Delivered by email immediately, watermarked to you
- Your $299 credits toward the Course if you upgrade
Curriculum only. The certification, graded checks, and credential are only included with The Hair Play Method Course.
The Hair Play Method Course
$997
Everything in the book, plus the full video course and your certification.
- Everything in The Hair Play Method e-Book
- 69 lessons across 8 sections
- 19 technique videos, filmed on a real head
- 16 downloads, including 12 reference cards for the treatment room
- Seven graded checks as you work through it
- A 50 question final exam, unlimited attempts
- Your certificate, issued when you finish
- Lifetime access to updates
The whole method, on your own time. Team pricing available for 2 or more. Ask us.
In-Person Certification
$1,799
Everything in The Hair Play Method Course, plus two days hands-on with me and a practical assessment.
- Everything in The Hair Play Method Course
- Two days at the spa with Jordan
- You perform the service on a real client with her watching
- Hands-on practical assessment
- Limited dates
Dates are set with Jordan before anything is paid.
On-Site Team Training
From $1,999
Jordan travels to your location and certifies your whole team over two days.
- Everything in In-Person Certification, for each person
- Two days at your place, on your own equipment
- Your whole team trained the same way, at the same time
- The full written curriculum for every person
- Hands-on practical assessment
- Individual certification for each person
- Available anywhere in the US
Quoted per engagement. The final number depends on your location, your team size, and the dates you need.
The book on its own is $299. The course is $997. If you start with the book, the course is $698.
Plain terms
Let me be straight about what this is.
What it is not
A private certification from my company. Not a state license. Not issued or endorsed by any cosmetology board, and it does not authorize you to do anything your state requires a license for. Those rules are different everywhere, they change, and they are yours to check.
What it is
Proof that you learned a specific method from someone who has done it thousands of times, and a credential issued in your name when you finish.
Why I say it this way
I would rather tell you plainly than oversell it. The people who take this seriously are the people I want carrying my method.
Tell us about your team.
On-Site training opens soon. Tell us what you need and you'll be first to hear when dates open.
Answers
Questions.
Do I need to be a licensed cosmetologist?
No. But check your own state's rules about what you're allowed to perform on a client. This certification teaches you a method. It doesn't override licensing.
How long does it take?
Most people finish in four to six weeks working a few evenings a week. There's no clock running on you.
Do I need your exact products?
No. You need the categories: a jade comb, a scalp massager, a scrubber, a rinse tool, and four product types. The technique is the thing that matters. The tool is just a tool.
How does the exam work?
Fifty multiple choice questions drawn from the book and the videos. Open book, and you can retake it as many times as you need. We'd rather you know the material than pass on the first try. Every answer is cited to a page in the book. Your certificate is issued when you finish the course. The exam is included with The Hair Play Method Course and above.
Can I share it with my team?
Each license is one named person, and every digital copy is watermarked with that person's name and email. The Hair Play Method Course has team pricing for two or more people. Just ask. The curriculum on its own is sold per person.