If your scalp is haunted by half-hearted hair care, there’s a place in Bellingham where you can go to revive it. Moondog Head Spa & Haunt is the private studio of hairstylist Deirdre Miller. It may share space with the ghosts of the Herald Building, but that’s not why Miller called it a haunt.
“I’ve just always been drawn to the macabre,” she says. As a self-described lover of “fall, Halloween, and all things spooky,” Miller chose to use the word “haunt” as a synonym for the original definition of “salon,” a place to relax and connect. Fred the Skeleton greets you when you walk in, acting as an ambassador to the holistically balanced space. “It was really important to me to create a space where there’s a mix of lightness and darkness, because that’s just life and that’s who I am.”
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
Miller is originally from Skagit Valley, and has worked as a stylist in Bellingham for nearly 20 years. Moondog (which is also named for her beloved dog Luna and a Beatles lyric) is her first independent studio, where she offers her high-end razor haircuts and a rare type of personal care: head spa.
For those not in the know, a head spa is a type of health and beauty treatment focused specifically on your scalp and, to a lesser extent, your hair. The two are linked, of course, but the scalp tends to be more neglected.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
“Every head spa is going to be different,” says Miller. “My interpretation comes from the Japanese traditional head spa, where it really focuses on scalp health, circulation, relaxation, and just reminding people that your scalp is skin. Your face keeps going; it’s not just hair.”
A Moondog head spa experience begins with a conversation, where Miller asks about anything bothering you, which products you use, and your stress levels (that’s why her recommended new client appointment is called “Talking Heads”). Next, there’s the option to get a closer look at your scalp via a handheld micro-camera, a trichoscope. This helps Miller identify any issues, like clogged follicles or flakes.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
From there, she customizes the experience to suit each client. Once you’re “burritoed at the bowl,” (laid back on a comfortable salon chair at a washing bowl), she’ll use steam, aromatherapy, massage, shampoos, conditioners, and other magic to refresh and revitalize your scalp.
Miller uses a small curation of products from ethical, sustainable, and organic or clean-ingredient companies like Reverie, CULT+KING, Areté, and HuiHui Essentials. More than just the products, head spa is about sensation—scents, sounds, and soothing touch, from a waterfall of water to scalp massage to release tension (looking at you, chronic headache-havers out there). As a holistic hairstylist with a background in reiki and healing touch, Miller is also happy to add energy healing into your service.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
At the end of your service, you can use the trichoscope to see the difference. Miller loves educating clients on at-home scalp care, and offers a shorter appointment for returning clients seeking scalp maintenance or seasonal detoxes. Her separately booked haircut appointments can also feature “scalp ritual” add-ons. She always wants her clients to leave feeling “relaxed, grounded, and educated.”
“The head spa focuses on tending to a forgotten part of your body, and that helps you connect to the rest,” Miller says.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
Moondog Head Spa & Haunt is private for that exact purpose. Wherever your head’s at, Miller encourages you to “show up as you are, flaky scalp and all.” 1155 N. State St., Ste. 304, Bellingham, moondoghaunt.com
