I have always had this problem every year: hair makeover, styling, or overall upkeep is always only done in the first quarter of the year and then forgotten until the following year. Well, I hope to change that this year onwards.

I think one of the reason why this is the case is because I am always reluctant to spend a bomb on my hair. Seriously. Long hair = hell lot of money needed to get it fixed. One trip to a hair salon to cut/style, dye, and treat my hair would likely cost me between RM200-500; and that depends on how expensive the treatment is too! Not only that, I dislike salons that try to hardsell me into buying their products when I’m there. Have you ever gotten such treatment before?

Of course, not all salons are like that. Daisuke certainly wasn’t like that. And this new hair salon that I’ve been to (EKA Hair Wellness Centre) is definitely not like that. Seriously, I’m not kidding. I can personally tell you from my own experience that they do not try to hardsell their products to you. Perhaps they’ll talk to you about their products (because let’s face it, it’s bound to happen at one point in time haha) but not to be a pushy salesperson hoping to make a bang of the buck from you.

Personally though, I’d give their products (at EKA that is) a go. I’ll explain a bit more below.

A Haven of Organic Hair Care Products

First and foremost, this is not my usual go-to place. It’s a tad far for me but I’m not going to complain much because I’ve driven all the way to Setapak to get my hair done cheaply before (never again).

Highlights and Attraction

Organic Products

Bet you’ve heard this one before, yes? But let me tell you that after browsing through the selection of hair products used in this salon, almost everything here is organic. Surprisingly, the non-organic product isn’t the bleaches used on your hair; it’s their Keratin treatment. They have an interesting array of henna hair colours, and contrary to popular belief (aka me) henna hair dyes come in a variety of colours. That’s right, you can find ash brown, blue black, and even your usual reds and violets that you can find in your typical hair salon! And they’re all organic. Unfortunately, there’s no crazy colours as of yet but keeping fingers crossed and hope it’ll come one day…

Speaking of hair bleaches, EKA uses products from Philip Martin’s. I couldn’t believe my ears when my stylist, Norman, told me that. Conventional hair bleaches tend to make my eyes water and smart; and my scalp super itchy and has that painful burning sensation (even when it doesn’t touch my scalp). But this bleach does absolutely none of those on me. Bonus: no stinky smell at all.

Feels like home

Okay, maybe not so much like home. But EKA Hair Wellness Centre certainly has that cosy, comfortable feeling. Take the picture above for example. This setting is the first thing that had greeted me the moment I had stepped into the salon.

Slightly to the right, there’s an actual kitchen/bar where the attendant would serve you a soothing cup of hot green tea. In that glass cabinet you’ll find an array of Philip Martin’s hair products that’s available for purchase if you’re interested.

This corner, which was to the left from the ‘dining table’ area, boasts of a comfy living room space complete with an Apple TV and a grand piano.

I couldn’t resist taking this random photo, mainly because I like the setting. Plus, there’s a bunny in the picture!

Service

I’m a very chill person when it comes to getting my hair done. I don’t yell, I don’t bitch, I don’t make funny faces and complain until the pink cows come home. On the downside, I don’t talk much either so I may be perceived to be a snobby client haha.

That said, the staff here are all quite attentive to the clients’ needs. Friendly and cheerful, without being overly so.

Protip: this place has free WiFi and complementary green tea. Remember to ask for them when you’re there!

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Now for the verdict!

Before

Self-bleached hair (el-cheapo hahahahahaaha) that I didn’t do anything about after bleaching it. Initially wanted to dye it blue using Manic Panic but I lacked time and eventually forgot about it. Hair was quite rough and full of split ends, considering the last time I had a trim was…ages ago.

After

Added bleached highlights and dyed my entire head (or hair?) ash brown. The bleached highlights were subtle, and as you can see the Ash Brown colour covered my unsightly red-yellow hair nicely. My hair didn’t dry up or feel crunchy even after a few days, so that’s a thumbs up for me.

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I’m sure you’re curious about the prices (or at least I hope so!) by now. So here’s what I had gotten from the salon.

EKA ROOTS PRICE LIST

HENNA HAIR GROWTH SERVICES MENU

Henna Colour + Hair Growth Treatment
(Special henna mixed with special herbs, essential oils and our follicle cream)
RM270 Per Session
RM1,900 for 8 Sessions (Save RM260)

Henna Colour
(Special Henna)
RM138 (Touch Up)
RM148 (Short) RM158 (Medium) RM168 (Long Hair)
RM970 for 8 Sessions (Save from RM138)

Hair Growth Treatment
(Special herbs, essential oils and our follicle cream)
RM250 Per Session
RM1,800 for 8 Sessions (Save RM200)

Express Scalp Follicle Cream Treatment
(Our follicle cream with essential oils)
RM100 Per Session
RM600 for 8 Sessions (Save RM200)

SALON SERVICES MENU

Manicure and Pedicure
Full Mani………..RM48(W) RM58(M)
Hand Spa…………RM128
Full Pedi………..RM58(W) RM68(M)
Foot Spa…………RM138
Gel Nails………..RM108(Fingers) RM118(Toes)
OPI Scrub………..RM38
Mani-Pedi………..RM95
Remove Gel……….RM15
Express………….RM25(Mani) RM35(Pedi)
Nail Art…………RM5 per nail
Buffing………….RM10
French Mani/Pedi….RM10
Extensions……….RM198(Full) RM25(One nail) RM35(One toe)
Remove Nail Ext…..RM48(Full) RM10(One nail)
Package RM600 for RM700 of any Mani Pedi Services above

Argila Keratin and Rebonding Treatments
Argila Keratin Straightening
RM538(S) RM599(M) RM688(L) RM 768(XL)
Argila Treatment
RM230(S) RM260(M) RM280(L) RM310(XL)
Rebonding
RM240(M) RM250(L) RM270(XL)

Hair Cut and blow dry
Men……………..RM50.00
Women……………RM75.00(full cut) RM50.00(trim)
Child……………RM30.00
Just Blow………..RM28(S) RM38(M) RM48(L)
Wash & Blow………RM38(S) RM48(M) RM58 (L)

Philip Martin’s Treatments
Scalp Treatment
RM150(S) RM160(M) RM170(L)
Four Seasons
RM200(S) RM220(M) RM240(L) RM260(XL)
Keratin
RM260(S) RM300(M) RM330(L) RM360(XL)

Philip Martin’s Organic Colour Quote

	Short	Shoulder	Long	Very Long
Whole Head Bleach	160	180	200	230
Highlights Bleach	180	200	220	250
Base Colour	90	100	110	120
Colour Tone Overall	200	230	260	280
Colour Tone (Roots)	150	170	180	200

Section highlights (fringe or streaks)………………….RM25 per foil

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Some nitty-gritty details on where you can find them. Please make sure to book an appointment before the actual date to avoid any disappointment k?

Eka Roots
123 Jalan Maarof
Bangsar
59000 Kuala Lumpur
(landmark: Eka is located right next to SUEN Jewellers)

Contact: 03 – 2856 0775
Facebook: Eka Roots Hair and Scalp Wellness

Got a question? Leave it below in the comment box! 🙂