The Ultimate Guide to Taiwanese Traditional Hair Washing (Zuo Xi)

If there's one affordable luxury you must try in Taiwan, it’s the traditional Taiwanese hair wash. Visiting a local salon isn't just about getting clean hair; it's a 30 to 45-minute wellness experience that usually costs less than a cup of specialty coffee in the West.

Here is what you need to know about the legendary "Zuo Xi" (坐洗) - the sitting hair wash.

What is Zuo Xi (Sitting Hair Wash)?

Unlike Western salons where you immediately lie back into a basin, a traditional Taiwanese hair wash happens while you are sitting completely upright in the styling chair.

The stylist squirts a special shampoo and a small amount of water directly onto your dry (or slightly damp) hair. With rapid, expert finger movements, they whip the shampoo into a massive tower of thick foam right on your head.

The foam is so dense that it doesn't drip down your face or ruin your makeup.

The Process

1. The Scalp and Neck Massage Before the water even touches your hair, many traditional salons will give you a vigorous shoulder, neck, and scalp massage using essential oils or cooling mint lotions.

2. The Foam Tower While generating the foam, the stylist uses their fingertips to intensely scrub your scalp. The pressure is usually quite strong, which feels incredible after a long day of walking around Taipei in the heat.

Pro Tip: Some stylists get creative and sculpt the foam into funny shapes on top of your head, like Minnie Mouse ears or a tall ice cream cone. They will usually hand you a mirror so you can take a selfie.

3. The Rinse (Chong Shui) After the sitting part is over, they will walk you over to the basin. Here, they rinse your hair while applying a hot towel to your neck or forehead.

4. The Blowout After the wash, they will blow-dry and style your hair beautifully at no extra charge.

How to Ask For It

When you walk into a traditional, neighborhood salon (look for the spinning barber poles that have red, white, and blue stripes, or sometimes just red and blue), simply say:

"Xi Tou" (洗頭) - This literally means "Wash Head".

If they ask you if you want it sitting or lying down, say: "Zuo Xi" (坐洗) - Sitting wash.

Cost

A standard traditional wash usually costs between $200 to $400 NTD ($6 to $12 USD) depending on the neighborhood. Tipping is not required in Taiwan!

Skip the expensive hotel spas. This is the authentic Taiwanese way to pamper yourself.