Free hair washes, grants, and rebuilt lives

When Scalp Sanctuary opened in November of 2024 its owner’s first worry was how to build a customer base, not that its local audience would be decimated by lack of housing soon after its opening. Only six weeks later, on January 7, 2025, the Eaton Fires swept through Pasadena, displacing many families including the employees of Scalp Sanctuary.

Adrine Avetyan, owner and licensed therapist, has devoted her professional life to the service of people, and giving them the tools to better navigate their lives. One of the first actions she took as owner after the Eaton Fire was to create a short reprieve from the absurdity of the situation.

“We opened up our spa to give free hair washes to community members.  Yeah, it’s just a hair wash, but it was a feeling of being taken care of, being nurtured,” said Aventyan. “We wanted to do so as soon as possible. My family had to relocate for a bit because we live in Pasadena too, but I wanted to get back,” continued Aventyan.

Her desire to be of service rallied her business to continue operation despite the difficulty. “There was such a grief and it wasn’t only our business. It was a change of energy. Many people from the business next door who I knew personally to complete strangers, lost their homes and had to relocate,” said Aventyan. Re-opening was so important to her because it meant she could begin to give again.

Now Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Los Angeles (LISC LA) and Coramino Tequila, which is in part owned by comedian Kevin Hart, have created the backbone that Aventyan can use as a springboard.

‘It’s been very rewarding.’ Adrine Avetyan

The Coramino Fund was awarded to Aventyan in August, along with six other businesses. The grant totaled to $10,000, allowing for Scalp Sanctuary to push itself forward.

“Allowing our staff to continued to be employed was the most important piece of it; then our inventory and keeping the sounds baths that we do for the community came next. We wanted to make our services more accessible, which we prioritized,” said Aventyan.

The grant is one of the several ways LISC LA has helped create that foundation under Scalp Sanctuary again. Aventyan had also participated in LISC LA’s Rebuild Lab, which helped her find community while she was still in the first year of opening the spa.

“I wanted to be in a place where I connected with different community members, business owners. My hope was to teach what I know and learn what I don’t. Really, it was also to talk to other people who know the struggle of owning a business,” said Avetyan.

The normalcy afforded by the give and take of the Rebuild Lab was another allure, including a sense of belonging. When her family was displaced, Avetyan was not given a wide choice of actions or avenues to take.

“It was stressful and difficult, but I’m very spiritual. I trust the process of the journey, I allow whatever needs to happen, to happen,” said Avetyan.

Now, the journey that Scalp Sanctuary had to weather has left it stronger than before. It employs twenty staff now, and is becoming the social space it was designed to be. The Pasadena location offers head spa sessions, with each session including a scalp detection and massage, a jojoba oil treatment, shampoo and conditioning, and an optional blow-dry. The spa also runs a Styling Bar with blowouts, dry styling, and updos, plus a $25 wash-only service. It also offers services for thinning hair, wellness offerings of 60-minute massages, facials, cupping, lymphatic drainage, and red light therapy. The meditation and sound bath room hosts weekly Sound baths sessions and other guided sessions. The studio is open daily (except Tuesdays), from 9:00  a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and offers 30% off a first treatment on Mondays and Wednesdays.

“I wanted to have a community hub that was centered around self-care, where people could come in, build relationships and give themselves permission to slow down. Now it’s also an opportunity to give jobs to people. It’s been very rewarding,” said Avetyan.

Going forward, her eyes are set on sustainable growth. It’s a happy place to stand now, two years since its launch. Scalp Sanctuary wants to establish itself as a mainstay in the community.