Hair massage is a technique that can bring many benefits, which seem to have been known already in ancient times. It is said that Julius Caesar, unwilling to embrace his baldness, besides masking, would undergo scalp massage with nettle and chili lotions to try to counteract hair loss.
In fact, a regular massage of the scalp is a healthy habit to guarantee the maximum brilliance of the hair, compatible with the individual physical condition; how to say that – at equal risk factors for baldness – those who massage their hair regularly and in the right way can at least contribute to delaying the fall.
The rational scientific of this treatment lies in the hypothesis that baldness also recognizes an ischemic etiology. According to this theory, hair loss would be expression of a low blood inflow in the scalp, with poor vascularization of the ‘roots’ (bulb and dermal papilla). Benefits of hair massage
As mentioned, hair massage could help to prevent baldness. Massaging your hair, especially with the aid of rubeus lotions, in fact, helps stimulate the blood circulation of epicranic skin by increasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients available to bulbs. Hence the usefulness of massotherapy against hair loss. Another important aspect is that hair massage can favor and improve the penetration of active substances applied before and / or after the massage itself. Finally, the massage makes the galea capitis more elastic.
Although the ischemic etiology of baldness has long been reshaped, if not entirely excluded, from scientific work, empirical experience suggests that scalp massage can be effective in slowing down hair loss. Fundamental, in this sense, is the support of appropriate lotions for your scalp (dry, greasy or forbidden).
Summing up, the main benefits of hair massage are:
- Improving and reactivate microcirculation at the scalp.
- Promoting the penetration of active and nutrient substances that are applied before, after, or during the same massage.
- It can counteract the dryness of the scalp because it stimulates sebum production (an element that under normal conditions exerts a protective action on the same scalp).
- Foster relaxation and consequently decrease accumulated stress (in fact, individuals with active and very stressful lifestyles seem to be more predisposed to hair loss).
Important recommendations:
In case of incipient baldness, marked, sudden or any source of personal discomfort, it is advisable to submit your case to a dermatologist who is experienced in hair care (trichology). Hoping to stop a hormone-based fall or hair restoration through simple massage of the scalp is quite optimistic. In this sense, the DIY remedies risk losing only time and other hair. Today there are effective pharmacological solutions for all types of alopecia (drugs such as finasteride and minoxidil in androgenetic alopecia - TOS in menopausal women - corticosteroids, photodynamic therapy and laser in alopecia areata). Ultimately it is also possible to resort to hair transplantation.
Hair Massage technique
In general, the massage technique involves tapping the entire scalp with the tip of your fingers, then massage it in circular direction with your fingertips by making more or less energetic movements. Massage pressure, duration and rhythm should be adjusted to the condition of the hair: if they are healthy and strong the massage can be energetic (but not excessively), while if they are weak and easy to fall the pressure will be lighter and vibratory. Usually, it is recommended to massage the hair from the lower part of the head to the top and not the reverse.
Generally, it is recommended to massage the hair twice or three times a week for 5-10 minutes. Abandoning excessive enthusiasm for this technique by massaging the scalp excessively can cause an increase in sebum production (a detrimental aspect to hair health), resulting in counter-productive results. Therefore, in subjects with fat hair, massage should not be too vigorous or excessively prolonged over time.
It is important, according to some specialists, to apply the so-called ‘scavenging’ technique of scalp, performed by trying, by the help of the fingertips, to dislodge the scalp from the underlying bone; this practice is strengthened by so-called facial gymnastics, through which it is attempted to stimulate the recruitment of the hair muscles that are used for the scalp motility.
Finally, some prefer to do hair massage not with their hands, but with the help of natural bristle brushes. This massage is performed by placing the brush at the top of the head and then moving it with gentle movements towards the forehead, the temples and the base of the neck. Various types of electric masseurs, specially designed for hair massage, are also available on the market.
What products can be used for hair massage?
The products with which you can make hair massage are really many. In fact, simple products such as olive oil and argan go to real hair oils formulated with various active and nutritional substances. Hair massage can also be done with detergents or shampoos during normal washing. Finally, there are certainly no herbal and natural products or lotions derived from popular medicine that will be addressed in the following paragraph.
Popular medicine
In light of what we have said so far, we can say that scalp massage is one of the oldest treatments to give strength and vigor to hair, delaying its fall. Equally ancient is the search for the natural remedy best suited to this purpose, applied on the hair during massage to favor its absorption.
Much before the advent of minoxidil, popular medicine has selected a long list of presumed anti-fall remedies, also borrowed from modern trichology (which uses them mainly in the form of properly diluted essential oils). Even in this case the most suitable remedy for the drug depends on the characteristics of the patient and his hair.
For example, the treatment of a subject with alopecia areata will be completely different from that suitable for a male with androgenetic alopecia or a woman during menopause. Anyway, among the most popular natural ingredients used by popular medicine to counteract hair loss, there is certainly no hiccup and hives.
The decortication of nettle roots can be considered the natural remedy for excitement against hair loss on an androgenic basis; modern phytotherapy has confirmed that nerve root causes an anti-androgen activity, blocking the testosterone conversion enzyme in didrothestosterone (the latter heavily involved in the progressive miniaturization of hair follicles, followed by hair loss).
The other natural ingredient used by popular medicine is the calendula, a medicinal plant often found in natural hair lotions for hair loss. At the same time, in the past, popular medicine provided for the use of the hair to revive the color of dark hair. However, at present there is no confirmation of the supposed anti-fall properties attributed to this plant.
Home lotions for scalp massage
Traditional medicine has always been used for natural hair care and natural hair care products in order to preserve their health and to counteract their fall. Here are some recipes for the preparation of DIY lotions (taken from traditional medicine), which include the use of the above mentioned nettle and herbal plants.
A popular recipe suggests using 300 grams of pickled nettle roots in the autumn, 15 grams of rosemary (useful against impure skins and fat hair) and 20 grams of peppers. It is boiled for about ten minutes in a solution of one liter of water and 400 grams of vinegar, filtered and allowed to cool. With the solution obtained, wash your hair by friction before bed and rinse with water the next day.
A variant of the previous recipe suggests using 150 g of nettle (roots), 20 grams of chili (fruits) and 20 grams of romasrino (leaves). Simply boil the drugs for about twenty minutes in half a liter of vinegar. After this period let it rest for 30 minutes and filter. With the solution wash your hair by rubbing them before bed and rinse with water the next day.
Home lotions for scalp massage
There are many lotions designed and used by popular medicine to counteract baldness. One of these plans to put 100 grams of hairstyle (aerial parts) in boiling water; keep boiling for ten minutes, then cover and leave to rest for five minutes. Filter, let cool and use for the last rinse of hair with scalp massage. This remedy is indicated to eliminate dandruff and curb hair loss.
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