Scalp Massage Can Increase Hair Thickness

Scientific research has now confirmed that standard scalp massage techniques can help to increase hair thickness. 

This will come as good news to the thousands of men and women who suffer from hair loss and are looking for natural, drug-free and evidence-based techniques to increase hair growth and fullness. 

Many health conditions such as hypothyroidism can cause hair loss by decreasing circulation to the scalp. 

Scalp massage has long been recommended as a natural therapy for inducing relaxation, whilst promoting overall hair regrowth and scalp health. 

A study published just last year in 2016 evaluated the effect of scalp massage on hair in nine healthy Japanese males and the effect of stretching forces on human dermal papilla cells in vitro.

Nine healthy men received 4 minutes of standardized scalp massage per day for 24 weeks using a scalp massage device. Total hair number, hair thickness, and hair growth rate were evaluated.

In addition, the study also evaluated the expression of hair cycle-related genes including IL6, NOGGIN, BMP4, and SMAD4.

Standardized scalp massage resulted in increased hair thickness 24 weeks after initiation of massage (0.085 ± 0.003 mm vs 0.092 ± 0.001 mm).

Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated increased expression of hair cycle–related genes such as NOGGIN, BMP4, SMAD4, and IL6ST and decrease in hair loss–related genes such as IL6.

Conclusion: Stretching forces result in changes in gene expression in human dermal papilla cells. Standardized scalp massage is a way to transmit mechanical stress to human dermal papilla cells in subcutaneous tissue. Hair thickness was shown to increase with standardized scalp massage.

References

[1] Standardized Scalp Massage Results in Increased Hair Thickness by Inducing Stretching Forces to Dermal Papilla Cells in the Subcutaneous Tissue https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4740347/  

The information in this article has not been evaluated by the FDA and should not be used to diagnose, cure or treat any disease, implied or otherwise.