How To Give Yourself A Soothing Head & Scalp Massage

We all love having our hair washed at the hairdressers as somehow it helps us to switch off and relax for a while. There’s just something about those magic fingers as they gently massage your scalp and condition your hair. But have you ever considered trying this treatment at home by indulging in a self-soothing head and scalp massage? In this post, we’ll be taking you through the benefits and how to get the most out of this simple ritual…

THE BENEFITS OF HEAD AND SCALP MASSAGES

A head massage…

• can be very relaxing as tension is relieved in the scalp and neck.
• promotes better sleep.
• alleviates stress and acts as a mood enhancer by increasing serotonin levels.
• enhances your blood circulation, bringing oxygen and nutrients to the surface, feeding the scalp and hair roots from the inside.
• strengthens the roots of the hair follicles and encourages new hair growth.
• helps to remove dead skin cells and product build-up.
• releases the scalp’s natural oils through the sebaceous glands.
• rejuvenates dry, damaged hair.
• encourages healing of any scalp issues such as dryness, itchiness, dandruff, eczema & psoriasis.

SOOTHING HEAD AND SCALP MASSAGE HOW-TO

For us, a head and scalp massage is also the perfect opportunity to engage in some mindfulness, a mini-meditation, so we recommend sitting yourself down somewhere that feels comfortable, closing your eyes and allowing yourself that time to relax before taking a shower. If you find meditation difficult or are new to meditating/massage, remember that this can last for just a few minutes and you can always extend this time as you feel able to. You can also do this whilst applying conditioner when washing your hair if you are short on time or uncomfortable.

Using your fingers and thumbs of both hands, begin to massage your head in small circular motions, being careful to avoid tangling the hair and taking in a deep breath as you do so. On the out-breath, increase pressure with your fingers, repeating these steps as you proceed from the front of the head to the back and to each side. It’s important to apply firm, consistent pressure, using the shape of the hairline as a guide. Follow this by moving down the back and sides of your neck too, and anywhere along your shoulders where tension feels like it has built up. Work back up the neck to the top of your head and then down again as many times as you like whilst focusing on the feel of your fingertips on your head and scalp.

*TOP TIP*

We love to use our Scalp Oil, which has just launched, for extra nourishment. If you don’t have any scalp oil to hand, then you can use olive oil or coconut oil. Part the hair as necessary to massage a small amount of oil into different parts of the scalp using our method above. Leave this in for around 30 minutes before washing out with one of our favourite natural shampoos. Don’t be afraid of using a scalp oil if you have oily hair – this can prevent the over-production of your natural oils, thus reducing the appearance of greasy hair.

Continue to breathe deeply, letting any thoughts come and go. If you find yourself drifting, bring your attention back to the movements of the massage and your breathing.

You might also like:

Common Causes Of An Itchy Scalp And Ways To Prevent/Treat It

A Healthy Scalp Is Skincare For Heads

Face Massage For Naturally Glowing Skin

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED AN AT-HOME HEAD AND SCALP MASSAGE?

We’d love for you to tell us in a comment below!