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Grow More Hair With 1 Simple Step

Have you paid much attention to your scalp lately – if at all?

If you’re like a lot of my patients, you use high-end, expensive shampoos, conditioners, and other hair care products.

But they’re not doing a thing to help your hair get healthy or grow. In fact, a lot of these products end up harming the scalp by clogging your hair follicles.

The result is thinning hair that starts to fall out — sometimes in patches, sometimes along the hairline.

I tell my patients to think of the scalp as an extension of their skin. After all, it’s not that different from the skin on your face, back, or anywhere.

And I recommend a two-step treatment protocol that will restore the health of your scalp and hair.

The first step to growing lush, healthy locks is to massage your scalp every day. And the research backs it up.

In a recent study, nine participants received a four-minute scalp massage each day for 24 weeks. At the end of the study, all of them had thicker hair than they did at the start.1

The results of a second study were even more dramatic.

In this study, 340 men and women with androgenic alopecia — sometimes called male pattern baldness — massaged their scalps twice a day for an average of 15 minutes.2

By the end of the study, 69% of participants said that their alopecia had greatly improved.

Here’s how it works…

When you massage your scalp, you activate hair follicle germs (HFGs) — the cells that help grow hair follicles.hair loss patients

HFGs are mesenchymal stem cells that exist right below the surface of the scalp. And this kind of research attacks the root cause of baldness.

The next step is exfoliation.

Exfoliating the skin on your face opens up clogged pores and revives dull, dry skin.

Exfoliating your scalp does the same thing.

It involves using an exfoliating scrub that helps buff away dead skin cells, unclog pores, and eliminate product build-up from the hair follicles.

You’re essentially “detoxing” the skin on your head, leaving you with a scalp that feels clean and healthy.

When done regularly, scalp exfoliation can also eliminate dandruff, control oil, and stimulate hair growth.

Here are a couple of exfoliating scalp ingredients to try:

  • Bentonite clay: Also called Indian healing clay, bentonite has been used since ancient times to cleanse the face and scalp.3 Bentonite clay has amazing ionic properties that help pull toxins, heavy metals, and impurities from your skin. It also removes dead skin cells, strengthens your hair, and prevents hair loss right at the follicles.Mix 2 parts clay to 3 parts water (or apple cider vinegar) in a non-metallic bowl to form a smooth paste, then work it into your scalp. Rinse after 10 minutes.Do this once or twice a month for good scalp health.
  • Tea tree oil: This is an essential oil with healing antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that have been proven to treat itchy scalp conditions like seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis.4Add a couple of drops of tea tree oil to the bentonite clay mixture or your favorite carrier oil like almond, jojoba, or coconut oil and massage it directly onto your scalp.

Make Your Own Exfoliating Hair Massage Scrub

Here’s a simple DIY massaging and exfoliating scrub that uses rosemary oil, honey, and brown sugar.

Rosemary oil improves circulation and stimulates hair growth at the root… Honey retains moisture, restores nutrients, and promotes cell growth, and … Brown sugar works to gently exfoliate the scalp and increase circulation.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp raw brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp organic coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp filtered water
  • 1 tsp raw honey
  • 2-3 drops rosemary oil

Directions:

Add the first three ingredients to a small bowl and blend with a fork until well combined. Add the honey and rosemary oil and stir.

Apply a scoop about the size of a quarter to your damp hair. Massage well in a circular motion, using your fingertips. Let the scrub remain on your scalp for at least three to five minutes. Then rinse well and shampoo.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD, CNS

References:

  1. Koyama T, et al. “Standardized scalp massage results in increased hair thickness by inducing stretching forces to dermal papilla cells in the subcutaneous tissue.” Eplasty. 2016;16:e8.
  2. English RS and Barazesh JM. “Self-assessments of standardized scalp massages for androgenic alopecia: Survey results.” Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2019;9:167-178.
  3. Moosavi M. “Bentonite clay as a natural remedy: A brief review. “Iran J Public Health. 2017;46(9):1176-1183.

Pazyar N, Yaghoobi R, “Tea tree oil as a novel anti-psoriasis weapon. Skin Pharmacol. 2012;25(3), 162–163.