If your hair growth has slowed down in recent years - or stopped all together - a hair consultant has shared an all-natural solution to lengthen and thicken locks.
Sporting a long healthy mane of her own, TikToker Shauna regularly shares tips to help others get their "dream hair". In a clip posted to her profile @shaunathersea1, she told her 7.8 thousand followers that quick massage before bed can encourage growth.
According to Shauna, it takes just five minutes and can be done with the help of soothing essential oils. As reported by the Express, she said: "Let's talk scalp massages.
"This is a great natural easy way for you to boost the hair growth that you have as well as the hair thickness that you have." Shauna said her favourite time to do the massage is just before she goes to bed to help her relax after a long day.
"A study that was done showed that in just 24 weeks after four minutes of daily massage the diameter of the hair follicle increases," she said.
Experts from Healthline expand on the study, which was conducted in 2016. As part of the research, nine men received a four-minute scalp massage each day for 24 weeks. "At the end of the study, it was found that the men had thicker hair than at the start," states Healthline.
Research suggests that scalp massages may increase hair thickness by stretching the cells of hair follicles. This, in turn, helps to stimulate the follicles to produce thicker hair.
It is also thought that a scalp massage may encourage hair growth by helping to dilate the blood vessels beneath the skin. However, the hair consultant explained there is a "right way and a wrong way" to go about massaging your scalp.
"What you don't want to do is just take your fingers in and rub vigorously or rub too hard," she explained. "The scalp is really just an extension of the skin on your face so you want to be gentle."
Instead, Shauna says she has a "better way" to massage the scalp to encourage nutrients. "Take pressure from your fingertips, your knuckles or your palms and gently move the skin," she said.
"This is going to stimulate more circulation and help to really get nutrients and oxygen and blood to your hair follicles. "And if you want to give it an added boost you can try the inversion massage which basically just means you are going to tip your head over and do the same massage while your head is down.
"That is just going to increase blood flow. Try and do this for at least five minutes every day." The scalp massage can be done with or without oil, though Shauna says she tries to use oil once a week on her hair.
She added: "My favourite time to do it is right before bed. It's super relaxing and a great way to unwind for the day."
Essential oils recommended for hair growth
Lavender essential oil
An animal study conducted in 2016 found that lavender essential oil helped to stimulate hair growth in mice. According to Healthline, it also has "antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, which can improve scalp health".
Peppermint essential oil
A study published in the KoreaScience journal found that peppermint oil, when used on mice, increased the number of follicles, follicle depth, and overall hair growth. The oil is thought to help promote hair growth during the anagen phase, also known as the growing phase.
Cedarwood essential oil
Cedarwood essential oil is thought to promote hair growth and reduce hair loss by balancing the oil-producing glands in the scalp. The natural oil also has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties which can help treat conditions which may contribute to dandruff or even hair loss, according to Healthline.
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