If you’ve noticed your hair growth beginning to slow or are keen for thick, luscious locks, hair consultant Shauna Theresa claims to have an all-natural solution. Shauna, who shares tips for achieving your “dream hair” with her audience of 7.8K followers on TikTok page @shaunathersea1, said the answer is a quick massage which you can do before bed.
“Let’s talk scalp massages,” she said. “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, helping to create a relaxing mood as well as boost the growth of her tresses before heading to sleep.
“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.
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“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.