Brushing and Scalp Massage

Proper Brushing and Scalp Massage for Luxurious Hair

By Beth Maxwell

Brushing your hair the right way is one of the best ways to maintain and rejuvenate your hair.  The benefits can be even better when you include scalp massage in your routine. It is also important to maintain a proper diet and use all natural chemical free shampoos.

Daily Brushing

Daily brushing of the hair and scalp actually does far more cleansing than any commercial, artificial shampoo ever could.  It also eliminates waste materials from your hair.  The deposits of uric acid crystals, catarrh and other acids and impurities that build up and become encrusted on the scalp are removed by daily brushing. It stimulates the capillaries, increases blood circulation and the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the hair stem, root and bulb of the hair. Thorough daily brushing stimulates hormone and oil-producing glands, which keeps the pores of the hair and scalp open.  This allows the hair pores to breathe and retain their natural oils.

Hair loss problems are usually caused by issues of the sebaceous glands – the natural oil-producing and lubricating system of your hair. If the glands are out of balance, they will either:

• overproduce sebum
  - Hair follicles drown in their own oil, which interferes with the nourishment of  the roots
  - Scalp is then weakened and the hair begins to fall out
• under-produce sebum
  - Roots and follicles become undernourished, causing the hair to become dry  and brittle and eventually fall out.

Beware of unnatural build up of synthetic mousses, gels, sprays, shampoos and conditioners which can clog the pores and follicles of the scalp. These dangerous chemicals block or reduce the nourishment to the roots and disrupt natural hair growth by messing up the sebaceous glands’ regulation of the normal fallout/reproductive cycles.

Proper brushing and massage, when used in combination with holistic shampoos, helps bring the sebaceous glands into balance. Non-toxically cleansing your scalp and stimulating all glands and capillaries will nourish your hair to its radiant best!

Brushing is actually a form of dry-shampooing. Stimulation from the bristles distributes sebum throughout hair and scalp, making both stronger and more resilient. It’s also an excellent natural conditioner because coating hair with sebum as you brush restores moisture, giving hair added sheen, smoothed texture and greater manageability.

How to Massage Your Hair

Massage your scalp 1 to 3 times a day using a Natural Scalp Massager. Never use plastic or artificial ones — they scratch the scalp and are not helpful for your hair health.

Begin at the nape of the neck where you have the most sebaceous glands, massage gently but vigorously in a circular motion for 3 to 5 minutes or until you feel the scalp tingling from the increased blood circulation.
Combine the external benefits of properly brushing your hair with the internal result of stimulating deeper scalp tissues. The extra efforts will reward you with well-functioning sebaceous glands that produce a balanced sebum secretion.

How to Brush Your Hair

Step 1
Stand erect, then bend over from the waist as far down as you can, allowing the blood to flow into the scalp. This increase in circulation stimulates and nourishes the entire scalp and follicles, activating new hair growth.

Step 2
Firmly grasp your brush handle, moving through the areas of the nape, sides and crown all the way to your front facial hairline. Brush in slow easy strokes for 3 – 5 minutes.

Step 3
Then stand erect again and reverse the process. This thoroughly coats your hair with sebum, allowing the “natural elixir” to condition and add body and luster to your hair.
Using the proper brush is as important as properly brushing your hair. A natural-bristle brush is the perfect one to use. Boar bristles are the best such as the Morrocco Method Boar Brush:

• They are very close to human hair in texture
• They are gentle and non-intrusive
• They distribute your natural oils evenly while absorbing excess oil and removing foreign matter
• Pneumatic rubber cushion should contour to your scalp without pulling or breaking your hair
• Maximum stimulation without irritating the scalp

 For best results you should have a regular schedule for hair brushing at least 3 times a day. Keep in mind that brushing at night before bed is very important. It coats your hair with extra sebum which conditions your new growth of hair through the night.
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