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Is scalp massage an effective treatment against hair loss?
I massage my scalp everyday because it's something I can easily stick to and perform over the long-term. We'll discuss the data from a few studies below on how scalp massage impacts hair regrowth, hair thickness, and hair loss stabilization.
But what does scalp massage actually do? Well, massage (depending on factors like device used, technique, and duration) may activate wound healing amongst other mechanisms (1).
You may be familiar with therapies for androgenic alopecia that activate wound healing responses to promote hair growth like platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment and microneedling. Kind of the same concept here...
Think about what's happening when you’re massaging. There’s compression, stretching, and contraction happening to the skin. This mechanical force may cause your cells to respond by changing gene expression to initiate cellular damage or repair (2).
There’s also an increase in blood flow that occurs at the massaged area (2). But keep in mind that more blood flow doesn’t necessarily translate to increased hair count…
I know, bummer.
You can find the scalp massage tool I use everyday HERE.
The studies below may help you make some decisions around your own routine and whether scalp massage should be part of it. (Please note: I am not a medical doctor. Before changing your routine I suggest consulting with your physician).
Talk Data To Me...
A 24-week study was conducted on nine nonbalding Japanese men (they did not have androgenic alopecia). Here are some things from the study that stood out to me:
Stalk the study here.
These men began scalp massage treatment on one side of their temporal scalp and this was compared to the other side that did not receive massage (control area).
Details: The men conducted device mediated massage. It occurred for 4 minutes daily for a duration of 24 weeks. (This time duration is the reason I chose 4 minutes a day for my own routine. It's a time frame I can consistently stick to.)
The results showed that hair thickness significantly increased at 24 weeks after initiating the standardized scalp massage.
At the 12 week mark, the hair count decreased in the massaged area but this was only temporary and disappeared by the end of the study (24 weeks).
But why would the hair count decrease at the 12 week mark? The authors thought this might be due to the scalp massage causing some of the hairs that were in the telogen phase to be knocked out.
Sum it up:
After the 24 weeks--- hair thickness was found to be significantly increased in the area that received massage.
But the scalp massage area showed no significant change in the hair growth rate during the 24 weeks.
When thinking about how to interpret these results you may want to consider...
This study was small (n=9)
It was in non-balding men and they did not have androgenic alopecia
Hair thickness did increase significantly at 24 weeks. (The authors suggested this might've been due to an increase in blood flow at the site, but the study did not evaluate this.)
The following massage device was used-Panasonic EH-HM75 (I found this device on amazon but it was listed as Panasonic EH-HM75-S. So I'm not 100% sure the devices are exactly the same.)
But what about scalp massage in people with androgenic alopecia?
Okay here’s another one that just might blow your hair back.
You can stalk this study here.
Details: These survey results are in 327 individuals with self-assessed androgenic alopecia who reported that they attempted at least one standardized scalp massage treatment over the course of at least 10 months. Of those participants---
90.5% individuals identified as male
8.9% identified as female. Woooooo hoooo! Represent!
These people performed the massage with their hand 2x per day (20 min each) spaced 12 hrs apart, and the study period lasted for at least 10 months.
Here are some results from this study that stood out to me:
68.9% reported hair loss stabilization or regrowth. (This perceived result occurred on average after 36.3 hours of the massage treatment effort).
The results did not vary across age, gender, Norwood gradient, or concomitant supplement, topical, finasteride, minoxidil, or microneedling use.
FYI: Norwood gradient is a way to classify hair loss
A few things you may want to consider when interpreting these results...
The bias of the individuals filling out the survey: An example might be how this study reported on self-assessed changes. So what someone thought to be true about their hair changes.
But how does that compare with their actual hair changes? There wasn’t a dermatological assessment performed to see how these compare to one another.
So we need to keep in mind: Perception vs Reality
This was a retrospective study... Not a double-blinded, placebo controlled study which is the gold standard when you’re evaluating a treatment.
The technique used was presses, pinches, and stretches, that were all performed with the hand. This is a different method than the previous study discussed earlier in the 9 non-balding men.
Not everyone followed the exact treatment protocol for the full ten months. The mean adherence was 7.4 ± 6.6 months
Not everyone followed the exact treatment protocol for the 20 min massage 2x a day. The median daily massage effort was 11–20 min.
Safety
Neither study mentioned above discussed any safety concerns utilizing the massage techniques listed.
My current scalp massage regimen...
The effects of scalp massage on hair growth remain unclear. But after reviewing the above data I decided to incorporate scalp massage (4 min daily) into my long-term treatment plan against hair loss.
The tool I use for this is the scalp massager with soft silicon. None of the studies I discussed used this tool for scalp massage. I made this selection based on the simplicity of use. I just hold it in my hand and push the soft silicon into my scalp. I set a timer and then hold the tool in place and alter my pressure in a circular motion. Then I move to the next location on my scalp that I'd like to focus on.
Below you can find links to other scalp massage devices that you may want to check out. Please note that I have not tried the below items.
References: 1) English, Robert S Jr, and James M Barazesh. “Self-Assessments of Standardized Scalp Massages for Androgenic Alopecia: Survey Results.” Dermatology and therapy vol. 9,1 (2019): 167-178. doi:10.1007/s13555-019-0281-6
2) Koyama, Taro et al. “Standardized Scalp Massage Results in Increased Hair Thickness by Inducing Stretching Forces to Dermal Papilla Cells in the Subcutaneous Tissue.” Eplasty vol. 16 e8. 25 Jan. 2016