Scalp massage is one of those simple pleasures that come loaded with beauty benefits—similar to sliding on a hand cream or carving your cheekbones with a facial roller, it’s both a dreamy and entirely functional experience. Read: Just a few presses of your fingertips or rounds with a scalp brush can help release tension, loosen buildup, and encourage healthy hair growth. Not bad for a five-minute practice.
“We know stress tightens the scalp and impedes circulation and hair growth,” says Bridgette Hill, certified trichologist and founder of Root Cause Scalp Analysis. With regular massage, you can release that tension and encourage blood flow to the area—which, in turn, delivers oxygen and hair-healthy nutrients to the follicle. Researchers have even associated the practice with increased hair thickness—but you can read more about that here.
If you’d like to incorporate scalp massage into your hair care routine, you’re in luck: Below, Hill shares her go-to method.
