One sure way to increase hair growth is by increasing blood flow to the scalp. Blood is of course the live-giving substance in your body that delivers nutrients to your hair. So it’s critical to your hair to receive enough blood flow to thrive. But where do you start? There are so many possibilities. So today we’ll simplify things for you. Here’s 5 ways to increase blood flow to the scalp naturally.
Increase blood flow naturally
Increasing blood flow to the scalp is one of the best ways to encourage hair growth. Hair follicles get oxygen and nutrients from the blood capillaries, therefore, if you increase the blood flow to the scalp, you increase oxygen and nutrients which makes for healthier hair and faster hair growth.
While there are some chemicals or drugs, like minoxidil, that can help with hair growth, today we will look at more natural options as well. Drugs like minoxidil do work, but they can cost a lot of money, and they can be something that you have to keep up with your entire life.
You can click here to learn more about minoxidil and how it could be a great option for you. However, if you are looking for a more natural option, keep reading for more suggestions.
Symptoms of poor blood circulation to the scalp
Not having enough blood circulation to the scalp can cause stunted hair growth, and other symptoms, including:
- Hair falling out
- Rough, dry hair
- Weak, damaged hair
- No more hair shine
- Less volume
Do you have any of these symptoms? These 7 natural tips can help increase blood flow to your scalp. (Even if you don’t have any of the above mentioned symptoms, doing one or more of these things can help your hair grow and stay healthy.
5 ways to increase blood flow to the scalp naturally
1. Getting a scalp massage
Not only do scalp massages feel amazing, they also are one of the best ways to stimulate blood flow to the head. They are simple, can be done anytime, and can be completed in under 5 minutes. You can have someone give you a scalp massage, but it also can be done by yourself.
Enough can’t be said about the amazing benefits of scalp massages. They help the hair become and stay strong, healthy, and thick, as well as promoting relaxation, and help you reduce stress. Try adding coconut oil during your massage for added benefits.
2. Inversion method
If you’ve been Googling “hair loss solutions,” than perhaps you have heard of the inversion method. The inversion method is where you hang your head upside down in order to increase blood flow to the scalp. Whether you are sitting forward and placing your head in between your knees, or you are doing a handstand, the thought is to get your head upside down.
While there have not been many studies done of the effect of the inversion method, many people claim that it prevents hair loss and that someone could even grow 1-2 inches of hair per month if they use the inversion method one or twice per week.
Many people who swear by the inversion method usually combine it with another tip on this list. While there isn’t a ton of information out there on whether the inversion method totally works or not, it will increase blood flow to the scalp.
Just remember to keep it short, and bring your head back up slowly so you don’t get dizzy or lightheaded.
3. Taking a cold shower
While a cold shower might not sound that delightful, it is actually really helpful to promoting hair growth and increasing blood flow to the scalp. The cold water penetrates the deeper tissues in the hair. They are stimulated much quicker as opposed to if warm water was used.
Cold water can also reduce frizz and increase shine. It helps lock in moisture in your hair and helps your hair keep its natural sebum, helping strengthen your hair. One downside to cold water is that it can sometimes make your hair appear more flat and less voluminous.
In order to combat this (and not have to suffer in a freezing cold shower,) you could shampoo with warm water to get all the grime and product out of your hair and at the end of your shower use cold water. That will close your pores, protect your hair, and give you all the cold water benefits- without the flatness.
That being said you don’t want to go freezing cold, or scalding hot on your hair. Too extreme can damage it. Just a happy medium.
4. Onion juice
As crazy as it might sound, onion juice is another benefit for hair growth. It’s been an age old remedy and been claimed to help stimulate blood flow to the hair follicles, prevent dry, itchy, brittle, thinning, or prematurely graying hair, and strengthen and protect hair strands. Sounds pretty cool, right?
It contains dietary sulfur, which is a compound of protein and is needed for strong, healthy hair. While onion juice also hasn’t had too many studies on it’s effects, it has been claimed to have many hair benefits, and is safe to use. (As long as you are not allergic to onions.)
To use peel an onion or two and blend it up. Extract the juice and rub it on your scalp with a cotton swab or your fingers. Let sit for 15-30 minutes and wash off with shampoo. Onions have a strong smell, and that might be a turn off for you. If so, you can mix the onion juice with coconut oil or honey. That will get rid of the smell and it should rinse out just fine.
5. Use essential oils
Many essential oils, like lavender, cedarwood, thyme, rosemary, peppermint and more are claimed to help with increasing blood circulation to the scalp, and stimulating hair growth. Add a few drops to a carrier oil and put on scalp either during a scalp massage or let it sit a few hours before a shower.
Conclusion
Looking for natural ways to increase blood circulation to the scalp can be a great way to get healthy hair. It can also be good to talk to a hair care expert and see what is recommended for your hair.
Hair growth, like many other things in life, doesn’t happen in just one day. It takes time. It is important to pick whichever of the above mentioned tips and stay consistent with it. Overtime you will start seeing results.
Have you heard/tried any other ways to naturally increase blood flow to the scalp? Let us know in the comments below.