Pulling Hair Makes it Grow??

[busnutmedic]

This is just a hunch I have. I know I've posted so many things about my thinning hair it's kind of pathetic! But after watching a family video from 6 years ago, I'm getting aggravated again that since joining LHC my hair has thinned.

I can see I have breakage, but even up at the top my hair is thinner that it used to be.

I'm grabbing at straws here, but do you think the fact that I have stopped coming my hair (except for finger combing) and generally wear my hair in loose styles, like a braid or in a bun?

I feel so silly, but do you think pulling on my hair gently every day will help it to grow?

ETA: Link to the article mentioned in this thread - Snowymoon's Massage Technique. (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=15976) (It's at the archived site, and since I couldn't find anything about it here I figured a link might help :) )
Bonnie

[eadwine]

Pulling might, but massaging the scalp daily is a lot better for the follicles I think :)

[lora410]

I have heard of this, but I don't knwo if it works. Have you tried avalons biotion- b-complex shampoo? its supossed to help hair grow and Honestly that makes my hair grow. There is also Nioxin that you can buy at salons (a little pricey)thats supossed to work.

[wolf girl]

I really wish I could remember where I heard this....:brickwall

I read somewhere that pulling on your hair will actually make the hair follicles weak and eventually the hair will fall out sooner that it would have naturally. Scalp massaging will increase blood flow to the follicle therefore situmulate the growth. I'll see if I can find where I read that......

HTH:flowers:

[spidermom]

I don't think so. Funny though, you brought to mind when a friend returned from three months in Mexico. Her hair had grown so much that it was astounding. She told me that one day she was resting under a tree and started pulling at her hair, and the more she pulled, the longer it got. She was kind of a drifty young lady, however. She was always saying rather fantastical things.

[jojo]

I have heard that tight braid do, but then again you can traction alopecia from doing that! Ive heard standing on your head does though, as it causes the blood to rush to the scalp, but again don't know if it works or even if I could stand on my head!

[holycannoli]

Considering the great results Snowymoon gets from her massage technique, I would sooner try that than pulling!

[florenonite]

I would say your combing was massaging your scalp, so I'd recommend you, if you don't want to re-start combing, begin to at least massage your scalp for a short time every day.

[Alaskanheart]

I think pulling it would slowly stretch the hair and eventually ruin the cortex and its elasticity, but thats only a theory.

I think massage might be better like everyones else said, it makes my hair greasy, so I only do it if I need a wash anyways, and it helps spread sebum too.

I hung my head off of my bed in highschool everynight for like 15 minutes and had lots of growth, but maybe coincidence?I knew someone who hadthe curliest classic hair and claimed she did that too.I dont have time for that now, and it makes me really dizzy.lol

[Islandgrrl]

I've heard that pulling hair (the right way, and very gently) can increase blood flow and encourage growth. I don't know if it's a myth or not, but it does feel really nice.

Here's what I do - I slide my fingers along my scalp through my hair and then gently make a fist. Move fingers to a different part of my head, repeat. For what it's worth, when I have a bad headache, this does wonders for releasing tension I'm not even aware I'm holding.

Good luck (love your music, by the way - a friend gave me a CD to listen to a while back and I didn't make the connection at all until today). :)

[busnutmedic]

Considering the great results Snowymoon gets from her massage technique, I would sooner try that than pulling!


Is this posted anywhere? I did a search - oh doh, I just thought I should probably search the old board - and didn't turn up anything. I guess I'll go look at the old board, if it'll load for me ;)

Thank you everyone for your advice!

And I'm glad to hear you enjoy our music, Islandgrrl. I'm sending you a PM! Got my curiosity piqued :D

Bonnie

[Siamese]

Once a month I see a woman who does Indian Champissage (head massage). Part of her routine is to first twist and then pull at tufts of hair all over my head. An additional way of stimulating the scalp.

[busnutmedic]

I think I'm gonna go with the massage. I noticed that Snowymoon's Massage Technique employs gentle pulling (as if to distribute oils) and it felt great last night. Only problem is going to be I'll only be able to do it night before washing, as it makes my scalp really greasy.

Bonnie

[JessTheMess]

Im going to have to find Snowymoons technique as well. I used to hang my head off of my bed and massage my roots as a teenager. My scalp would get so greasy, then I would brush it all out and put it in a braid before bed. I don't know that it made my hair grow faster, but it definitely made it healthier.

[ChloeDharma]

As has been mentioned hair pulling is one of the techniques used in Champi (indian head massage) i think done this way, gently not so it hurts wouldn't have the effect of causing traction alopecia like tight hairdos, braids, extensions etc can because it's controlled and not constant.

I'm sure it was when i was reading about GM's philosophy (does his method count as one?) on long haircare he theorised that brushing with a BBB helped hair grow longer by exercising the roots in the same way that lifting a weight exercises a muscle, that the tension from the brush on the roots made them stronger and so hold onto the hairs longer. I'm not sure how much i believe it but i do think it's an interesting idea and done gently i can see no harm in trying it. I certainly imagine it increases the circulation, especially if incorporated into a regular (petrissage) massage routine.
Islandgrrl's technique is the one i've heard described the most and sounds like an effective way of doing it.

Thanks for starting this thread and reminding me of this!

[busnutmedic]

Here is the link to the article on Snowymoon's Massage Technique, I'll also link to it in my first post so people can find it :)

http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=15976

Bonnie

[eresh]

I do scalp massages on myself, no idea if it works but it can't hurt.(except maybe make my hair a bit faster greasy)
Pulling can, so massages might be the better option ;-)

[Nevermore]

I pull VERY gently as close to the roots as possible once in awhile when I massage, not one hair at a time though, I grab as much hair as I can between my thumb and forefinger and then pull. I don't think it's damaging and it certainly feels good, so I'm going to keep doing it until I see otherwise. That said, I have hair to lose, if it did thin a bit, it wouldn't be the end of the world for me. Not that I want it to, of course.