Scalp · Massage

Scalp Massage

How this page was made

This page was written with AI assistance and reviewed against the sources listed under References below. It is general information only, not medical advice. See our full disclaimer for how SHEA creates and reviews treatment information.

What it is

Scalp massage involves applying pressure and movement to the scalp using the hands, a massage device, or both. It is commonly offered for relaxation and as part of head-spa or other scalp-care treatments.

Scalp massage has also been studied as a possible way to influence hair thickness. One small study investigated whether repeated mechanical forces from standardized massage could affect the tissue around hair follicles and dermal papilla cells, which help regulate the hair-growth cycle.

The findings are interesting, but the clinical evidence is very limited. Scalp massage should therefore be considered primarily a massage and scalp-care technique rather than a proven hair-growth treatment.

Why people consider it

For relaxation as part of a scalp-care or head-spa treatment
For a tight or tense-feeling scalp
As a non-invasive addition to a broader scalp-care routine
Because of interest in the limited research investigating massage and hair thickness
For a technique that can also be performed at home

What the experience is like

Scalp massage varies by provider. It may involve fingertip pressure and movement across different areas of the scalp, sometimes combined with massage of the neck and shoulders. Some providers use handheld or mechanical massage devices instead of, or in addition to, manual massage.

Oil, serum or another scalp product may be used during the massage, although these products have their own ingredients and should not be assumed to increase the effect of the massage itself.

Pressure and duration also vary. A professional head-spa massage may therefore be quite different from the standardized four-minute daily massage protocol used in the small clinical study discussed below.

There is generally no recovery period after uncomplicated scalp massage. Hair may feel oily afterward if an oil or serum was used.

Limitations & considerations

Clinical evidence for scalp massage as a hair-growth treatment is very limited
The main clinical study involved only 9 healthy Japanese men without obvious hair loss and lasted 24 weeks, so it cannot support strong conclusions about people experiencing hair loss or the wider population
The study used a specific standardized massage device on one side of the temporal scalp for 4 minutes daily, with the opposite side left untreated as a control. Its findings should not automatically be applied to professional head-spa massage, different devices or unstandardized fingertip massage
Hair thickness increased significantly from baseline in the massaged area, while the untreated area did not significantly change from its own baseline. However, hair thickness did not differ significantly between the massaged and untreated areas during the study
Hair density and hair growth rate also showed no significant difference between the massaged and untreated areas. Increased thickness of existing hairs should not be interpreted as evidence that massage produced more hairs or faster growth
Laboratory findings involving mechanically stretched dermal papilla cells provide a possible biological explanation for further investigation, but laboratory effects do not establish a clinical hair-growth benefit
Scalp massage is not an established treatment for androgenetic alopecia and should not be expected to reverse follicle miniaturization or replace evidence-based treatment for pattern hair loss
Any oils, botanical ingredients or scalp products used during massage have separate evidence and should not be assumed to add to the effect of massage itself
Massage should be modified or avoided when pressure causes pain or when the scalp has open wounds or significant active irritation

Evidence note

The most directly relevant clinical evidence comes from a 2016 study by Koyama and colleagues. Nine healthy Japanese men without obvious hair loss used a standardized massage device on one side of the temporal scalp for 4 minutes daily over 24 weeks. The corresponding area on the opposite side was left untreated as a control, with massage and control sides randomly assigned.

Mean hair thickness in the massaged area increased from 0.085 mm at baseline to 0.092 mm after 24 weeks. This was a significant change from baseline within the massaged area, while the untreated area's hair thickness did not significantly change from its own baseline. However, there was no significant difference in hair thickness between the massaged and untreated areas during the study.

Hair density and hair growth rate also showed no significant difference between the massaged and untreated areas throughout the study. Hair density in the massaged area temporarily decreased significantly from its own baseline at 12 weeks before recovering. The researchers suggested that massage might have caused some telogen hairs to fall, but this was an interpretation rather than a demonstrated mechanism.

The same paper included laboratory experiments in which cultured human dermal papilla cells were exposed to stretching forces. Changes were observed in the expression of several genes associated with the hair-growth cycle. These findings provide a possible mechanism for further research but do not establish that scalp massage produces clinically meaningful hair growth.

The study also had industry involvement. Two authors were affiliated with ANGFA Co., Ltd., and the paper states that the research was funded in part by ANGFA.

Overall, this is a very small early study in healthy men using a particular massage device and protocol. It provides limited preliminary evidence of a within-area change in hair thickness, but it is not sufficient to establish scalp massage as a treatment for hair loss or to show that other massage techniques produce the same result.

References

Direct peer-reviewed evidence relevant to scalp massage and hair thickness.

1. Koyama T, Kobayashi K, Hama T, Murakami K, Ogawa R. Standardized Scalp Massage Results in Increased Hair Thickness by Inducing Stretching Forces to Dermal Papilla Cells in the Subcutaneous Tissue. ePlasty. 2016;16:e8.

Peer-reviewed · Clinical and laboratory study · n=9 · Industry-funded