7 Best Ways to Stimulate Blood Flow to Your Scalp Promote Hair Growth

Deseré Davis
By Deseré Davis
Joel Taylor
Edited by Joel Taylor

Published July 30, 2022.

Woman is holding  her head

Proper blood circulation is necessary for healthy hair because the hair follicles get all their nourishment from blood. When that doesn’t happen, you’ll have brittle hair and even suffer hair loss.

Thus, if you can improve blood circulation to the scalp, you can help prevent hair loss and have healthier hair.

The symptoms of poor blood circulation to the scalp are:

  • Hair loss (more than normal)
  • Weak hair
  • Rough hair
  • Dry hair
  • Thinner hair

That being said, here are the 8 best ways to improve blood flow to the scalp.

1. Cleanse Your Scalp

It’s very important that you have a clean scalp to promote normal and healthy blood flow. Sometimes, dirt and sebum buildup causes an obstruction of blood flow under your skin.

Depending on your hair type and the amount of oil your skin produces, you should wash your hair enough to ensure that you're removing dirt, product buildup, excess oil, and dead skin cells. This could vary from every day to at least once a week.

You should also consider using herbal shampoo as they tend to be less harsh than standard options.

2. Massage Your Scalp

One of the very best ways to stimulate healthy blood flow is by massaging your scalp. Use your fingers to apply gentle pressure; this will open up the blood vessels and allow for more nutrients and oxygen to reach the hair follicles.

You can massage your hair with your fingers for a few minutes daily. Not only will this improve the blood flow, but it will also help you relax.

3. Massage With Essential oils

In addition to massaging your scalp, you can also increase the effectiveness with essential oils known to improve blood flow and even prevent microbial infections.

You can choose from a range of essential oils such as peppermint, rosemary, lavender, cedarwood, and thyme. Simply dilute a few drops in olive oil and apply them to your scalp while massaging, and then wash it off after thirty minutes.

4. Brush Your Hair

One of the simplest ways to increase blood flow to the scalp is by brushing your hair, as the brush’s bristles can stimulate the capillaries and encourage blood flow. Before brushing your hair, detangle it with a wide-tooth comb.

Remember not to brush too harshly or excessively as that can damage your hair cuticles, leading to hair breakage.

5. Use Hair Growth Stimulators

You can also choose to use hair growth stimulators, like minoxidil, to help improve blood flow. Hair growth stimulators can energize your hair follicles and keep your scalp healthy as they contain essential oils that are good for blood circulation. Just remember to use only science-backed products you can trust, like Hairprin natural hair support. Additionally, consider taking a look at biotin vs. collagen for hair growth.

Aside from stimulating growth, these serums are also typically full of ingredients that will improve the overall health of your hair.

6. Perform Breathing Exercises

Though it may be surprising, breathing exercises can help increase blood flow to your scalp and reduce hair loss. Exercises such as pranayama in yoga are well-known for helping to boost the oxygen supply to the whole body.

7. Eat Healthily

Many experts recommend amino acids for hair loss, and you can add amino acids to your diet by eating the right food, such as turkey, cottage cheese, fish, eggs, and mushrooms.

Your diet can affect your hair health in many different ways. As such, there are many vitamins and minerals that can help improve hair growth. Just remember to consult a doctor to avoid the incorrect dosages as that may have counteractive effects. For instance, vitamin A can benefit hair growth, but excess vitamin A can contribute to hair loss.

Conclusion

Poor blood flow can affect your scalp and hair's health, leading to hair loss. As such, it stands to reason that improving blood flow to the scalp will have positive effects and encourage hair growth. Doing so doesn't have to require extensive practices and many hours a day, as the methods above won't take longer than a few minutes a day and should allow you to see some extensive improvement.