A number of Chinese medical practices can help you to maintain healthy, full hair.
Hair loss or poor hair growth is viewed by traditional Chinese medicine as an imbalance in chi. Chinese medicine defines chi as the life force that flows through all living things. To limit hair loss and promote healthy hair growth, chi needs to be brought back into balance. There are several ways to balance chi, including massage, acupuncture or acupressure and herbs.
Massage
Many Chinese hair salons include a scalp massage with every haircut. Massage increases blood flow to hair roots and helps stimulate chi flowing through meridians in the scalp. When giving yourself or someone else a scalp massage, use your fingertips and knuckles, not your fingernails. For best results, massage your scalp daily, focusing on areas of thinning hair.
Acupuncture
Because hair loss or thin, unhealthy hair is an indication of a weak liver and kidney, acupuncture to strengthen these organs can be helpful in maintaining healthy hair. Other conditions contributing to unhealthy hair that respond well to acupuncture or acupressure include stagnant blood and a constrained flow of chi to the chest. Chi flow to the chest can become constrained when you are under emotional stress.
Herbs
A number of herbs can also help balance chi and internal body organs. Fleece flower root can nourish and detoxify the blood. Szechuan lovage helps with blood flow and helps chi flow upward toward the head. Hoelen mushroom helps with constrained flow of chi in the chest. Two other herbs that are often good for healthy hair are gotu kola, Chinese angelica and ginseng.
Herbal Blends
If possible, it is best to see a traditional Chinese doctor and have him prescribe a specific herbal blend for your particular chi and organ balance. However, there are a number of herbal blends available in Chinese pharmacies, groceries or online containing herbs that help with chi flow and organ problems affecting the health of your hair. If you can't see a Chinese doctor, one of these premade blends may be right for you.
Tags: flow chest, healthy hair, acupuncture acupressure, blood flow, Chinese doctor, Chinese medicine, constrained flow